Test Drive Unlimited
Posted September 21, 2006
Everyone loves a good racing game; nothing quite beats the thrill of flying through city streets at 200+ MPH careening around corners and coming mere inches away from nailing the wall on every turn you take. An even bigger thrill is heading online with a group of friends or even strangers and racing against one another. The downside to most racing titles and the online offerings is that you have to specifically enter the online modes and wait for a game to start. Eden Games and Atari set out to change things around and seamlessly blend the online and offline racing genre with the ambitious Test Drive Unlimited. Billed as a MOOR, or Massively Open Online Racer. What this means is that once you start a game and have a Live account, you are signed onto the Test Drive Unlimited servers allowing you to see other players cruising the streets of Oahu as well as the offline AI.
I'll admit that when the demo was made available during the E3 blitz, I downloaded the game and was very disappointed with what I saw. I found the play to be sluggish and the online/offline integration to be choppy making me quite wary of the official release. Let's just say that when I fired up TDU for the first time to review it, my mind was put at ease and the game really came into its own.
Gameplay:
So with a potential of thousands of players on the same island you are on at any given time, just how does the integration work you might ask. And how do you distinguish a single player race to multi-player races. Very easily actually; scattered across the fully realized island are markers which indicate either a single player race/challenge or a multiplayer one. All you need to do is drive to the location on the map, and then engage it with a simple button press. Not all challenges will be open to you right away mind you; some require a specific class of car or even a motorbike to attempt. These single player races range from straight forward Point A to Point B races against AI of varying intelligence and driving skill levels, to reaching a predetermined speed all while contending with traffic, police on patrol and the winding Hawaiian roads.
The kicker with these markers is that while you can see all of them on the map, you must drive to their location; at least initially. So be prepared to spend some quality time on the highways. Once you've passed by a location at least once, you can then select to warp there from anywhere else on the map. The miles covered in this method will not count towards your total mileage, plus there is no better way to get accustomed to a new ride like taking it 50 miles across the island.
Aside from the standard race and time trial options, some additional challenges are here in TDU. While driving (or scouring your map) you may encounter some young ladies looking for a lift after a shopping spree or hitchhikers. These two classes of challenge reward you with coupons for free clothing at one of the stores around the island, but they aren't always easily attained however. In these modes you are allocated a specific number of driving points which are decremented when your driving skills show signs of weakness. Hit another car and prepare to get a large deduction, drive on the sidewalk or cut a corner off-road and watch as the point plummet. Similar to these two modes are a courier challenge and a high end car delivery mode. The courier challenge has you deliver a package to a specific location, all while being sure to avoid police interference; and the delivery challenge has you piloting a high end car over a long distance to drop it off at another location on the map. These two modes are slightly more difficult than the previously mentioned two, but the reward is much greater. A point limit is included in the car challenge, but instead of driving points being lost you lose cold hard cash when you make a driving faux pas. Patience does pay off on this challenge, as there is no time limit and careful drivers will be rewarded very handsomely.
If the 350+ single and multiplayer challenges aren't enough to keep you occupied, there exists a mode which allows you the player to create and share challenges with the rest of the gaming world. Once you unlock the ability to create challenges you can upload these to one of the Diner's on the island for others to check out. What's interesting is that you can set an entrance fee, and set a reward amount for the winner of the challenge. But what's in it for you? How about 10% of the total take, and once you upload three challenges you get an achievement. While I put up one damn cool challenge, I never saw it at the diner and apparently no one else did either. I had zero entrants and took home $3000 out of my initial $30,000 prize offered - net of negative $27,000.
That's not the only little network glitch that I encountered either. There exists an option to list your vehicle in an online classified to sell to other users, a great way to find that rare car that never seems to be in stock at the dealership. However, I was never able to upload my car for sale nor was I able to find other vehicles to purchase and was gifted with a network error, and urged to try again later.
