Disappointed at Gamespot's rating because this game is a more than satisfying experience!
Considering the debacle that was Driver 3, it was only natural for the team at Atari to stick to some proven formula. With rising comparison to GTA, they decided to copy GTA while trying to do everything right the first time! (Whatz wrong with that, look at Saints Row!)
STORY:
The protagonist is an amateur who gets to complete some missions in 1970s before he is locked away for good 25+ yrs! Out comes a man hardened by time & seeking revenge. The time now is 2006! The concept of implementing two time settings (1970s & 2006) in the same game is ambitious & thankfully executed perfectly!
GRAPHICS:
Way better than many driving games! A single city rendered beautifully with many details is amazing to look at. Car models are nicely detailed with no loss of crashes & cinematics that were a high point of Driver 3. The character models & cut-scene are also satisfying
GAMEPLAY:
The nearness of chase cam in Driver 3 is missing & you end up feeling that you are playing a GTA copy! Director replay mode has been chucked so you have to satisfy yourself with thrill cam only. That however, seems pretty diluted compared to Driver 3! On-foot action receives great improvements with satisfactory gun-fights & vehicle hijackings. The driving thrills are ensured through narrow driving lines which make you miss traffic by the skin of your teeth!
SOUND:
Good - esp the 1970s tracks!
REPLAY VALUE:
If you'r the kind that liked Free Ride mode on previous Driver games, you may want to keep riding around the city for xploring / vehicle thrills! The 1970s vehicles feel much better & realistically associated with Driver's car chase themes than the 2006 ones, which look pretty futuristic to me! Tiny additions like towing a vehicle through a tow truck etc enhance fun factor.
I wish Gamespot could have been more lenient on the game because anyone liking cars & sandbox style gameplay will surely find Driver 4 to be a treat on PS2!