Overview

Driver 2: Back on the Streets (released in North America as Driver 2: The Wheelman Is Back) is the second main title in the Driver video game franchise. Developed by Reflections Interactive and published by Infogrames, it continued the series' focus on cinematic car-based action and open city environments. The game expanded on the original's emphasis on high-speed chases and vehicle handling by adding new gameplay elements and larger, more detailed urban areas.

Gameplay and features

Driver 2 retained core mechanics of driving and pursuit while introducing significant additions that changed how players approached missions. Notable elements included:

  • Multiple large city maps designed to be explored by road, with a variety of mission objectives ranging from tailing and pursuing suspects to timed escapes.
  • The ability for the player character to exit a vehicle and move on foot, a new feature for the series at the time that added pedestrian-level interaction and brief on-foot sequences.
  • Expanded vehicle roster, traffic behaviors, and mission scripting that combined driving skills with situational decision-making.

Development and release

Reflections Interactive developed the title as a follow-up to their earlier driving game, building on the same cinematic inspirations that shaped the original. The principal release appeared on home consoles around the turn of the millennium. Later, a handheld adaptation titled Driver 2 Advance was produced for the Game Boy Advance; that port was developed by Sennari Interactive and issued under Infogrames' Atari range. More information on the handheld edition is available at Driver 2 Advance and details on the publisher imprint can be found at Atari.

Reception and legacy

Critical responses to Driver 2 were mixed to positive: reviewers and players praised the ambition of larger city layouts and the new ability to leave the car, while some noted technical limitations and uneven mission design. The title is often remembered for pushing the series toward more cinematic, mission-driven driving action and for influencing later open-world driving games that blended on-foot and vehicle-based gameplay.

Notable distinctions

Driver 2 is significant within the franchise for introducing on-foot sections and broader city exploration, marking a transitional point between arcade-style driving and more varied action experiences. While later entries and other studios would refine the combination of driving and on-foot gameplay, Driver 2 remains an early example of that hybrid approach in mainstream console games.

Further context

As part of a lineage that began with a focus on cinematic car chases, Driver 2 contributed to the evolution of open-city driving titles. It is often cited in retrospectives about how driving games expanded beyond pure vehicular mechanics to incorporate narrative pacing and varied mission types.