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Bryan Stratton from [[G4 (TV channel)|G4]] praised the replacement of the motorbikes from the original game with four wheel drive SUVs, stating that it was "an excellent decision considering how broken the bike physics were." He also considered the game's plot to be "so insanely ridiculous that there’s no point in describing it."<ref name="Stratton"/> About the character models, he commented that they "seem like they stepped out of a [[PlayStation 2|first-generation PS2]] game, and the words that come out of their poorly animated mouths make the barely localized games of the late 90’s sound like the complete works of [[Shakespeare]]."<ref name="Stratton"/> He gave the game a score of 4 out of 5, finally commenting that "for all of its hokey weirdness, there’s a strange charm about it that will keep you coming back for more."<ref name="Stratton"/>
Bryan Stratton from [[G4 (TV channel)|G4]] praised the replacement of the motorbikes from the original game with four wheel drive SUVs, stating that it was "an excellent decision considering how broken the bike physics were." He also considered the game's plot to be "so insanely ridiculous that there’s no point in describing it."<ref name="Stratton"/> About the character models, he commented that they "seem like they stepped out of a [[PlayStation 2|first-generation PS2]] game, and the words that come out of their poorly animated mouths make the barely localized games of the late 90’s sound like the complete works of [[Shakespeare]]."<ref name="Stratton"/> He gave the game a score of 4 out of 5, finally commenting that "for all of its hokey weirdness, there’s a strange charm about it that will keep you coming back for more."<ref name="Stratton"/>


Jane Douglas from [[GameSpot]] was less enthusiast with the game, awarding it a score of 7 out of 10, complimenting the open world and online iteractions as "attractive", but stating that, as a whole, the game "doesn't do any one thing better than a number of more specific, less expansive driving games."<ref name="Douglas"/> Oli Welsh from [[Eurogamer]] also gave the game a score of 7 out of 10.<ref name="Welsh"/> On his review, Welsh called ''Unlimited 2'' a "fantastic escapism", complimenting the atmosphere and multi-player components. Otherwise, he critiziced the theme, commenting that "for a game so obsessed with image and lifestyle, TDU2 is hilariously, if endearingly, uncool."<ref name="Welsh"/> He finally stated that "It's just a shame it sometimes needs to escape from itself."<ref name="Welsh"/>
Jane Douglas from [[GameSpot]] was less enthusiast with the game, awarding it a score of 7 out of 10, complimenting the open world and online iteractions as "attractive", but stating that, as a whole, the game "doesn't do any one thing better than a number of more specific, less expansive driving games."<ref name="Douglas"/> Oli Welsh from [[Eurogamer]] also gave the game a score of 7 out of 10.<ref name="Welsh"/> On his review, Welsh called ''Unlimited 2'' a "fantastic escapism", complimenting the atmosphere and multi-player components. Otherwise, he critiziced the theme, commenting that "for a game so obsessed with image and lifestyle, TDU2 is hilariously, if endearingly, uncool."<ref name="Welsh"/> He finally stated that "It's just a shame it sometimes needs to escape from itself."<ref name="Welsh"/>

Jon Denton from ''[[Telegraph (newspaper)|Telegraph]]'' gave the game a score of 7 out of 10, naming the game "another flawed gem" from Eden Games, and stating that "''Test Drive Unlimited 2'' teaches us that it’s not just the open world you create, but what you do within it that really forms its identity."<ref>Denton, Jon (2011-02-11). [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/8318523/Test-Drive-Unlimited-2-review.html "Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review"]. ''[[Telegraph (newspaper)|Telegraph]]'' (Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved on 23 May 2012.</ref> William van Dijk Martín from spanish website MeriStation


Ryan Clements from [[IGN]] was dissapointed with the game, awarding it a mixed 5.5 out of 10, and stating that "This open-world driving experience is riddled with problems and even the driving itself is far from perfect."<ref name="Clements"/> He critiziced the "ugly character models" and voice acting on the game, considering that it "will annoy at first and then grow to intolerable levels as they're repeated constantly."<ref name="Clements"/>
Ryan Clements from [[IGN]] was dissapointed with the game, awarding it a mixed 5.5 out of 10, and stating that "This open-world driving experience is riddled with problems and even the driving itself is far from perfect."<ref name="Clements"/> He critiziced the "ugly character models" and voice acting on the game, considering that it "will annoy at first and then grow to intolerable levels as they're repeated constantly."<ref name="Clements"/>

