Ubisoft announces Driver 76 for PSP

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jan 22nd 2007 at 7:55PM }

L'Ubisoft has announced yet another entry into the crowded "driving games that take place in 1976" genre, with Driver 76 set to dangerously collide with the PSP this coming March. Developed by Sumo Digital Ltd. and Ubisoft's Reflections Studio, the game marks a return for the franchise after being purchased by the French publisher last year.

As you might expect, the game features "Hollywood-style car chases" (watch out, fruit stand attendants!), on-foot segments, car modifications, a smattering of multiplayer modes and, lest you forget what era it is, an "authentic '70s soundtrack."

[Note: Screenshot taken from Driver: Parallel Lines for PS2. The fact that it's clearly 1978 in that picture should make it obvious enough.]

Tags: Driv3r, Driver, Driver Parallel Lines, DriverParallelLines, Ubisoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

v1cious @ Jan 22nd 2007 8:04PM

just take out the on-foot stuff. this is what ruined Driver in the first place. i don't know why they wanna be GTA so bad, they had nice thing going with the first one.

csc @ Jan 22nd 2007 8:05PM

Damn, how did i miss driver 4-75?

I havent been asleep THAT long have i?

crawli @ Jan 22nd 2007 8:05PM

Yes! Another Driver game! Let's hope this one follows the success of Driv3r ...oh wait.

ChrisL @ Jan 22nd 2007 8:35PM

The greatest part about the slew of '76 driving games is that '76 was just about the peak of american auto crappiness. You had giant V8s putting out < 200 HP due to engineers not being able to keep up with the changing emissions standards.

GTgamer @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:02PM

Unfortunately, this sounds like it isn't a modern remake of Interstate '76...they might do better going that route.

Jeff @ Jan 22nd 2007 11:45PM

"You had giant V8s putting out < 200 HP due to engineers not being able to keep up with the changing emissions standards."

Well, but then you had mechanics who knew how to mod them to bring them back up to the power levels of just a few years earlier. The real culprit in these cars was the catalytic converter; that and the new carburetors. Stick a proper 4 barrel carb on and remove the catalytic converter and you could instantly restore 100 or more horsepower. Of course, this was not necessarily street legal at the time, but then who cares when you're talking muscle cars?

I had a 1980 Camaro some years ago - one of the least powerful years ever for the Camaro as far as official engine options. But mine was modified in this way; had a holley 4bbl carb, custom exhausts with no catalytic converters (and two tiny devices that could only charitably be called "mufflers") and the engine was bored over. That thing was quicker than any car I've ever driven before or since. Of course, getting an inspection sticker was always an adventure - got my first taste of bribery through that car.

Anyway, the thing about setting a game in 1976 is you don't expect all the cars to be new. You can have any car from like 1960 on up in a game like that, and you still get that 1976 atmosphere in there. I mean let's face it; when you think of the 1960's, pretty much the last thing that comes to most people's minds is "muscle car". Instead, you're thinking Woodstock, Vietnam, the Summer of Love, and hippies. The 1970's was sort of a return to the 1950's thing of hanging out down at the drive-in and showing off your car, only to the sounds of KISS Alive! and Blue Oyster Cult instead of whatever it was greasers listened to in the 50's. I'll take the 70's any day.

It just remains to be seen if anything can really be done to ressurect the tired old Driver franchise at this point.

Ryan @ Jan 23rd 2007 12:01AM

If they can just slap a big label on the front of the box that says "under new management" or something like that, maybe it'll catch people's attention. I think it would have been best to rename the series after the blow it's taken from the last two titles.