Reviews// Test Drive Unlimited 2

I enjoyed Test Drive Unlimited, but it was missing something. In an attempt to create the most open of open-world driving games, it ironically lacked structure. Handing the game over to the gamer is a risky thing to do and with a lack of real direction it managed to undo any good it had hidden away in its lovely corners.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 aims to address that issue from the very start. It flings you straight into a story and I was instantly worried. Although I thought TDU needed a thread to guide its players, I loved it's boldness to ignore that.

Can you see how conflicted I am? I want a game to give me the upmost freedom to let me do what I want to do, but at the same time give me some direction to follow. I'm a games designer’s worst nightmare and for that I apologise.

TDU2’s opening scene is set at a pool party, setting off my gaming hazard lights. However, within hours of playing, those opening moments turned out to be exactly what I wanted. It's a simple way of elevating the importance of the challenges from the vast array of other objectives on the island. It no longer feels like a virtual world that you get tired driving around and more of a group of races set on an island that you want to explore.

The Two Elements
The opening island – based on the S.T.I ridden Ibiza – is easy to get lost in but it's also a joy to do so. The game keeps track of every road you've driven on and unlocks them for fast travel in the future. Although this is a hugely welcome feature, I didn't use it too often. Getting from point 'A' to 'B' is a hell of a lot of fun.

I put this down to two key elements:

Element the first: The game handles like a dream. With so many different types of driving to deal with, it must be hard to get vehicle control correctly.

Thankfully, TDU2 doesn't attempt to solve the issue with one type of driving mechanic. The physics and control adapts constantly. If you're driving on dirt, power-slides are not just enhanced, they are also weighted correctly. Driving fast down a motorway controls differently to street driving; and when it rains the car changes it's braking system to suit. Your vehicle won’t always react the same way to the same movement of the analogue stick, it'll depend on a number of factors.

The most impressive thing about all this is that every gameplay change is spot on. It feels so natural coming off of a dirt track and onto asphalt that it makes the long travels to your next goal surprisingly fun.

And you'll never feel out of your depth. The game guides you from a driving novice to a capable driver in no time. The driving schools you have to visit work well and don't just seem like meaningless tasks. By the time the game lets go of your hand, allowing you to explore a bit, you'll be used to chucking the car around corners and confident enough to try new things that you wouldn't dare do in an actual race.

Element the second is the F.R.I.M. system. For every 'risky' action you take, a bar at the top of the screen fills up. A few close misses with other cars coupled with high speed driving will result in a $100 prize.

You're then given a few moments to bank that cash or hold on for another full bar to double your money. One slight bump, and it's bye-bye pot of gold, creating moments of tension when you come to an unexpectedly tight corner with a grand ready to bank. F.R.I.M. is a simple yet effective way of not only making each journey fun, but also worthwhile.

The events themselves are set up just right too. There's enough variety in each championship to keep you interested; from the bog standard races to more interesting events such as the Speed Trap Challenges.

In this latter mode, you compete with several other drivers to rack up the fastest speeds as you go through various speed cameras. You can take them in any order, but have to been caught by each one, leading to a lot of cars driving as fast as they can in all different directions. Chaotic fun.

The islands of Ibiza and (when you unlock it) Oahu are full of things to do. Your avatar in the game is massively customisable and despite being a complete dick in each cutscene, you actually grow to like the guy (or gal).