The biggest thing dealing with the network is obviously the multiplayer aspects of the title. Aside from seeing people cruising the island you can enter the aforementioned challenges. I found absolutely no problem with these matches, as people were willing to race quite often and there was little issue with regards to lag that I noticed. One thing due to the sheer number of multiplayer challenges is the potential of finding people to race, there existed the possibility that you'd be the only one at a given point on the island so you'd end up waiting for someone to drive by. If you launch the map, multiplayer location where a match was either under way or getting ready to launch glowed red to indicate some action, and providing you'd been there prior you could hop in for a race.
Additionally, spontaneous races between you and another person could happen at any time. While driving around, you simply press the 'A' button to flash your headlights at another human player and a duel is instigated. Should your opponent accept, the initiator chooses a race route thanks to a very simple to use interface and the race begins. While you can choose to race solely for bragging rights, wagers can be placed on the outcome as well as an option for a quick rematch once the race is over. This feature is an excellent way to bring forth the experience of being online with people at all times, because you could be on your way to a single player race and get sucked into a couple of other races with random players. And the fact that it's so simple to initiate and play makes it that much better.
The 1000 achievement points are divided into 46 challenges that are sure to take some patience and time to accomplish. The points are divided quite nicely into multiplayer and single player mode, with some other fun ones thrown in for good measure. It will simply take time to earn the Drive 5000 Miles achievement, as well as the achievement for driving on every road in the game. Something that the developers added here really caught my eye and made me appreciate what they did. The achievement points not only were tied to your gamer score as in all other titles, but they actually tied them to advancement in the game. It takes a certain number of points to move up in ranks to earn the right to higher paying challenges, which in turn make it easier to obtain the other achievements. This is the first time I can remember where the points are tightly integrated into the gameplay, and I really appreciate it.
Graphics:
We see games come around all the time that try to accurately recreate a city block by block in the likes of the True Crime titles and The Getaway, but this is the first time an entire South Pacific island has been recreated to the best of my recollection. In TDU we are treated to all 1000+ miles of road that exists on the island of Oahu, from the major Interstate (why it's still called an Interstate, I'll never know) to the smaller mountain roads that lead to out of the way lookout points, they are all here in their progressive scan HD glory. Honestly though, I've never been to Hawaii so I can't comment on the accuracy of certain landmarks like lighthouses or Aston Martin dealerships, but what I can tell you is that the island looks fantastic. Whether flying down the street at 200 MPH, or simply gawking around at the scenery on a Sunday drive, the game is lush when it needs to be lush, urban when it needs to be urban and barren when...well you get the idea.
Similar to a television show that's sweeping the world, the island is the star of the game, but the supporting cast is what makes the title that much better. The 300+ vehicles that are in TDU are very accurately rendered, down to the wood grain on the gear shift. The game makes great use of the polygon power that the 360 can pump out with these sharp and sleek looking vehicles. While I can say that I am disappointed that the name brand vehicles do not take on real time damage, the AI controlled vehicles crumble and crinkle when pummeled at high speeds. All the cars exhibit some very nice real time reflections and are ultra smooth looking, both in the showroom and when on the road. The island on the other hand did show some signs of having too much information for the console to handle, as some very slight draw in is noticeable when flying down the road at high speeds.
Audio:
TDU does feature an onboard radio, which is mapped to the very busy control pad. I found the musical selections here somewhat limited though, with what seems like only a dozen or so tracks to listen to; seeing how this is a game that highly emphasizes driving for the sake of driving, one would think that a larger soundtrack would be included. Oh well, the beauty of custom soundtracks in each 360 title comes to the rescue here.
All of the cars and bikes that are included have their unique engine sounds here in full 5.1 surround, whether it be the guttural revving of the '69 'vette or the high pitched whine of a Mclaren, it's all here. Yup, even in this racing game there is some voice acting; while not essential to the "plot" of the game it does pop up when you take one of the special challenges like the courier or hitchhiker ones. Even your handy GPS unit comes built in with a female voice to direct you to your destinations with nice reminders to turn right or left when you approach your next turn at breakneck speeds.
Conclusion:
As mentioned, the initial feel for TDU that I had thanks to the E3 demo was not a good one. But the extra couple months of finishing work on the title worked wonders for the game and things came together to form what I feel is a very solid package. The seamless integration of the persistent online world into the single player experience was handled with finesse that I can only hope other developers can learn from.
