Driver: Parallel Lines - Gameplay

Gameplay

Driver: Parallel Lines takes place in an entirely open world environment. Instead of choosing minigames from a menu as in previous Driver titles, minigames are now accessed from the in-game world. Many changes have been made from the previous game, including visible blood when someone is shot, a money system, fully modifiable vehicles, environment destruction (i.e., lamp posts can now be run over and fire hydrants can break, spewing water into the air), and a new felony system that differentiates between personal felony and felony "attached" to vehicles the player has used. If the player attracts police attention on foot or in a certain vehicle and then loses the police and enters a "clean" car, their wanted level will be suspended. It can be reactivated, though, by spending too much time in the sight of a police officer, who will eventually recognize the player as "wanted". The same principle applies to out-of-car activities, such as weapon use, and allows the player to holster a weapon in order to lose police attention until spotted committing illegal acts again. For the Wii version, the felony bar has been replaced with Grand Theft Auto-esque "stars" which light up when the player attracts police attention. Also, swimming and jumping abilities from Driv3r, were removed. The game also featured a new in-car menu on the bottom left hand side which featured a speedometer, a meter showing you how much nitrous oxide was contained in the car and an odometer which showed how many miles the player has driven in-game. The style of the menu changed from 1978 to 2006 from analogue to digital style.

The game was originally intended to include online multiplayer, but this was scrapped when it became apparent to the developers that they could not deliver a strong multiplayer mode and wanted to focus entirely on the single-player portion of the game. The instant replay film director mode of previous Driver games was removed from Parallel Lines. Instead, the only available cinematic mode is the fixed-perspective slow-motion "Thrill Camera".

There is a total of 32 missions in the game, 17 in 1978, and 15 in 2006. After you finish the game, the "Era Change" is unlocked, which means the player can shift at any time, from 1978 to 2006 and vice-versa.

In the eras there is a difference in looks. The player's character is different (in 1978 he has light dark glasses and a light brown jacket and a long hair, while in 2006 he has a beard, a little bit of a shorter hair and a dark jacket with dark small glasses.), but also the pedestrians. The weaponry changes through 1978 to 2006. The vehicles change through the eras. In 1978 are usually dark and old roads, while in 2006 are new asphalt roads. Times Square's lights and commercial posts change through the era's, but also Ray's garages (in 1978 they are old and rusty bricked, but in 2006 they are new graffited walls).