The sountrack at least gets my approval, they're keeping to the period a lot better than Driv3r (which means they aren't using cell phones, drinking sobe, and driving mid-80s Countachs :p). Looks like they're trying their best to get back to the origional Driver, which is good.
Oh snap I didn't know they're making a Steel Beasts sequal :o Whirlwind of Vietnam/Black Shark LOMAC addon look awesome too. That + Operation Flashpoint sequal makes me happy :D
There's been a pulse meter to gauge damage since the first game. Heavy armor is more prone to being injured but not killed, light armor isn't. The badguys occasionally used armor which is why the MP5/10 is so handy.
Abstract games aren't so much realistic as just 'realistic' to a different set of rules. What matters isn't how close to reality the game is, it's how many options the 'rules' allows the player without contradicting itself (Tetris is just a blank box and lets you drop blocks wherever you want-...