Revision as of 14:45, 23 May 2012

Test Drive Unlimited 2
European cover art
Developer(s)Eden Games
Publisher(s)Atari
SeriesTest Drive series
EngineIn-house engine, Havok
Platform(s)PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Genre(s)Racing, Open world
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Test Drive Unlimited 2 (abbreviated as TDU2) is an open world racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari on 11 February 2011. It is the tenth installment of the series, and the second to be marketed under the Unlimited franshise, after the original game shipped in 2007. It is also the second game in the series to be based on an open world sandbox style gameplay.

The game includes over two thousand miles of road in which the player can freely roam, distributed between the islands of Oahu and Ibiza, the former being featured on the original game as well. Unlimited 2 includes a wide variety of road and sports cars and bikes, and includes four wheel drive SUVs, a new feature for the series. The plot revolves around an uknown racer which enters a series of tournaments and finally becomes the winner of a fictional "Solar Crown Cup", after defeating a number of non-playable characters throughout the events.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 received mixed critical response, with critics complimenting its blending of both online and single-player iterations inside an open world enviroment, and criticizing the great amount of bugs on the game, the character models, voice acting, story elements and vehicle handling. Commercially, the game sold more than 300,000 copies the week it was released, and as of May 2011, has sold more than 900,000 copies worldwide.

At release, the game suffered from a series of bugs, particularly on PC,[3][4] which rendered the game almost unplayable, and which prompted the studio to disable the multiplayer funcionalitites due to connection and server issues. Several patches have been released to resolve the issues,[5] as well as several free downloadable contents with new missions and cars.

Gameplay

There is a storyline in Test Drive Unlimited 2 for the player to follow. To progress through the game, the player has to earn experience points to level up through the 63 levels. These points can be earned via 4 categories:

  • Competition (racing, completing challenges)
  • Social (making friends in the game, racing against other people, joining clubs)
  • Discovery (discovering all roads, taking photographs of specific locations, finding all car wrecks)
  • Collection (buying cars, houses, furniture, clothing/and other needs)

There are an additional 10 Levels available to those who acquire the TDU2 Casino Online DLC/Pre-order Bonus, these levels are achieved within the casino itself.[6] The player can earn extra money depending with how the player drives. Driving like a daredevil and performing stunts, drifting through turns at high speeds and evading crashes and the traffic will earn the player extra cash. Exploring the island lets the player find vehicle wrecks, which will unlock exclusive vehicles at the dealerships on the islands. The player can also walk out of the car in their houses, vehicle shops, clubs and the optional casino DLC.

The player's avatar can be altered by changing hair, clothes, physical appearance, attitude and facial features. Players can also buy houses in the game. Co-op will also make an appearance in the game including a Follow-the-Leader mode. In this mode, players will have to complete a route by driving through checkpoints. When a checkpoint is passed by the leader, the game promotes one of the other drivers as leader. Working together properly is made even more important as only the leader can see the route on his GPS display.

Location

Oahu, Hawaii (above) and Ibiza, Spain (below) are the two locations featured on the video game.

The game is set upon two islands: Ibiza (Near Spain in the Mediterranean Sea) and Oahu (One of the Hawaiian Islands and the setting of the first game). Both islands have been modeled mostly accurately by using satellite data. Each island has both asphalt roads and off-road routes, translated to roughly two-thirds of all roads being asphalt roads, and the total amount of road exceeds 3,000 kilometers, or 1,864 miles.

The islands have new challenges and races to earn extra cash, and the roads on Hawaii have been modified to make the location interesting again for those who played the previous game. Hawaii has also been renewed graphically to stay up to date for the new game, and each island features the 24-hours cycle and dynamic weather. The player can travel between the two islands by driving to the airport on one island, where a cutscene shows the character taking off as a passenger on a plane, and then flying to the next location on the other island. This air-commuting ability needs to be unlocked by reaching level 10 out of 60 in the game.