It's the solid controls and genuine physics thanks to the Havok engine that give each vehicle in the game a unique feel, and make you feel like you are actually driving what the game says you are. The fun of challenging a random player you pass on the highway combined with the joy of starting a club with a group of friends far exceeds the entertainment value that I got from both Burnout Revenge and PGR3. The budget price that TDU launched with only solidifies my rating of Highly Recommended.
I'll admit that when the demo was made available during the E3 blitz, I downloaded the game and was very disappointed with what I saw. I found the play to be sluggish and the online/offline integration to be choppy making me quite wary of the official release. Let's just say that when I fired up TDU for the first time to review it, my mind was put at ease and the game really came into its own.
Gameplay:
So with a potential of thousands of players on the same island you are on at any given time, just how does the integration work you might ask. And how do you distinguish a single player race to multi-player races. Very easily actually; scattered across the fully realized island are markers which indicate either a single player race/challenge or a multiplayer one. All you need to do is drive to the location on the map, and then engage it with a simple button press. Not all challenges will be open to you right away mind you; some require a specific class of car or even a motorbike to attempt. These single player races range from straight forward Point A to Point B races against AI of varying intelligence and driving skill levels, to reaching a predetermined speed all while contending with traffic, police on patrol and the winding Hawaiian roads.
The kicker with these markers is that while you can see all of them on the map, you must drive to their location; at least initially. So be prepared to spend some quality time on the highways. Once you've passed by a location at least once, you can then select to warp there from anywhere else on the map. The miles covered in this method will not count towards your total mileage, plus there is no better way to get accustomed to a new ride like taking it 50 miles across the island.
Aside from the standard race and time trial options, some additional challenges are here in TDU. While driving (or scouring your map) you may encounter some young ladies looking for a lift after a shopping spree or hitchhikers. These two classes of challenge reward you with coupons for free clothing at one of the stores around the island, but they aren't always easily attained however. In these modes you are allocated a specific number of driving points which are decremented when your driving skills show signs of weakness. Hit another car and prepare to get a large deduction, drive on the sidewalk or cut a corner off-road and watch as the point plummet. Similar to these two modes are a courier challenge and a high end car delivery mode. The courier challenge has you deliver a package to a specific location, all while being sure to avoid police interference; and the delivery challenge has you piloting a high end car over a long distance to drop it off at another location on the map. These two modes are slightly more difficult than the previously mentioned two, but the reward is much greater. A point limit is included in the car challenge, but instead of driving points being lost you lose cold hard cash when you make a driving faux pas. Patience does pay off on this challenge, as there is no time limit and careful drivers will be rewarded very handsomely.
If the 350+ single and multiplayer challenges aren't enough to keep you occupied, there exists a mode which allows you the player to create and share challenges with the rest of the gaming world. Once you unlock the ability to create challenges you can upload these to one of the Diner's on the island for others to check out. What's interesting is that you can set an entrance fee, and set a reward amount for the winner of the challenge. But what's in it for you? How about 10% of the total take, and once you upload three challenges you get an achievement. While I put up one damn cool challenge, I never saw it at the diner and apparently no one else did either. I had zero entrants and took home $3000 out of my initial $30,000 prize offered - net of negative $27,000.
That's not the only little network glitch that I encountered either. There exists an option to list your vehicle in an online classified to sell to other users, a great way to find that rare car that never seems to be in stock at the dealership. However, I was never able to upload my car for sale nor was I able to find other vehicles to purchase and was gifted with a network error, and urged to try again later.
The biggest thing dealing with the network is obviously the multiplayer aspects of the title. Aside from seeing people cruising the island you can enter the aforementioned challenges. I found absolutely no problem with these matches, as people were willing to race quite often and there was little issue with regards to lag that I noticed. One thing due to the sheer number of multiplayer challenges is the potential of finding people to race, there existed the possibility that you'd be the only one at a given point on the island so you'd end up waiting for someone to drive by. If you launch the map, multiplayer location where a match was either under way or getting ready to launch glowed red to indicate some action, and providing you'd been there prior you could hop in for a race.
