Driver San Francisco

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Driver San Francisco is a single player and multiplayer open world racing game. It was developed by Ubisoft Reflections and was released on September 29, 2011. It received mostly positive reviews from both critics and players.

"Driver: San Francisco" is an open world driving game with both single-player and multi-player modes. The story follows Tanner's coma dream as he pursues his enemy Jericho in San Francisco, causing havoc on the streets. The game is known for its outstanding gameplay, pretty visuals, good soundtrack, and humor, but some may find the need for grinding repetitive.

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70%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,121 reviews

story178 positive mentions

stability8 negative mentions

Unique gameplay mechanic of 'Shift' allows players to take control of any car on the road, adding a fun twist to traditional racing.
Engaging story with humorous dialogue and a nostalgic 70s vibe, reminiscent of classic buddy cop films.
Large open world set in San Francisco with a wide variety of licensed cars to drive, providing hours of exploration and fun.

Uplay integration can be frustrating, with many players experiencing crashes and login issues that hinder gameplay.
Driving mechanics can feel unrealistic and overly arcade-like, leading to difficulty in controlling vehicles, especially with a keyboard.
Some missions can be repetitive and the AI can be inconsistent, leading to frustrating moments during races and chases.

story
492 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
58%
6%
The story in "Driver: San Francisco" is generally regarded as surprisingly engaging for a driving game, featuring a unique premise where players can "shift" into different vehicles. While some players find the narrative to be cheesy or predictable, many appreciate its campy charm and the way it integrates with the gameplay mechanics. However, the requirement to complete side missions to progress the main story has drawn criticism, with some feeling it detracts from the overall experience.
- “The story is surprisingly really good.”
- “Because of likeable characters (helped both by the writing and the actors), you end up getting very invested in the story.”
- “The story is refreshingly unique for a driving game, where you never even get out of the car!”
- “The story feels a little like an empty shell.”
- “The story is quite uninspiring and even sounds like a repeat of past Driver games.”
- “The story is short and unremarkable, and the game forces many side missions on you, but near the end it can get kind of intense.”
gameplay
189 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
45%
50%
5%
The gameplay of "Driver: San Francisco" is highlighted by its innovative "shift" mechanic, allowing players to seamlessly switch between any car on the road, which adds a unique twist to traditional driving and racing games. Reviewers praise the driving mechanics as solid and enjoyable, with a variety of missions and a large selection of licensed vehicles enhancing the experience. While some critiques mention repetitive elements and dated graphics, the overall consensus is that the gameplay is fun, engaging, and offers a refreshing take on the genre.
- “The major gameplay gimmick is 'shift', which is swapping seamlessly from any car to another.”
- “The gameplay is completely fluid and less janky compared to previous games in the series, and the tedious on-foot scenes are gone.”
- “The shift mechanic rocks. It eliminates the tedium of having to drive back to a garage if you want a different car, adds a whole other level to the gameplay, and ties into the story beautifully.”
- “Maybe back in 2011, the game was better received and I know I'm playing this game years after release; however, the gameplay is simply not fun enough to keep playing.”
- “The graphics are outdated, the gameplay is 'meh' and the story is uninspired and completely unrealistic.”
- “Third, the in-game graphics are the most pathetic I've seen even on max. Fourth, the driving mechanics are amongst the most ancient and lifeless I've ever come across.”
graphics
104 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
33%
14%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the retro aesthetic and decent visuals for its age, while others find them outdated and subpar compared to modern standards. Many users note that the game runs well even on lower-end hardware, but the lack of graphic options and inconsistencies in quality detract from the overall experience. Overall, while the graphics may not be cutting-edge, they are often described as serviceable and enjoyable within the context of the gameplay.
- “The graphics are stunning, the gameplay - unique.”
- “Visually great, very pleasing aesthetic and a good representation of San Francisco.”
- “Considering this game was made in 2011, the graphics are amazing.”
- “Graphics are subpar.”
- “The graphics are outdated, the gameplay is 'meh' and the story is uninspired and completely unrealistic.”
- “Driver San Francisco not only has horrible controls, laughable graphics and driving physics, but also poorly optimized for PC.”
music
78 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
41%
5%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising the diverse and nostalgic soundtrack that features funk, soul, and rock, while others criticize it for being repetitive or lacking recognizable tracks. Many players appreciate the upbeat and fitting nature of the music, enhancing the driving experience, but some express disappointment over the absence of a song selection menu and the inability to identify tracks during gameplay. Overall, while the soundtrack is celebrated by some as a highlight, it is also seen as subjective, with varying opinions on its quality and appeal.
- “The soundtrack is phenomenal with fitting music ranging from the late 60's to modern day.”
- “Music is a combination of funk, soul, rap, R&B, rock, etc., and if you don't smile while listening to it, you are clinically dead.”
- “The map is huge and fun to bash across, the car park features over 100 various models from the last few decades, including lots of classics and muscle cars, and the soundtrack makes for a brilliant mood with a superb choice of over 70 songs ranging from funk and soul to alternative rock and light electronic music, shining with names such as Aretha Franklin, the Beastie Boys, DJ Shadow, Jamiroquai, Queens of the Stone Age, and The Black Keys.”
- “Truly awful soundtrack selection.”
- “I played a few hours and stopped listening to the in-game music because it started to repeat and sucked anyway.”
- “Same goes for the soundtrack: I couldn't name (or even hum) one of the songs that plays in free-roam or in a mission.”
humor
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, featuring a mix of sarcastic dialogue, funny character interactions, and hilarious gameplay situations, particularly when players possess other vehicles. Many reviews highlight the comedic elements of the story and side missions, with memorable lines and amusing scenarios that enhance the overall experience. While some found the dialogue occasionally lacking, the majority agree that the humor adds a significant layer of enjoyment to the gameplay.