Vehicles

Two SUV classes have been added (B4 and B3) to provide an off-roading experience, and Classic Cars ("G-class" in Test Drive Unlimited) have been split into two classes (C4 and C3). Not all vehicles are obtainable however; clubs can get exclusive club cars when reaching high ranks. These exclusive vehicles can be driven by any member of the car club, and not by players from other clubs. The pre-launch game sported motorcycles that were quite hard to control, and also hard to win races with. They are not present in the Game.[7]

Vehicles feature cosmetic damage which does not affect the behaviour and technical aspects of the vehicles. There is no option to manually repair the vehicle; the car may get fixed by visiting a house. Rainfall does affect the handling of the vehicles though, and also influences the appearance of a vehicle as rain washes off dirt. New details and functions have been added, such as different headlight modes, turning signals and working convertible roofs. There is also a vinyl-editor which is similar to that of Forza Motorsport. When pre-order information was revealed, it became known that pre-orders in the United States would get additional bonuses. Among these bonuses are bonus cars, such as special Carbon-edition Aston Martins, an Audi Q7 concept car, Ford Shelby GT500 and Alfa Romeo models. These pre-order cars are now available on each console's respective store.

During E3 2010, Atari released the first part of the list of cars that are available in the game. The list includes various models of Aston Martin, Audi, Dodge, Lotus, Mercedes, and more.[8] All of these vehicles will be purchasable in the final game. As confirmed on the Official TDU2 Forum, Lamborghini will not be making an appearance in the game, due to licensing issues. Lamborghini made an appearance in the last game, however, this does not eliminate the possibility of these cars returning as DLC. In December 2010, Atari released the official car list for the game, containing 101 cars.

The Ferrari 458 Italia is not available in the 360 version as Turn 10 and Microsoft have exclusive rights to that car on their platforms. The PC and PS3, versions, however, do receive the 458 Italia, while the 360 version has the Spyker C8 Aileron instead. The Spyker C8 Aileron Convertible, however, is available on all platforms and is part of the Casino DLC. People who bought the game at Best Buy received a redemption code for an Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black edition. With the release of DLC 1 came the Dodge Charger (1969) and the Lancia Stratos, these can be found as wrecks after completing Convoy missions. When playing the DLC Convoy missions players could drive DLC cars such as the Shelby Mustang GT500 and Bugatti Veyron Supersport.

Multiplayer

Test Drive Unlimited 2 has a similar online mode to the previous game. During free roaming, up to 8 players can join in a session at the same time. Improvements to the online aspects have led to the fix of people quickly disappearing just after entering a session. In shops and clubs, up to 32 players can walk around at the same time. The ability to walk is also present in the new racing lobby. When waiting for every player to be ready to race, cars of the other players can be examined. Also, players can be in the seat of another player's car to show or be shown different shortcuts.

With the launch of the new Test Drive Unlimited 2 website, the FAQ section confirmed that like in the previous game, the game will not require a subscription fee to play online.

Development

System requirements
Minimum Recommended
Microsoft Windows[9]
Operating system Windows XP SP2, Vista SP2, Windows 7Windows XP SP2, Vista SP2, Windows 7
CPU Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4400+Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon X2 4400+
Memory 2GB
Free space 18GB of Free Space
Graphics hardware Nvidia GeForce 8800 / ATI Radeon HD 3870Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 / ATI Radeon HD 4870
Sound hardware DirectX 9.0c Compliant Sound Card
Network Internet Broadband Connection

In December 2008, Atari stated that various series, including Test Drive, would be revisited after 2009.[10] Test Drive Unlimited 2 features dynamic weather effects, day and night cycles, and cosmetic vehicle damage. The game takes place on the islands of Ibiza and Oahu. After enough gameplay, players will be able to return to an expanded and updated Hawaii from the previous game.[11]

Soundtrack

Test Drive Unlimited 2 features two in-game radio stations, Hariba Radio and Road Rock.

