Test Drive Unlimited 2

aka: TDU2
Moby ID: 51167
Windows Specs
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Description official descriptions

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is the sequel to the open-world racing game Test Drive Unlimited. It is set on two islands: Ibiza and Oahu (the Hawaiian island that was also the setting of the first game). Oahu is only available after players have reached level 10, after which the airport is accessible. There are 60 levels in total (up to level 70 with the optional Casino DLC), which can be reached by collecting experience points in any of the following categories:

  • Discovery (driving on all the roads and tracks, finding all hidden car wrecks, taking pictures of specific locations)

  • Collection (buying cars and houses, decorating these with furniture and stickers, buying clothes, having plastic surgery)

  • Competition (racing against others, both AI or real, completing challenges)

  • Social (making friends, joining clubs).

You start out as a valet, dreaming of getting a luxurious car for your birthday until you get rudely awakened by the rich girl whose car you were supposed to bring around. She then decides to hire you to get her to a studio where she needs to be very soon, and if you perform well you can enter a racing competition named Solar Crown. Of course, to join the competition you'll need to obtain a license first, which is done by attending a driving school and finishing a series of tasks and tests to prove you are worthy. As soon as you have obtained the license you are free to explore the first island. You can obtain more licenses to enter other competitions. Licenses and races come in several classes, for instance an A-license grants access to Asphalt challenges, B is for Off Road, and C for Classic. Each class is subdivided in subclasses e.g. 5 6 7 low high etc. You need to buy a car from that same category to join the challenges and championships.

The player's vehicle is equipped with a so-called F.R.I.M. (Free Ride Instant Money) device, which allows them to earn some cash with which to buy cars, houses, upgrades, clothes etc. Passing other cars closely and/or at high speeds, jumping, drifting and other 'dangerous' driving fills a reward bar, that can be cashed in as soon as it reaches a certain amount or left to add to higher amounts, with the risk of losing it all when you hit something and crash. Cash can also be earned by completing races and challenges. Single-player challenges include driving someone who is prone to car sickness home, by driving carefully and not 'jolting' the car too much; driving a (luxurious) car to a garage for a lazy owner; following someone's car at a discreet distance; driving someone around who wants you to stay above a certain speed and driving someone around who wants you to drive dangerously to get his adrenaline flowing.

A weather system and a day/night cycle influence the number of traffic on the road and your grip, if it rains or there are puddles you will skid in corners. In offline mode, a couple of AI drivers drive around which you can challenge to a quick race (for a 1000 dollar in-game stake, as well as experience points), whereas in online mode you can do the same with real opponents. You can also cooperate in several coop challenges. The game also has AI police officers who can give you a 'warning' if they see you run a red light, drive against traffic or cause an accident. A 'traffic violation' bar will pop up on your screen. This will disappear after a while unless you violate the law again in the time the meter is shown. Then they come and chase you and you need to pay a fine if they catch you. At times, the police can call you on your mobile phone to join in a coop police chase. If you accept, you get to drive in a police car to hunt down a traffic offender.

The game has several difficulty settings, which influence for instance the amount of aid you get while driving, manual transmission or automatic gearbox and an ideal line projected on the roads during certain challenges. Some cars are more difficult to drive than others, and you can take them out for a test drive from the car shops you gradually discover on the islands. There are also tuners that can upgrade cars, and sticker shops to create a personalized car.

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808 People (797 developers, 11 thanks) · View all

Reviews

Critics

Average score: 71% (based on 35 ratings)

Players

Average score: 3.4 out of 5 (based on 20 ratings with 1 reviews)

The game that would have been very good.

The Good
The main thing I personally liked in the game is the enhanced graphics and still not enormous system requirements (without the updates). Compared to the first TDU game it is more beautiful than the first one. The atmosphere and the feel of the driving remained the same and it is very good. And the fact that the creators added some "FPS" features while the player is on foot, so now one can virtually enjoy his/her house finally. Not so much, but still this minimal walk-around was a good idea. The civilian cars seem to be more intelligent compared to the first TDU and the police is more forgiving too, but I don't know this latter fact is good or not. I think that's all good about the game, but unfortunately let's see a very long list about the bad things.

The Bad
As I mentioned the system requirements of the game in the good section it is true for the first two updates. After it the game somehow becomes more demanding. And as I could experience only to add more blur effects on the screen. Nothing else really changed. Then let's see the game itself:
First the cockpit camera. It is very nice that the creators added this, for the interior of the cars are very well designed, but the annoying head bobbing of our character can't be turned off. Not to mention the feature that when one's turning the wheel, the camera start to look in that direction. You can't just turn it off! It is really annoying, and thus it makes the driving less enjoyable. Due to this the player can't drive a race with cockpit view, unless with a slow car where you don't need to turn suddenly.

Now let's continue with the fact of useless ideas; some them added with the updates. It is nice to don our character any kind of fancy clothes and accessories, but the creators should have more emphasis rather on the cars instead of this useless crap. The problem is, I didn't count the amount of cars, but it feels there are less more cars than in the first Test Drive Unlimited! Or at least less variety. But of course it is more important to wear some sunglasses than to create more cars. The updates are tried to remedy that, but still added completely stupid ideas to the game. Like a freakin' casino! In a driving game! I don't know what kind of genius had this idea that somebody who wants to drive would like to participate in a poker-, or roulette-party! Then to try some slot-machines. And this whole crappy idea about socializing in a racing game. That's OK to race with others around the world, but to play poker with them? Come on! This is Test Drive and not Sims! And if they were too lazy to create cars at least they should have given the opportunity to others to create models and add those to the game.

And the other thing the creators didn't really correct the errors of the first game. At least those errors that are related with the roads. The problem is not with Ibiza, for it was decently made, but Hawaii. The island still have those nightmarish curves and bends of the roads. Once H. P. Lovecraft wrote about maddening shapes, lines; now I think I start to understand what did he mean. Except these lines of curves and bends are not really maddening, but infuriating! It still happens that the car basically bounces off the road, like from a flight of stairs. Almost the same error like in the first TDU. Nothing has changed.

The Bottom Line
If you expect that this game has any progress to its first part then beware! It hasn't progressed any. And sometimes I felt it is somehow worse then the first TDU.

Windows · by MurlocQ (17) · 2013

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Contributors to this Entry

Game added by PolloDiablo.

Additional contributors: Jeanne, formercontrib, Victor Vance.

Game added April 28, 2011. Last modified March 11, 2024.