Parents' Guide to

Drive3r

By Jeremy Gieske, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Drive away from this one.

Game PlayStation 2 , Xbox 2004
Drive3r Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 13+

Based on 2 parent reviews

Lewis Woodhall
Lewis Woodhall Adult
January 15, 2013
age 12+

Age Restrictions Disagreement!

I am a professional at age restrictions for games and movies. The game was rated a 16+ by the BBFC (British Board Classification Programmers) and I slightly disagree with this rating. It clearly states on the box that the game is rated this due to Strong Violence. That honestly is all that is up with the game, but I wouldn't even call it Strong myself. The game does involved guns and you can shoot people. But when you shoot people they just fall over and it looks really fake. But I agree on the fact that you can irrelavantly eliminate pedestrians who have done nothing wrong, can seem quite disturbing to some. The game contains no language, sexual scenes or drugs! It contains mild tobacco and alcohol use which is more or less harmless! In my opinion the game should only be a 12+ or at least a 15+ even though you can highjack vehicles, run people over and get run over yourself. It still is not disturbing, bloody, real and intense so it is fine!

This title has:

Too much violence
zackk710
zackk710 Parent of 13-year-old
June 10, 2010
age 14+
not that bad. i would only rate it T for TEEN. really not that bad, dont mind kids playing it. way better then that grand theft auto. there is shooting, but not very bad.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

In DRIV3R, a gang of car thieves plans to steal $20 million worth of exotic cars from Miami and Nice to be delivered to Istanbul. The player stars as an undercover cop named Tanner who will stop at nothing to capture the gang. In order to infiltrate the gang and catch the ringleader, Tanner must play along as part of the gang stealing cars, killing rival gang members, and helping them evade the cops, until the trap is finally sprung.

Missions rotate between driving and on-foot action. At times Tanner may be involved in top-speed chases where the player needs to stick close in order not to lose whoever is being chased. At other times Tanner may need to go through a building on foot, shooting anyone trying to stop him. During most missions Tanner has his own vehicle, but when it becomes too damaged (and it often does) Tanner can \"appropriate\" whatever vehicle is necessary, often by carjacking.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (14 ):

The gameplay is so poor that it's doubtful anyone will want to play for long. Much of this problem comes from poor coding. Moving Tanner or driving can be frustrating, as graphical quirks prevent fluid motion and cause odd errors. At times the game requires near perfection on the part of the player; every second can mean the difference between winning the level and playing it over again.

The line between the good guys and the bad guys is very blurred -- younger players may not even realize Tanner is a police officer unless they pa close attention to the cut scenes. Although some of the gameplay is open-ended, such as choosing driving routes, the overall plot is scripted, making it next to impossible not to steal, slaughter innocent bystanders, and kill fellow cops to win. The only positive aspect of the game is the incredible detail in the cityscapes and animated cut scenes. But DRIV3R just ends up being a waste of time and money.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about what makes a person become lawless. Is it interesting to play as that character because it is something you would not do in real life?

Game Details

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