Marketing

TDU2 Casino Online

Atari will release TDU2 Casino Online on the same day as Test Drive Unlimited 2, which can be downloaded on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. TDU2 Casino Online includes casino games like poker, roulette, and slots. The player will have a chance to unlock exclusive cars (Audi R8 Spyder and Spyker C8 Aileron) while playing these casino games. Though it is not necessary to play online for winning these cars, if you have enough money, you can convert it to casino points, which you can use for buying those cars.
TDU2 Casino Online will also includes a track for player to try out the exclusive cars that were won. All prizes and cars won in the casino can be carried over into Test Drive Unlimited 2.[12]

TDU2 Casino Online was also available as a pre-order bonus at select retailers.

Reception

Test Drive Unlimited 2 received slightly positive review scores with a 70 Metacritic score. Matthew Kato from Game Informer praised the game, awarding it 8.5 out of ten and complimenting the mixture of open-world and online interactions with the single-player competitions and the free roam, calling them a "cohesive experience".[16] He finally stated that Test Drive Unlimited 2 "might be lacking in some areas, but this is one instance where the sheer quantity of features prevails since their structure is thoughtful enough to make this game more than just a lazy vacation."[16]

Bryan Stratton from G4 praised the replacement of the motorbikes from the original game with four wheel drive SUVs, stating that it was "an excellent decision considering how broken the bike physics were." He also considered the game's plot to be "so insanely ridiculous that there’s no point in describing it."[17] About the character models, he commented that they "seem like they stepped out of a first-generation PS2 game, and the words that come out of their poorly animated mouths make the barely localized games of the late 90’s sound like the complete works of Shakespeare."[17] He gave the game a score of 4 out of 5, finally commenting that "for all of its hokey weirdness, there’s a strange charm about it that will keep you coming back for more."[17]

Jane Douglas from GameSpot was less enthusiast with the game, awarding it a score of 7 out of 10, complimenting the open world and online iteractions as "attractive", but stating that, as a whole, the game "doesn't do any one thing better than a number of more specific, less expansive driving games."[15] Oli Welsh from Eurogamer also gave the game a score of 7 out of 10.[13] On his review, Welsh called Unlimited 2 a "fantastic escapism", complimenting the atmosphere and multi-player components. Otherwise, he critiziced the theme, commenting that "for a game so obsessed with image and lifestyle, TDU2 is hilariously, if endearingly, uncool."[13] He finally stated that "It's just a shame it sometimes needs to escape from itself."[13]

Jon Denton from Telegraph gave the game a score of 7 out of 10, naming the game "another flawed gem" from Eden Games, and stating that "Test Drive Unlimited 2 teaches us that it’s not just the open world you create, but what you do within it that really forms its identity."[24] William van Dijk Martín from spanish website MeriStation

Ryan Clements from IGN was dissapointed with the game, awarding it a mixed 5.5 out of 10, and stating that "This open-world driving experience is riddled with problems and even the driving itself is far from perfect."[18] He critiziced the "ugly character models" and voice acting on the game, considering that it "will annoy at first and then grow to intolerable levels as they're repeated constantly."[18]

Sales

According to an Eden Games employee, as of May 2011 internal estimates at the studio pin sales for Test Drive Unlimited 2 at roughly 900,000 units sold.[25]

Issues

At release, on all platforms, there have been many bugs reported in the game. Some of these include game save files becoming corrupted forcing the player to start a new profile. Also reported are issues with the multi-player functions such as players being unable to connect to each other. These server issues also prevent anyone trying to start the game in "connected mode" or connected to Xbox Live or PSN. A patch has been released to fix some of these issues, including the activation of the Club feature, which was disabled to correct exploits in the system.[26] On the same day the patch was released for the PC, Atari had sent console patches to both Microsoft and Sony for approval.[27]

On March 10, 2011, Atari had announced that save corruption fixes for the Xbox 360 and PS3 would go live on March 11, 2011. Atari also stated that additional patches for both consoles would be available March 14, 2011.[28] After the March 14, 2011 update, Xbox 360 users began to have network and server issues. These issues since have been either fixed or are currently being investigated.[29] The PlayStation 3 patch was released on March 17, 2011, giving access to MyTDULife and Clubs. The PS3 Patch 1.02 and DLC 1 (Exploration Pack) was not released for PS3 until November 2, 2011. DLC 2 was released in April 2012.

