Driver '76 is tearin' ass to a PSP near you this March. We know what you're thinking. At first we were in a panic, believing we'd missed the previous seventy-five games. But upon further journalistic inspection we uncovered that those precarious little numbers simply refer to year in which the game takes place. Very clever...

Taking place in and around the New York area, the game is set two years before the events that unfolded in Driver: Parallel Lines, and will contain numerous game modes, open environments, multiplayer games, and downloadable content. We've also been promised "Hollywood-style" driving action - whatever that means. While both Hollywood movies, and nearly identical in tone, the car chase scene in Ronin is vastly different from the race home at the end of Ferris Bueller's Day Off. And surely you can't underestimate the public's desire for a little BBC-style automotive chivalry.

Above: Image from Driver: Parallel Lines, though Driver '76 will likely contain cars and buildings

Publishing giant Ubisoft has promised to make good with its newly acquired franchise, and Driver '76 looks like it could be a return to form for the series. The original Driver looked like it was poised to be the king of vehicular irreverence before Grand Theft Auto 3 came along and car-jacked its crown. But who knows? Maybe Driver '76 will benefit from a little GTA larceny.

January 22, 2007