Driver 2: Back on the Streets

About Driver 2: Back on the Streets

Driver 2: Back on the Streets dropped in November 2000 as the sequel to the original PS1 hit. Reflections Interactive built this open-world racing action game for Infogrames. You play as undercover cop Tanner hunting Pink Lenny across four distinct locations like Chicago and Rio de Janeiro. The big change from the first game is that you can now exit your car to move around on foot. This title expanded the series beyond pure driving by adding exploration mechanics alongside its core crime investigation plot. It remains a classic PlayStation experience for those who remember the late nineties era of arcade racing.

Gameplay

You spend most of your time chasing targets or escaping police in various vehicles across massive city maps. The loop involves accepting missions from your partner Jones to track down criminals before finding them again. A key shift is the ability to leave your vehicle and navigate streets on foot when a chase goes wrong or you need to infiltrate a building. You can switch between single player campaigns and local split-screen multiplayer sessions with friends. Controls feel tight for the era, allowing drifts and high-speed pursuits that demand quick reflexes. Free-roaming sections let you ignore story objectives to just drive around the detailed environments of Havana and Las Vegas at your own pace.

What Players Think

PlayPile data shows mixed feelings about this entry. The IGDB rating sits at 61.4 out of 100 based on 106 user ratings, suggesting a divide between fans of the original and those who found flaws here. Average playtime hovers around 8 hours for main story completion, though many players linger longer in free roam. Community moods lean toward nostalgic appreciation for the on-foot mechanic, even if the police AI feels repetitive. Reviews often cite the expanded city scale as a highlight while criticizing the difficulty spikes during specific chase sequences. The multiplayer split-screen mode retains a small but dedicated group of players who still seek out local sessions today.

PlayPile's Take

This game is worth your time only if you already own the first Driver and want to see how the series evolved. At its current price point on retro marketplaces, it offers decent value for completionists chasing all achievements across the four cities. The ability to drive on foot sets it apart from standard racers of 2000, but the story pacing drags in the middle chapters. You will spend about 10 hours finishing the campaign if you play through every mission. Avoid this if you expect modern physics or online connectivity. It stands as a solid, albeit flawed, chapter in the franchise history that deserves a look from PlayStation collectors.

Storyline

Driver 2's story takes place across four different cities: Chicago, Havana, Las Vegas and Rio de Janeiro. Tanner and his partner, Tobias Jones, are working together to capture a moneyman who has double crossed a crime lord. The moneyman is known as 'Pink Lenny' throughout the story, and he is portrayed as a weasel in the opening cutscene. Pink Lenny has double crossed Solomon Caine, and is now working for his enemy, a Brazilian known as Alvaro Vasquez. Tanner must find and capture Pink Lenny, as Solomon Caine wants to kill him for double crossing him. Lenny has also been responsible for causing a large gang war in Chicago through his actions. The elusive Avaro Vasquez, head of the tattooed Brazilian mob operating out of Rio, is turning his business interests to mainland USA. Violence threatens to ignite America when a U.S. crimelord`s money-man cuts a deal with Vasquez - his greatest rival.