San Francisco is a participant in the long-running action racing series. The story, which differs significantly from the Wii version, takes place six months after the events of Driv3r. The protagonist, undercover detective John Tanner, and the antagonist, Charles Jericho, survived the final shootout in Istanbul. Jericho is about to be sentenced after being tried in San Francisco, but he escapes from his prison van. Tanner and his accomplice Tobias Jones pursue him. A Big Rig hits Tanner’s vehicle during the chase, and he ends up in a coma in the hospital. Tanner spends most of the game in a coma-induced dream, continuing his pursuit of Jericho.
The player has complete access to the city of San Francisco and is free to explore it at their leisure. Players can either follow the main storyline, in which Tanner eventually realizes he is in a dream, or take on the many vignette-like missions featuring mini-stories in addition to ordinary races and stunts, such as participating in the recording of a movie stunt sequence. There are 140 licensed vehicles to acquire, ranging from Volkswagen to Lamborghini. Players can no longer exit the car or explore on foot, reverting to the original Driver’s gameplay. The entire game is set inside an automobile. Streets are congested, and specific impediments are frequently used to do stunts. Pedestrians are never hit because they dive out of the way. In addition to the standard driving controls, players can boost and ram cars. The film director option, which was missing in the previous game Driver: Parallel Lines, allows you to shoot footage of the racing.
The ability to Shift is unique to the series. Tanner realizes he can plunge into the body of any other motorist in the city since he is in a dream. This allows him to rapidly jump into the body of another car’s Driver and continue from there, frequently to the passengers’ dismay, during chases or after losing the trail in pursuit. Several talks occur during the race, and photographs at the top of the screen represent the characters. Shifting adds a new layer to car pursuits because a single wreck does not stop a goal. The tactic can also be used to crash cars in front of the opponent to create extra barriers, place trucks in the path, and quickly drive to the opposite side of the city. His antagonist, Jericho, can Shift as well, and he can even take over Tanner’s body after he has moved out of it.
Offline and internet multiplayer are offered, with many competitive and cooperative game styles. Players can, for example, band together to flee the police or take down a street racing squad. Shifting is also accessible in multiplayer. However, it is disabled for some technical races.
