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Test Drive: Unlimited
We take a look at the first MMOR set in Hawaii. Where's the freaking kelp?

Labeled With  Eden Games Atari Test Drive Unlimited
Written by Josh Lowensohn on Wednesday, September 20 2006


The races themselves are the standard fare—usually a mix of either laps or distance races that vary from scenic to contained loops. Often times, you must have a certain class of car to compete in these races, so importance is placed on having the right kind of vehicle for the job. Luckily, if you enter a race with the wrong type of car, you have the option to select on of the cars you own to use it instantly. After the race, you’ll still be in that car, which is realistic but often annoying if you’re competing in the lower-class races. A.I. opponents can be devilishly good in the higher classes, but even early on, having a junky car means you have to outsmart the machines and be smart about the race. Luckily, if you totally botch a race you can retry it or just keep the money and compete again, attempting to place higher. Re-starting the race is speedy, and the option to do so is really great in some of the more frustrating match ups. This is just a little thing, but to me nothing is more irritating than long load times before a race and Eden Games has done a great job at minimizing them almost completely.

You will quickly find it’s important to maintain your fleet of vehicles. This can be done by selling some of the earlier cars you’ve purchased or tuning them to improve their specs. You can also purchase custom cars, which can be pricey but have really great specs. The level of individuality is great, and unlike say something like Project Gotham Racing 3, you’re not going to see an island full of people racing red Ferrari F50 GT’s. There is a tuning shop for each make of vehicle scattered around the map, and visiting these places will give you access to upgrade kits. Tuning motorcycles can be quite enjoyable, as you can bump your weakest specs near the max and improve the little things like handling and acceleration. A tuned A-class vehicle is even more fun, pushing the top speeds to unbelievable levels, often sending you way off the road if you don’t know what you’re doing. There are also paint shops where you can customize your ride. These must also be unlocked, but are well worth it if you get tired of the sonic yellow you chose at the dealer.





Once you’ve got your dream machine, you’re going to need some music to set the mood as you drive up the massive coastlines or go head-to-head. TDU features a variety of radio stations that are controlled with the d-pad. While it’s not intuitive, it gets the job done, although I would have preferred to see them implement some GUI similar to Project Gotham 3’s because TDU’s scrolling text doesn’t work when you’re station hopping at 180 MPH. Like a good XBOX 360 game should, TDU integrates custom soundtracks as their own radio station, and track names pop up at the beginning of every new song. The same menu that controls the music also controls your window position (which is fairly useless, but a nice touch of realism), GPS and nearby players.

Graphically TDU is a mixed bag. While the draw distance and car models are fantastic, there’s still a ton of jaggies on nearly everything. The environment is a huge and lush locale, however nearly everything looks the same. For a place known for its beaches, Oahu’s beaches look nearly barren with no realistic sand or surf. Would it really have been that tough to put some kelp in there for good measure? Character models are all eerily similar, and movement is completely unnatural. There’s also no option to create your own character by body type and face, which is definitely a disappointment. However, this only matters so much since at it’s core, this game is about the cars and that’s where a great deal of attention has been spent. Vehicles offer a variety of views, the most exciting being the driver’s view. Each interior is very well detailed and changes the sound experience completely. There’s also a “hood” view, which gives you the point of view of a bug stuck on your windshield.


Sound in Test Drive is spot on. Like previously mentioned, the included soundtrack and radio system aren’t necessarily bad, they just get old fast. Sound effects however are just fantastic. If you were missing the powerful sounds of your favorite cars in Project Gotham 3 or Ridge Racer 6, be prepared to get a full-on automobile-auditory-experience. Engines sound great and the screech of tires and whooshing of nearby cars or objects is thrilling. Instead of getting drowned out by music or other sound effects, the engines take over (as they should) and let you know full well how nice your car is. High performance A-class cars and old muscle cars are really a treat for your ears.

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Test Drive Unlimited


 
 
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