Reviews// Test Drive Unlimited 2

Changing your face at one of the plastic surgeries will leave the you with a bandage around your head instead of the instant face-lift we're all used to seeing in the mixed up world of video gaming. I found myself worried about what my chosen character was wearing and how his hair looked. So much so that I had to jump in a 4x4 and bomb it around an off-road track for two hours just to get my masculinity back.

Behind the Times
There's clearly a lot of thought, time and effort put into this game, so it's a shame then that it lets itself down in a number of ways. The problems stem from the dated feel of the presentation and visuals. At times it feels like a current generation launch title, with low-res texturing draped over basic models of landscape, it's extremely noticeable how behind the times it looks.

You might be able to forgive the artistic odd pitfall if it wasn't for the other graphical failings. Horizons popping up as you drive along and even shadows from cliffs flickering on and off as the sun moves. It's as though the game can't quite keep up with your movement, and struggles to fix the corners it cuts before you get there.

In fact the only thing that looks acceptable in 2011's gaming standards are the cars themselves. Not only modelled correctly, they react to the conditions they're forced to drive in. However, with every other car on the road lacking such detail, all it does is expose the average graphics engine for what it is.

Maybe TDU2 (the game is due for a big patch it now appears) wasn't quite finished on release. It feels as though it could have used with an extra few months in development to fix lighting and pop-up issues.

I also had trouble with using the camera behind the car option within tunnels. My vista would slick between being inside and outside of the tunnel constantly resulting in a flashing mess on my TV. The navigation system also gets confused when driving on the wrong side of some roads, constantly telling you that you're going in the wrong direction even though you're not.

Online Gremlins
Then there are the online servers. While playing the single-player game you'll notice that you're not alone on the island. Other single-player gamers are driving around in the same world and they'll do anything to get in the way of you and your F.R.I.M. money. To many this will seem extremely frustrating, but I quite enjoyed the extra challenge and there is always the option of turning unwanted visitors off.

What does frustrate me is how much the game chugs along when you get close to an online fiend. Frames are dropped quicker than sexist football commentators and when you're being chased by someone who thinks they're being funny the game almost comes to a standstill.

Find someone who doesn't send your hardware back in time 10 years and you can offer to challenge them. Flash them with your headlights and choose between putting some money up against them in a challenge or work together as co-op drivers, with one giving navigation while the other takes the wheel. You'll find it rare that anyone will accept as the poor sods just want to get on with their own games, or are simply just avoiding the annoyance of the online system.

The servers are so unstable at the moment that getting a good challenge in is hard to achieve even when you do find a like-minded player.

Personally, I loved it when someone declined my offer of a challenge, not only because I didn't have to deal with the drab online nature of TDU2, it also gave me an excuse to completely harass the massive chicken! I very much enjoyed forcing them off the road and into trees for no other reason than the fact that they didn't want to play with me.

All other game modes are available via the usual options. You have the option to create and share your own custom tracks for racing and when you do find a nice stable game with friends, it's a fantastic online racer. Gremlins did spoil the party a little bit, kicking my friends out from time to time but if you stick with it the fun far outweighs the frustration.

Conclusion
Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a huge package and one that could have been so much more had a final coat of paint been added. Instead we're left with an average looking game with the occasional frustrating bug and online issues, but look under the bonnet and you'll see the work of a passionate developer that took an ambitious concept and made it work in many ways.

Despite its flaws, TDU2 is a game I plan to return to many times.

SPOnG Score: 78%