by Jeff Haynes
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    When you think of the Seventies, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Maybe it's muscle cars and horsepower? Perhaps it's platform shoes, bell bottoms and disco dancing? Or do you simply think of the period as the Me Decade, with everyone's focus squarely upon themselves and what they wanted? Well, Ubisoft is hoping that the latest installment of the long running Driver series happens to be on that list as well -- the racing action title encapsulates all of these themes in a new portable package for the PSP. With Driver '76 getting ready to peel out to stores next week, we managed to jump behind the wheel for some new impressions of the title.

    Driver '76 is set three years before the events of Driver: Parallel Lines, and is a unique story in the franchise. Players take on the role of Ray, a wheelman whose enthusiasm for all kinds of cars can sometimes get him in trouble. With the intro cutscene showing off Ray's penchant for street races and evading the cops, it's obvious that his need for speed will probably result in a few bent or broken laws. Unfortunately, Ray has a problem: he's fallen for a young girl named Chen-Chi, the daughter of New York's Triad boss Zhou, but he's not important enough to be deemed acceptable to date her. All is not lost, however -- with the help of Slink, a pimp with various underground contacts, Ray will perform jobs to gather enough cash and respect to be able to earn a date with Zhou's daughter.


    Ray and Slink are getting ready to tear up New York City.
    Ray and Slink are getting ready to tear up New York City.
    Driver '76's open world gameplay revolves around a giant map that covers sections of Queens, Manhattan, Jersey City and Hoboken. The bottom right hand of the screen features a mini-map that constantly points you in right direction based on your job objectives. It also gives you an indication of the amount of heat from the cops you've drawn to yourself based on the number of felonies you've committed in front of the police. If things get too tense, everyone from patrolmen on foot to black and whites will come charging after you. The bottom left gives you a sense of the speed that you're currently traveling in your vehicle, although you'll have to be careful -- the muscle cars, sedans and other vehicles in the Seventies don't handle the same, so you'll need to watch out on sharp turns so you don't crash and damage your machine.

    Players have the opportunity to follow the plot of the game, with Ray's quest to date Chen-Chi, or they can put that quest off for a bit and engage any one of the 44 side missions and mini-games scattered around. These aren't simply mild variants on circuit races either; players will have the opportunity to take on jobs like demolition derbies, sprints through city streets, checkpoint races on motorcycles and even making deliveries of various items. But Ray won't solely be confined in a car during the entire game. There are a couple of missions where players will jump out of a car and hijack other vehicles or shoot their way out with thugs or other characters. Successfully completing these tasks will unlock various things like new missions and vehicles, as well as cash that you can use to upgrade the cars with new items like performance parts or nitrous boosts.

    Not even police cars are safe from Ray's driving mayhem.
    Not even police cars are safe from Ray's driving mayhem.
    Those aren't the only unlockable items to be found within Driver '76. Scattered throughout the world are stars, which are arranged in random locations: some are suspended in mid-air, while others are placed in alleyways and along sidewalks. Driving over these unlocks various collectables, such as keychains or paint jobs for your car. It's possible to gather multiple copies of the same item, but players will be able to trade these items with friends via the Swap Meet feature in the game. That way, you're not forced to keep items that you don't want. Multiplayer will also play a role in Driver '76, with four multiplayer modes via ad hoc, including the option to pink slip the cars that you've acquired through the game.

    For key plot points, Driver '76 will feature a comic book panel style for key plot sequences, as well as numerous in-game cutscenes that help move the action of missions forward. The voice acting that we heard with the build we played was pretty good, with a solid amount of humor spread throughout. Plus, the game is anchored with music ripped from the Seventies, including songs from Iggy Pop, Blondie, and WAR. We'll have more on Driver '76 soon, but for now, check out these screens and movies of the game in action.