Hands on Preview
Let me be blunt and brutally honest before I carry on with my hands-on experience of Test Drive Unlimited. After downloading the Demo via the marketplace and playing it, I thought the game was naff (OK, so I can’t really swear). I couldn’t stand the way the car handled and I thought the time limit was a really stupid idea because it forced you to do things instead of really trying to appreciate how big the game was, so you can imagine exactly what my thoughts were before meeting up with Atari and playing their so-called racing game.
After travelling for nearly 2 hours, I finally made it to Hammersmith and Atari where I and a few other gamers were greeted by Andy Parsons – Atari’s UK PR Executive and escorted up to the 9th floor. This is where all of us would be able to experience a full single player game of Test Drive Unlimited, and before you ask, yes the game does have an online mode and no we couldn’t play that side of it due to none of the Xbox360’s being connected to each other.
Our demonstrator of the game was Lee Kirton who explained that this game was not just about racing but a lifestyle and with that the game started. The intro starts off at the airport where a line of people are waiting to board the plane and from this line-up you must choose which character you want to control. Each character can be customized later on into the game to make them look like you or just about anyone or anything. Once you have landed on the Hawaiian island of Oahu., your first task is to choose what car you should rent. Now, I have to say a great deal of time has gone into making every car look perfect to it’s counterpart in the real world, from interior upholstery to the wheel trims and with over 100 manufacturers based on the island, the range of cars is quite extensive. So, you hire a car, nothing fancy but not too shabby either because the idea is to look good. I jumped into an Alfa Romeo and off I went crashing into the first car I saw. Your car will never get damaged unlike the other vehicles on the road as well as the scenery. The first thing I noticed was the handling had been vastly improved since the demo with every car felling different due to its weight, engine etc. There are several view modes of driving and one of them should easily suit your style, I personally like the hands on the wheel interior view which shows off how much detail has been put into the game with fully working electric windows, radio and GPS system. For anyone who owns or has seen a navigation system inside a car will automatically recognize the familiar voice of the GPS. This voice will help you navigate the island while you cruise from one point to another as well as within a race.
The first job of the GPS is to navigate you to the local Real Estate agent, so you can purchase your first property. Owning a property is a must have because from your home you will be able to access your garage, customise your character, trade and view your progress. Next stop on this tutorial is buying your first car. You can only access three manufacturers at the beginning because they are in the immediate vicinity to where you live but by exploring the island, you will discover many of the other dealerships. Each dealership allows you to view the cars inside and out and even test drive them before you make a purchase but if you are like me, I buy a car I can afford, jump in and away we go. Next and last stop on the tutorial is your first race. The GPS will guide you to where it is and explain how you can access the race by simply pressing ‘A’ when passing through the icon. The first race is fairly simple to finish first and gain some valuable experience and money. Money is very important to this game, it allows you to purchase more property, cars and clothes which in turns bring status, because at the end of the day, your objective is to basically own the entire island.
Once the tutorial has finished, you are free to explore and do whatever you like on the island, and when I say whatever you like, it’s just that. There are specific single player challenges such as winning preset races, time challenges, speed trap challenges and picking up models (human) which need to be driven safely driving to their destination, or you can just cruise around and challenge any driver you happen to drive pass. This free mode of challenging anyone is new and inventive because if the other driver accepts, you get to set the course literally as it is not pre-defined. You can make the race as long or as short as you like, whether you want to race along a winding track or perhaps a straight track for speed. You can wager money, cars and even houses on the outcome of the race, the choice is yours.
Everything that can be played offline is available online except for the cops and speed traps. Whilst offline, your traffic offences build up until you are caught by the police but online, no such problem exists. Your characters profile with all its wealth, houses and cars can transfer between off and online play with certain achievements only available in either mode, so in order to complete all the objectives you must based your time between both modes.
My overall opinion of the game took a dramatic U-turn and I have to say that this game is looking as good as the hype that surrounds it. The island has been portrayed beautifully with a great frame rate with no loading times whilst driving (only when accessing races, profiles and garages). The ability to free roam the island is superb especially whilst playing online where you will come across thousands of different cars and players doing exactly the same thing. The idea of owning all of the cars are not a priority nor a necessity but houses is another matter. It’s about showing off your wealth. I’m truly looking forward to playing the full retail version and challenging my friends online and this game will make a fine addition to anyone’s collection, even if they already own PGR3, Ridge Racer or Need for Speed as this is the first Massively Open Online Racer.
Thanks go to Andrew and Lee from Atari for such an entertaining day and a great look into such a highly anticipated game. !!
Preview By: Joe
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