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The recent game release drought saw some rain last week, when augmented future soldier Adam Jensen put the hurt on gamers' wallets with Deus Ex: Human Revolution. As August comes to a close and the new release silly season starts to kick into gear, Driver: San Francisco headlines this week's releases.

Driver: San Francisco puts you back in the pedal-to-the-metal action, following on from Driver 3. Tanner and Jericho return, so expect plenty of vehicular mayhem as you thrash cars through the streets of the Bay Area. For the first time in the series, this game adds licensed real-world cars, as well as a supernatural "shift" element that lets players instantly switch between their own and any other AI-controlled vehicle roaming the city. Look for it cruising the strip this Thursday.

The other two major titles hitting shelves this week are EA's Madden NFL 12 and the unorthodox shooter Bodycount. The former sees the addition of 25 new plays, updated rules in line with the 2011 NFL lockout, and a new collision system for more realistic tackles. It'll be sacking the quarterback on September 1.

Bodycount, on the other hand, has gone through a well-documented evolution. Originally pitched as the spiritual successor to 2006's PlayStation 2 and Xbox game Black, the title gained unwanted notoriety when cocreator Stuart Black left Codemasters during production. The title has picked itself up, dusted itself off, and is finally seeing release. This first-person shooter is big on environmental destructibility and uses a unique pivoting cover system rather than simple strafing when you're firing. Read into it what you will, but the game will be selling for a slightly discounted price when it hits Aussie shelves this week.

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Driver: San Francisco Video Review