Test Drive 5

Test Drive 5 on onnistunut autopeli. Ajaminen on mukavaa ja autojen käyttäytyminen johdonmukaista. Ajaminen onnistuu yhtä hyvin ratti-poljin-yhdistelmällä kuin näppikselläkin. Vaikeustaso on kohdallaan: voittaminen ei ole helppoa, mutta on koko ajan mahdollisuuksien rajoissa. Porkkanana on intohimo päästä nauttimaan paremmista autoista ja uusista radoista.

There are so many racing games on the market today that it takes something really cool to grab my attention. Test Drive 5 did just this. It is one of those games that you can't wait to show to your buddies. I don't know how many people I dragged over to my desk and made them play a race (usually Scotland... play it once and you will know why). This game is just a blast to play. If you are one of those people that must win every game you play, you are going to in for some unhappy nights because the computer controlled cars will kick your butt and not look back. So far, this is the holiday racing game to buy.

Met Test Drive 5 doet Accolade mee met de beste racegames in dit genre. Hou je van racespellen, en wil je eens wat anders doen dan rondjes scheuren, dan is dit zeker een aanrader.

Even without an option for Internet play, though, there's enough action in Test Drive 5 to help you look past these shortcomings. If you're deciding which arcade racer to add your collection, this one's definitely worth a look - but do yourself a favor and make sure you check out Need for Speed III, too.

Test Drive 5 is not without it's faults. Occasionally the graphics are distracting. In fact when entering a tunnel the screen seems to crackle and break up - kind of like the effect you get when watching a really old movie. This aside TD5 is a thrill-a-minute arcade racer that keeps you coming back for more time and time again.

In the end, Test Drive 5 comes really close to greatness, and then veers off sharply at the last minute. The game's solid handling, great car selection, and passable graphics are all ruined by the fact that computer controlled cars can pitch you off the road at any given moment and by the fact that even with the fastest cars at your disposal, you'll probably find yourself struggling to keep up with the slowest computer opponents. Unfortunately, those flaws are there, and they do reduce the overall playability of the game. Even so, there's a lot to like about this game, and I have to admit that I keep finding myself returning to it after hours for another quick race. If you're into racing, and you think you handle a few dirty tricks you may want to think about taking this one out for a spin.

Het ziet er allemaal prima uit en het rijdt heel vlot, maar door de gebrekkige besturing kan je dit spel simpelweg niet vergelijken met The Need For Speed 3. Jammer maar helaas!

Variety is the name of this game, and with all the cars and tracks available in Test Drive 5, you'll be playing it for quite some time. I'd still rather play Gran Turismo because of the better graphics, faster speed, and overall playability, but Test Drive 5 is a good alternative for those looking for something else.

Test Drive kommt mir immer mehr wie der jüngere Bruder von "Need for Speed" vor. NfS 3 läßt einen nun ans Polizeisteuer? "Das kann ich auch schon", meint der Kleine und bemüht sich nach besten Kräften, den Großen zu imitieren. Die Autos in NfS 3 haben jetzt schicke Metallic-Lackierungen? "Kein Problem", tönt der Gernegroß und bietet eine Kopie an, die halbwegs mithalten kann. Was die Test-Drive-Serie früher einmal auszeichnete (noble Supersportwagen, die sich aus einer edlen Cockpit-Perspektive heraus steuern ließen), ist schon lange entschwunden. Ein Cockpit gibt es nun gar nicht mehr, mit dem allerersten Vorläufern hat man nur noch den Namen gemein.

For today’s standards, this game falls short of the mark. It is a better game than the other Test Drive versions, so if you loved Test Drive I, II, III, or 4, you will like this one also. But if you play a lot of games and have seen or played other current driving games, there are just too many things that will get on your nerve about this game. The biggest problem is no support for modem or Internet gameplay. Any game that does not provide this feature is at a severe disadvantage to the competition. I will still want to get Test Drive 6 when it comes out and I hope it will support modem and Internet play. Test Drive 5 is still worth playing, but I would not pay full price for this game. Wait for it to be marked down and then add it to your collection.

In the end, when you think of all the other games that Test Drive 5 tries to emulate, you're thinking of at least three other racing games that you should purchase before you go for this one. While not a dismal failure by any means, the cheap AI and unbalanced gameplay ensure that Test Drive 5 remains rental material at best.

So while Test Drive 5 looks pretty good in a vacuum, it simply does not compare well with Need for Speed III. As with the previous version, the only real reason to choose this over EA's arcade racer is to get behind the wheel of muscle cars like the GTO and Hemi 'Cuda. Otherwise, Need for Speed III offers better gameplay, cooler cars, and a much better pursuit mode (for all you law enforcement types out there).

Test Drive 5 ist weniger eine Rennsimulation, als vielmehr ein Action-Glücksspiel. Die bevorzugt im Pulk zusammengluckenden Computergegner haben ein noch unberechenbareres Verkehrsverhalten als eine ortsfremde, halbblinde Rentnerin im roten Kleinwagen auf Sonntagsfahrt. 3D-Beschleunigern sei dank kommt die Grafik ganz schnittig, aber die Hintergrundkulisse wirkt ein wenig lieblos und steril. Der große Bruder Need for Speed 3 ist fairer, hat den spannenderen Rennverlauf, schönere Autos und das reifere Fahrgefühl. Trotz kurzfristiger Huiwui-Spritzigkeit zieht Test Drive 5 klar den Kürzeren.