The Test Drive series of games has come a long way. It seemed to have hit a bit of a dead end in the late 90’s, but was successfully resuscitated towards the latter half of the next decade with Test Drive Unlimited. It was apparently successful enough to warrant a sequel and, even though the game is completely new and shiny, it still feels a lot like the old Test Drive game I used to play on my DOS computer.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is trying hard to set itself apart from the rest of the racing game fraternity out there. It’s not quite hardcore simulation, so it won’t compete with Forza or Gran Turismo. It’s not quite arcade racer, so the Need for Speed crowd will probably not be too upset. But it does have an interesting card to play, namely two huge islands to do what you want in. Oh wait, Burnout Paradise already does that? Whoops!

So Test Drive Unlimited 2 is not exactly unique. It has cars, wide open spaces and you race around the place trying to win races and make some money. And if you want you can take it online and race against random other racers who just happen to drift into your area. Flash your lights and the race is on. This has a very familiar MMO feel to it, and the game relies a lot on online statistics keeping to hook players of similar skill and experience up to each other.

But I am moving too quickly. The game sees you, a valet, given a chance by a rich socialite to enter a car into a prestigious race broadcast over all the cool places. It starts off on Ibiza, the clubbing capital of the world and soon into the game you will unlock Oahu, one of the Hawaiian Islands, as it was featured in Test Drive Unlimited 1. The islands are pretty darn huge and driving from one side to the other can take ages.

The single player and multiplayer modes are all in the same game. As with an MMO you have this big open landscape and find missions to do all over the place. Some of them require other players, some you do on your own, and some require you to be a certain level. Leveling up in Test Drive Unlimited 2 is split into four parts, all leading up to a maximum of level 60. 15 levels can be gained for Collection, Competition, Community and Discovery.

Collection is all about collecting cars, clothes and property, while Discovery is all about driving on the unknown roads, finding wrecks and putting them together for more cars. Competition points are handed out in the usual races, be it online or offline. These are your bog standard racing types with set tracks and routes.

The Community points are awarded to those who drive in clubs, or spend time with their mates. Clubs are the Test Drive Unlimited 2 term for guilds from other MMOs and work remarkably well. There are various clubs for different tastes, be it for the Ford Mustang fan or for people who only drive on Sunday afternoons.

Finding the right club is key to having fun online, and thus with Test Drive Unlimited 2 in general. The ad hoc multiplayer modes can be confusing and, unless you happen to have driven past a start of a race somewhere, there is no knowing where the different race types are unless someone more experienced invites you to one. Considering that nearly all the roads of these two islands are quite accurately mapped, it is near impossible to find them all. Organising club events is much easier, and even if you just want to cruise along its easier to set up, yet still cumbersome.

Unfortunately the game launched with a lot of problems, especially the online portion. Servers were constantly down and this had a negative effect on the single player game too. Rather than load the game, it would hover in the menu area, showing beautiful scenery and cars parked in the sunset. Realising the error in their ways, Eden Games has promised some free DLC for everyone as a way to say they’re sorry. But there are more than just server problems.

The car physics and control system of Test Drive Unlimited 2 is not brilliant. It lacks the grace of Burnout Paradise’s slippery handling to carve your way around corners, and it fails to recreate anything remotely close to Gran Turismo’s CPU killing accuracy models. It also fails to create some sort of middle ground too. It feels a bit detached, and maneuvering high speed vehicles can be extremely frustrating, yet rewarding at the same time.

And choosing the right vehicle can be equally tricky, with the collection of exotic vehicles on show here. The models are very accurately recreated with details like dropping roofs and opening windows and doors. The cockpit view is particularly authentic and feels like you are sitting inside a real Ferrari F540. Oh who am I kidding, I have never been in a real Ferrari! So I guess this is accurate.

Vehicles are split into three classes, and hence three licenses: A for asphalt cars, C for classic cars, and B for, well, off-road cars. The bikes from Test Drive Unlimited 1 make way for big SUV’s and have a real advantage on the dirt roads and rocky terrain when you go exploring.

Your little avatar can also be customized with new hairstyles and clothing, yet there is no replacing the doll-like movement animations. Trying to appeal to a crowd of cool cats and build on its social interaction in the game all falls away with the totally uncool cut-scenes. A personal favourite of mine is the pictures taken after each license, with the cheesiest grins and faces this side of a National Lampoon’s movie.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 tries hard to stand out, but in the process falls short on several key areas. It’s not nearly as accessible as it could be, and it takes itself way too seriously. For an online game the launch was far less than spectacular as it should have been. But for all its faults and annoyances, it has its moments. When you and the right club mates connect and chase each other around the beautifully created scenery in even more beautiful cars, this game really grows on you.

The Good: Great selection of cars; varying terrain and courses.
The Bad: Launch problems (mostly resolved now though); good handling and easy accessibility is lacking.
The Ugly: Have I seen this movie? I think it was called The Mannequin. Totally emotionless actors.

Purchase: