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Test Drive Unlimited (Reviews)

Review by Ben Furfie.

Test Drive is a series that has been around longer than most driving games, yet it has never achieved the fame that the likes of the Gran Turismo, Project Gotham or Need for Speed series have. Every new console is almost guaranteed to have a new Test Drive game accompany its launch but they've always faded into obscurity. With the Xbox 360's impending launch, another Test Drive was announced and the whole world sighed to the same tune: Why won't they just give up?

Fortunately for us the guys and girls at Atari didn't give up because lo and behold, they finally did something right and genre defining: a racing game that was literally always online. However, for one reason or another it fell off our radar. Perhaps it was that it got delayed from launch when it would have been one of the titles we'd have picked up regardless or maybe it is more to do with the fact that it launched at the worst time possible, right between the 360's two biggest titles so far, Saints Row and Dead Rising. Either way we soon lost interest until the code for the game landed on our desk. In some respects we're glad we forgot because although we'll never know, we can't help but feel that not being excited about it helped it to blow us away even more.

That's the strange thing about videogames. Many developers seem to forget that the first 10 minutes of a game often define how people think the game will play out. It's the same with movies which is why all the best movies and games all have memorable first 10 minutes. Test Drive Unlimited's first ten minutes is some of the best we've ever seen in any game, never mind racing games. Setting the tone for the rest of the game you select which person you want to be throughout from the selection of people waiting to go to Oahu, Hawaii. After landing you make your way to the car rental company and get your first taste of the island's tarmac and the quality of the cars available. Next up is the drive to buy a house, and then off to buy your first car. While it might seem like a strange opening for a game it actually works really well introducing you to the majority of the game's features and gameplay without force feeding it down your throat in the form of a tutorial. In the tradition of all the best games and movies it makes you feel like you're there rather than telling you you are and expecting you to believe it.

Of course while it's all nice that you get to select the basic options such as who you look like, what car you get to drive around in and where you get to live you will soon, if you're like us, itch to customise not only your character but also your car. This is one of two parts of the game that a couple of people may not be too happy with. Don't get us wrong, there is nothing particularly wrong with the customisation options, it's just that there isn't a lot of them.

For your character you can buy new clothes but that is as far as character customisation goes. While it is a bit of a disappointment after the huge levels of customisation that Saints Row let you play with, it is worth bearing in mind that the only time you will really see your persona is when you are in your house, which also functions as a menu and garage so that you can choose which car you want to drive.

Speaking of driving, the cars, much like your on screen persona are only customisable a little. There is no engine tweaking, no performance enhancing, just style kits and even then they tend to come as whole kits so if you like everything in the sports kit but the spoiler, then tough because you can't pick and mix between the different kits. That said it really is just a visual bonus since they don't appear to have any impact on the racing abilities or handling of the car.

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- posted by cro on 26.09.06
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