A prequel to Driver: San Francisco , this game is based in San Francisco and contains a separate storyline from the original. The story follows Detective John Tanner's early years on the force as he tries to take down a crime syndicate controlling the city's underworld after his partner is murdered by Solomon Caine, an ambitious criminal.
The game's story mode is built as a classic crime tale and takes players through three perspectives: Tanner trying to find out who killed his partner, Tobias Jones providing backup and chasing leads, and Solomon Caine having a plan without revealing it to anyone.
The Wii version of Driver: San Francisco is an action racing game that allows players to drive numerous licensed cars across the open city of San Francisco. Players can undertake various challenges and participate in random chases, thanks to a consistent felony system. The game features 11 chapters with 30 story missions, 10 larger critical missions, 30 optional side missions, and 58 unique awards linked to in-game activities.
During races, players can take down opponents using melee attacks, in-car shoot-outs, or shunts and nitro boosts. Performing tricks and scoring awards reward points that can be used to upgrade weapons. The game also features multiplayer modes, including offline split-screen and co-op in story mode.
This version of Driver: San Francisco allows for Nintendo DS/DSi/3DS connectivity through download play, which can be used as a guide, weapon, or to buy extra time during gameplay.