A world of dream cars, freedom and multiplayer racing
Test Drive Unlimited 2 is the sequel to the groundbreaking Massively Open Online Racing (MOOR) game. Other titles since have offered more polish and better driving experiences, but never on such an enormous scale. Can this sequel make the same splash?
The action takes place on the island of Ibiza, with more than 200 miles of roads and off-road tracks. This is in addition to the original Oahu, which is also updated and included! Test Drive Unlimited 2 is huge. The single player campaign is big enough to keep players occupied for a long time to come, and there is an extensive multiplayer component.
The gameplay hasn't changed so much. Driving is still a compromise between arcade and simulation, and the physics just aren't as advanced as in other games. However, you can get used to this and Test Drive Unlimited 2's main attractions are elsewhere. The scenery is beautiful, and the day night cycle with dynamic weather is great. For the romance of driving, this can't be beat. The sense of freedom, once you've played a little into the campaign is fantastic.
The other attraction in Test Drive Unlimited 2 is it's weirdness! The 'story', property and clothes buying are hilariously ridiculous. This is a racing game that opens with a dream sequence! Despite it's charm, there are some irritations, mainly the complex interfaces and un-skippable cut scenes.
If you loved the original, Test Drive Unlimited 2 improves and expands upon that game. Unfortunately the driving experience isn't quite what it should be, and it's still not as slick as the competition.
