Driver: San Francisco

GAME OF THE WEEK:  **** 12 cert, Ubisoft, PS3 (also Xbox 360, Wii, PC/Mac)

As far as high-octane racing games go, Driver: San Franciscostands out, bringing in unusual gameplay features and providing a half-decent plot as well.

The game starts with John Tanner on the heels of Charles Jericho, who survived the events of the last title. But things go badly wrong and, after a car crash, Tanner ends up in a coma.

This is where the game gets a little on the weird side. Tanner discovers that he can “shift” into other people’s bodies and take control of them. It’s a dreamworld gimmick that works well. You can swap into different cars at the touch of a button, but it takes some practice. Time it wrong and you can end up doing yourself more harm than good.

Still, there’s more driving than strategic body-hopping. As you work your way through the plot (chasing down Jericho) you can take on a number of side missions that will earn you in-game currency, allowing you to add to your vehicle and abilities.

The missions are varied. You can take part in police chases (on both sides), get involved with locals needing help winning a race, and generally tear around the streets of San Francisco, striking fear into pedestrians, motorists and passengers alike.

There are more than 200 missions to undertake – we’re told; we didn’t count them all – and that’s before you get into the many multiplayer modes.

It all works. Driver: San Franciscois a game you'll find yourself coming back to time and again just to master that one last mission or go up against friends online.