max.thunder wrote:LOL! The guy of the interview is the same guy that reviewed Driv3r. Score: 5.4 by Gamespot, WTF?. Driv3r was great.
Yeah, Gerstmann, that
schmuck. (How did Martin manage to confront him without spitting in his face is beyond me. Let’s just hope it happened off-camera.) His review of the PC version (which many people consider to be superior to the console equivalents and which is the one I’m familiar with) got an even lower (3.8) score and the piece itself was basically identical to the previous accounts, merely lazily appended with some platform-specific comments.
The reason I’m so furious with this review is not because it was negative but because I feel it ended up being unfairly misrepresentative of numerous aspects of the game. Here you go:
(…) Thanks to the ill-conceived introduction of a mouse and keyboard into the mix, it [the PC version] manages to be even worse (…).
‘Ill-conceived’, my ass! So the exact same control scheme was also ‘ill-conceived’ in GTA SA, I presume? Funny, as I have absolutely no problems controlling Tanner in D3 with a touchpad / keyboard combo, just as I have no problems using an identical solution with regards to CJ in San Andreas. Don’t get me wrong, most of the character’s animations are indisputably awful (the jumping isn’t just ‘half-hearted’, it’s downright abysmal!) but the controlling method itself definitely increases the game’s playability for me.
(…) The cutscenes are probably the best part about Driver 3.
When you suggest that cutscenes (essentially a superfluous aspect meant to make a given title a tad more attractive) constitute the best part of the game, you automatically imply that the game itself isn’t worth much. And that’s, of course, the point Mr. Gerstmann consequently tries to drive home.
The game's driving portions are better than the on-foot stuff, but not all that much better.
Bullsh*t, and I believe that I don’t have to explain it to anyone around here. The general consensus seems to be that while the on-foot action was undeniably crap, the driving – though sadly slower in this title – felt as exciting and pleasant as it was in the original title.
Even the slightest turn around a corner is a tire-screeching, sliding-out affair.
Yes, what Mr. Gerstmann seems to miss here is that this time around the auto-handbrake function (present in D1 as an option) was applied
by default. Hence, everytime you were describing one of those beautifully smooth curves around a corner, you were actually utilizing the handbrake without any action on your part. Truth be told, they might have stuck with the original concept and included that understeering alternative for the benefit of the hardcore enthusiasts.
The problem is that the driving isn't especially fun, as you constantly feel more like you're fighting to stay in control of the car than skillfully outmaneuvering your pursuers.
It’s statements like the one above that make readers think twice about buying the game. You naturally think ‘So… not only did they mess up the on-foot action but the user-friendly handling model – the series’ admirable trademark and one of its main selling points – as well? Screw that, I’m steering clear of DRIV3R!’ Firstly, if Mr. Gerstmann admits to ‘fighting to stay in control of the car’ with an average vehicle speed in the game ranging somewhere between 120-130 km/h, he should probably avoid driving / racing titles altogether, and he should definitely abstain from reviewing them. Secondly, I could accept that observation with regards to sim titles, the FlatOut series, heck, even NFS UG2 (where – depending on the settings you use – it’s not that difficult to spin the car out of control). In D3, however, the car automatically regains its balance after each turn (unless you’re dumb enough to execute a burnout before recovering), making the whole experience a breeze (and simultaneously making you look like a pro during replays). If anything, the driving model (which is practically identical to the one implemented and admired in the original game, if a little more generic perhaps) might be accused of being too user-friendly.
Steering with keys on the keyboard simply isn't refined enough to deal with the game's sloppy car physics, making even the most rudimentary car chase a real chore.
Nonsense. I use a keyboard and the steering feels as smooth as seems humanly possible. Moreover, the ‘sloppy car physics’ term serves as yet another vehicle for a purely mean-spirited, uninformed attack on the game’s driving elements. If you choose to criticize that aspect of D3, you’ll have to go back and bash D1 for the exact same characteristic.
The default control scheme is clearly an exercise in insanity.
This is Gerstmann running out of accusations. What sort of nut uses the default scheme anyway? The first thing I do after installing a game is (apart from adjusting gfx-related settings) customize the control layout. The important thing is that it’s thankfully fully tweakable in D3 – something that ‘Scarface’, for example, doesn’t offer.
In motion, Driver 3 is a flickery mess.
Another irresponsible misrepresentation. Some textures flicker, yes. Of course, it’s deplorable and unwelcome but this unfortunate phenomenon does not render the game unwatchable to the point of unplayability.
Driver 3 is full of the sorts of glitches and problems that final retail products shouldn't have.
Agreed, but… what other game will give me recordable car chases with a cool selection of classic vehicles and 3 distinctive environments (each of them larger than NFS Most Wanted’s map!), mostly representing non-US locations for a change? If you ask me, Reflections deserve to be praised for going against the grain and including Nice and Istanbul alone. Miami, on the other hand, still offers the largest and most driver-friendly rendition of the city I’ve encountered in a game so far.
Short of being threatened at gunpoint, there's no acceptable reason to play this game.
Well… nobody’s threatened
me. I read that pathetic excuse for a review, chose to ignore the game for a few years, then – thanks to the invention called YouTube – decided that the locations showed some potential and, guess what, DRIV3R now resides permanently on my HD as a definite favorite among the series. As a consequence, however, I tend to trust Mr. Gerstmann’s opinions a little… less eagerly.
Well… I can only hope that Mr. Gerstmann – who also penned the lukewarm DPL review (‘it's better than Driver 3, but that doesn't make it a success’) – abstains from gracing us with his account of DSF. The way I see it, he simply lacks the qualifications.