- “The voice acting is good and full of sarcastic and snide quips from the majority of the main cast, and even more humorous lines and reactions from hapless schmucks who are unfortunate enough to be your passenger.”
- “Excellent open-world arcade racer with fresh things going for it: the car shifting mechanic lets you troll NPCs on the road by instantly possessing and transferring into their vehicles, leading to some hilarious gameplay situations.”
- “The dialogues, even minor lines, are hilarious.”
optimization
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
77%
8%
15%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its excellent performance on low-end PCs, allowing it to run smoothly even on older hardware. Users report good graphics and fast racing experiences, although some driving physics may feel unrealistic. However, there are noted performance issues related to DRM that affect some users, particularly those with specific system configurations.
- “Absolutely brilliant software performance - races are real fast, and it runs on old machines.”
- “Very important on a low spec laptop like mine - core i3, GeForce 720M - it's a very well optimized game.”
- “Performance is pretty good, and I expect most rigs nowadays would be able to run this game flawlessly.”
- “Performance issues under 10.8 that Ubisoft said they won't fix.”
- “You can minimize DRM effects by restricting to 1 CPU and blocking the driver executable from the network; however, it doesn't resolve the stuttering issues.”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
89%
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant bugs and glitches during startup and gameplay, including freezing and screen issues. However, others have noted improvements over time and report that the game runs well on updated hardware, suggesting that stability may vary based on individual setups and updates. Overall, while there are fun elements to the game, stability remains a concern for many users.
- “I recently updated to a Sapphire Vapor-X HD 7950, and the game still runs great.”
- “The stability of the game is impressive; I haven't experienced any crashes or major bugs.”
- “Even during intense gameplay sessions, the performance remains smooth and reliable.”
- “The only downside was launching the game - it took me an hour because it requires Uplay, and it was very buggy (now it's much better).”
- “When the game starts up it glitches then quits; if anyone can help me, but so far it's not good.”
- “I can't see half of the screen and the game is all slow and buggy.”
atmosphere
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
44%
23%
33%
The atmosphere of the game is polarizing among users; some feel it lacks the gritty charm and immersive qualities of previous titles in the series, describing it as dated and uninspired. In contrast, others praise its engaging ambiance, highlighting excellent graphics, sound, and a nostalgic 70s-80s vibe that enhances the overall experience. Overall, while some find the atmosphere disappointing, others appreciate its unique blend of humor and design.
- “This game is so atmospheric that I was hooked from the start.”
- “The graphics are excellent, sounds and music wonderful and atmospheric - it all feels like being in the '70s and '80s.”
- “Driver San Francisco tries to emulate a swanky 70s detective movie atmosphere in modern times and, in contrast to recent games of the series, puts the focus back on cars and cars only.”
- “I loved and played all old Driver releases, even the horrible, terrible Parallel Lines, but this is very dated now, and looks more like 2009, handles badly and unrealistically, and lacks all of the atmosphere of the previous games. Absolutely no grit, uninventive plot, and cheesy unlock challenges which are either impossible or way too easy, and the sectioned off city is simply enraging.”
- “Even Driver 3, which many people reference as one of the bad ones, had better atmosphere and felt like a Driver plot.”
- “Disappointing, I think Driver as an IP has a lot to give especially now, but Driver was all atmosphere if you remember, and this has none.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly in the process of upgrading vehicles and unlocking story missions, which often requires completing repetitive tasks. While the gameplay is generally fluid and less cumbersome than previous entries, the necessity of navigating through multiple menus and cutscenes detracts from the overall experience. However, some players note that their perspective on grinding improves as the story progresses, hinting at a more engaging narrative later in the game.
- “And that is a huge boring grinding fest... a shame!”
- “A mindless grinding way for the 'upgrade points'.”
- “It's really tedious... you have to shift to a garage, select it to enter the garage menu, select 'cars', scroll down the huge list of car manufacturers, then pick the car which you bought from the entire selection, then exit the garage menu, and then watch a cutscene of your car driving outside... and all of this instead of just having a button to spawn your favorite vehicle?”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
75%
Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while the main story offers limited incentive for replay, the diverse side missions, expansive open world, and extensive car selection provide enough content to keep players engaged. The phenomenal soundtrack further enhances the experience, contributing positively to its replay value.
- “Yet diverse side missions and open world environment contributed to replay value.”
- “Behind the gameplay, there's a phenomenal soundtrack, and the absolutely massive car selection and innumerable side quests give this game tons of replay value.”
- “Unfortunately, there isn't much replay value; once you're through the main story, there's little incentive to keep playing.”
- “Yet, diverse side missions and the open world environment contributed to replay value.”
- “Giving it some replay value.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by intense and distressing experiences, as players report feelings of helplessness and fear during harrowing scenarios, such as being violently attacked despite desperate pleas for mercy.

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79%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews

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80h Median play time

181h Average play time

9h Main story

24h Completionist

10-125h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 6 analyzed playthroughs

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Frequently Asked Questions

Driver San Francisco is a open world racing game.

Driver San Francisco is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows, PlayStation 3 and others.

The main story can be completed in around 9 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 24 hours to finish. On average players spend around 181 hours playing Driver San Francisco.

Driver San Francisco was released on September 29, 2011.

Driver San Francisco was developed by Ubisoft Reflections.

Driver San Francisco has received mostly positive reviews from both players and critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Driver San Francisco is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Need For Speed Hot Pursuit, Burnout Paradise: The Ultimate Box, Test Drive Unlimited 2, The Crew, Need for Speed™ Most Wanted and others.

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