Additionally, spontaneous races between you and another person could happen at any time. While driving around, you simply press the 'A' button to flash your headlights at another human player and a duel is instigated. Should your opponent accept, the initiator chooses a race route thanks to a very simple to use interface and the race begins. While you can choose to race solely for bragging rights, wagers can be placed on the outcome as well as an option for a quick rematch once the race is over. This feature is an excellent way to bring forth the experience of being online with people at all times, because you could be on your way to a single player race and get sucked into a couple of other races with random players. And the fact that it's so simple to initiate and play makes it that much better.
The 1000 achievement points are divided into 46 challenges that are sure to take some patience and time to accomplish. The points are divided quite nicely into multiplayer and single player mode, with some other fun ones thrown in for good measure. It will simply take time to earn the Drive 5000 Miles achievement, as well as the achievement for driving on every road in the game. Something that the developers added here really caught my eye and made me appreciate what they did. The achievement points not only were tied to your gamer score as in all other titles, but they actually tied them to advancement in the game. It takes a certain number of points to move up in ranks to earn the right to higher paying challenges, which in turn make it easier to obtain the other achievements. This is the first time I can remember where the points are tightly integrated into the gameplay, and I really appreciate it.
Graphics:
We see games come around all the time that try to accurately recreate a city block by block in the likes of the True Crime titles and The Getaway, but this is the first time an entire South Pacific island has been recreated to the best of my recollection. In TDU we are treated to all 1000+ miles of road that exists on the island of Oahu, from the major Interstate (why it's still called an Interstate, I'll never know) to the smaller mountain roads that lead to out of the way lookout points, they are all here in their progressive scan HD glory. Honestly though, I've never been to Hawaii so I can't comment on the accuracy of certain landmarks like lighthouses or Aston Martin dealerships, but what I can tell you is that the island looks fantastic. Whether flying down the street at 200 MPH, or simply gawking around at the scenery on a Sunday drive, the game is lush when it needs to be lush, urban when it needs to be urban and barren when...well you get the idea.
Similar to a television show that's sweeping the world, the island is the star of the game, but the supporting cast is what makes the title that much better. The 300+ vehicles that are in TDU are very accurately rendered, down to the wood grain on the gear shift. The game makes great use of the polygon power that the 360 can pump out with these sharp and sleek looking vehicles. While I can say that I am disappointed that the name brand vehicles do not take on real time damage, the AI controlled vehicles crumble and crinkle when pummeled at high speeds. All the cars exhibit some very nice real time reflections and are ultra smooth looking, both in the showroom and when on the road. The island on the other hand did show some signs of having too much information for the console to handle, as some very slight draw in is noticeable when flying down the road at high speeds.
Audio:
TDU does feature an onboard radio, which is mapped to the very busy control pad. I found the musical selections here somewhat limited though, with what seems like only a dozen or so tracks to listen to; seeing how this is a game that highly emphasizes driving for the sake of driving, one would think that a larger soundtrack would be included. Oh well, the beauty of custom soundtracks in each 360 title comes to the rescue here.
All of the cars and bikes that are included have their unique engine sounds here in full 5.1 surround, whether it be the guttural revving of the '69 'vette or the high pitched whine of a Mclaren, it's all here. Yup, even in this racing game there is some voice acting; while not essential to the "plot" of the game it does pop up when you take one of the special challenges like the courier or hitchhiker ones. Even your handy GPS unit comes built in with a female voice to direct you to your destinations with nice reminders to turn right or left when you approach your next turn at breakneck speeds.
Conclusion:
As mentioned, the initial feel for TDU that I had thanks to the E3 demo was not a good one. But the extra couple months of finishing work on the title worked wonders for the game and things came together to form what I feel is a very solid package. The seamless integration of the persistent online world into the single player experience was handled with finesse that I can only hope other developers can learn from.
It's the solid controls and genuine physics thanks to the Havok engine that give each vehicle in the game a unique feel, and make you feel like you are actually driving what the game says you are. The fun of challenging a random player you pass on the highway combined with the joy of starting a club with a group of friends far exceeds the entertainment value that I got from both Burnout Revenge and PGR3. The budget price that TDU launched with only solidifies my rating of Highly Recommended.