The original PlayStation seemed to perennially deliver groundbreaking series over its lifespan. From introducing the world to the attitude of Crash Bandicoot to terrifying gamers with Resident Evil, the PS1 was a hitmaker extraordinaire. One of the many series that began on that console, and would go on to become a massive hit was the Reflections Interactive-developed Driver series. The original Driver and its sequel, Driver 2, blazed a trail of stylish action-driving that was both unique in its groovy '70s setting and difficult four-wheeled action.

Driver began as a cutting edge and innovative series that, tragically, seemed to lose its way with gamers and its own identity in the shadow of massive competitor Grand Theft Auto. However, the franchise still has so much potential, especially in today's video game world -- it deserves to make a comeback on modern consoles.

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Driver began with the goal of recreating the incredible car chase action of classic '70s thriller films. Directly inspired by the 1978 thriller The Driver, the original starred cop John Tanner, a talented wheelman who goes deep undercover to infiltrate the mafia. The game combined innovative action with a '70s noir tone, wowing critics and fans alike. The original was one of the first driving games to feature a fully open world, and its sequel (released one year later) was the first 3D open-world game that allowed the player to exit the car and steal another on foot.

However, despite its early reputation as an innovative showcase of the power of the PlayStation, the Driver series lost its way over the years. After the massive success of Grand Theft Auto III on PlayStation 2, developer Reflections tried and failed to replicate GTA's formula, losing the thread of what made the original games so special in the first place. Eventually, Reflections was bought by Ubisoft and rebranded Ubisoft Reflections, and subsequently helped create Ubisoft's own action-driving series The Crew.

Despite all of its massive open-world properties, Ubisoft still doesn't have a hit driving game, as The Crew found only moderate success. With the current trend of many companies looking back to the back catalog to great success (as Capcom has done with its Resident Evil remakes), Ubisoft could bring back Driver to not only give this great series another chance but to inject some style and originality into its catalog of Tom Clancy games and Assassin's Creed adventures.

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The proper way to reboot Driver would be to go back to its original roots as a '70s noir series. Tanner would return in a soft reboot that, once again, gives players the tire-squealing muscle cars of the era along with a funky soundtrack, mafia bad guys and (of course) massive sideburns. The 1970s era is still painfully underutilized in video games and could help give a revitalized Driver series a unique look and feel.

tanner taking it to the streets in driver 3

Another way a new Driver game could make a name for itself would be focusing on its undercover cop angle. Not since 2012's excellent Sleeping Dogs has a big-budget game focused on an undercover protagonist, and bringing back Tanner could not differentiate Driver from GTA while making for some interesting gameplay mechanics. Players could be required to keep collateral damage to a minimum during missions, dodging fleeing pedestrians and trying not to damage civilian vehicles.

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Furthermore, players could be presented with tough choices, requiring them to make split-second decisions to keep Tanner's cover intact without compromising his investigation. Tanner could only be allowed to draw his gun in firefights, and instead of patrolling the streets committing crimes, could instead traverse neighborhoods questioning locals and gathering evidence. Much like L.A. Noire did with its adventure game-like mechanics, a new Driver could not only provide thrilling driving action, but also puzzle-like detective work and intense firefights all in one package.

Ubisoft has been criticized for releasing games that seem to follow the same formula which, while fun, has become stale. However, if it could revitalize the Driver series in the right way, it could provide a satisfying hit of nostalgia to PlayStation fans while also resurrecting this classic series and turning it into a unique hit.

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