External links

References

  1. ^ a b Parker, Laura (2010-08-12). "Test Drive Unlimited 2 shifts to Q1 2011". Gamespot (CBS Interactive, Inc). Retrieved 2010-09-08.
  2. ^ "Test Drive Unlimited 2 Dated". IGN (News Corporation). 2010-11-26. Retrieved 2010-11-26.
  3. ^ "PC Connectivity Issues". Test Drive Unlimited 2 Official Forums (Atari, Inc.). 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
  4. ^ Robinson, Andy (February 14, 2011). "Test Drive Unlimited 2 suffering troubled launch". Computer and Video Games (Future Publishing Limited). Retrieved on 21 May 2012.
  5. ^ Robinson, Andy (2011-02-18). "Test Drive Unlimited 2 patch 'in 2 weeks'". Computer and Video Games (Future Publishing Limited). Retrieved 2011-02-19. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ May 12th, 2010 @ 13:52 By Patrick Garratt (2010-05-12). "Blog Archive » Interview: Test Drive Unlimited 2's Alain Jarniou answers your questions". VG247. Retrieved 2010-09-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ "TDU 2 first batch of cars revealed". New Game Network. June 20, 2010. Retrieved June 21, 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ "What are the PC system requirements for Test Drive Unlimited 2?". http://www.testdriveunlimited2.com/. Atari, Inc. December 2, 2010. Retrieved December 2, 2010. {{cite web}}: External link in |work= (help)
  9. ^ Tom Bramwell (December 2, 2008). "Atari to revisit Baldur's, Test Drive". Eurogamer. Retrieved December 30, 2009.
  10. ^ Bramwell, Tom (May 12, 2010). "Two islands in Test Drive Unlimited 2". Eurogamer. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
  11. ^ "Atari Betting on Test Drive Unlimited 2 Casino Online". IGN. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d Welsh, Oli (2011-02-11)."Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review". Eurogamer. Retrieved on 22 May 2012.
  13. ^ http://gamenyusu.com/component/content/article/8-all-news/99-weekly-famitsu-review-score.html [dead link]
  14. ^ a b Douglas, Jane (2011-02-14). "Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review". GameSpot (CBS Interactive). Retrieved on 23 May 2012
  15. ^ a b c Kato, Matthew (2011-02-01). "Drive Into a Virtual Paradise". Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review. Game Informer (GameStop Corporation). Retrieved on 22 May 2012.
  16. ^ a b c d Stratton, Bryan (2011-02-11). "Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review". G4 TV (NBC Universal). Retrieved on 23 May 2012.
  17. ^ a b c Clements, Ryan (2011-02-16)."Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review". IGN (News Corporation). Retrieved on 22 May 2012.
  18. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/xbox360/990995-test-drive-unlimited-2/index.html
  19. ^ http://www.gamerankings.com/ps3/990993-test-drive-unlimited-2/6
  20. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/test-drive-unlimited-2
  21. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-3/test-drive-unlimited-2
  22. ^ http://www.metacritic.com/game/pc/test-drive-unlimited-2
  23. ^ Denton, Jon (2011-02-11). "Test Drive Unlimited 2 Review". Telegraph (Telegraph Media Group). Retrieved on 23 May 2012.
  24. ^ "Atari's Test Drive Unlimited Studio Goes On 'Symbolic Day Strike'". Gamasutra. May 11, 2011. Retrieved December 9, 2011.
  25. ^ "Test Drive Unlimited 2 patch fixes login issues, free DLC incoming". PC Gamer. 2010-02-23. Retrieved 2010-02-23.
  26. ^ "Message from the Development Team (February 22, 2010)". Atari Inc. 2010-02-22. Retrieved 2010-02-26.
  27. ^ "Update on Console Patches (March 10th, 2011)". Atari Inc. 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
  28. ^ "Xbox 360 Bug Report (March 16th, 2011)". Atari Inc. 2011-03-16. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
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