Driver: San Francisco is an entry in the long-running action racing series. The story takes place six months after the events of Wii version of the same name, and follows protagonist undercover cop John Tanner as he tracks down his nemesis Charles Jericho in San Francisco.
The player has access to the entire city of San Francisco with freedom to explore. The game features a mix of main storyline, vignette-like missions, regular races, and stunts. Players can collect 140 licensed cars ranging from Volkswagen to Lamborghini. Gameplay returns to the original Driver , where players stay in their vehicles and perform stunts while avoiding obstacles and pedestrians.
The game introduces a new ability called Shift, which allows Tanner to dive into other drivers' bodies during chases. This adds a new dimension to car chases, as one crash does not mean the end of a pursuit. The technique can also be used for strategy, such as crashing cars in front of opponents or creating obstacles.
Multiplayer is available both offline and online with various competitive and cooperative game modes. Players can work together to escape police or take down street racers. Shift is also available in multiplayer, but is disabled for certain technical races.