POSTED 23/2/11


TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2

Atari
Xbox 360 (also on PS3, PC)

Our bestie bought us a Ferrari for our birthday! What a sweeti... mrrf, it was just a wondrous dream.

So begins TDU2, an evolution of a series harking back to the 1980s. Ah, if we’d been able to peek into the future as we gaped in awe, picking one of a mere handful of cars and driving stark highways, only interrupted occasionally by coppers. TDU2 stays true to its roots – you can test drive cars (though more than a handful, except the Mustang, which IS a handful) and engage the constabulary in cat and mousey arrest avoidance. But wait, there’s more!

It’s open-world car-fest meets The Sims. Original Test Drive careening into 10/10 masterpiece Burnout Paradise, with additional aspiration simulation – live all rich bitch with money to burn and all the gold you can eat.

Things start non-flashily, but earn a license, drive around (on a realistically mapped Ibiza no less, before unlocking classic Oahu) whilst stuntificating and you’ll multiply a moolah mound. First you get the money, then you get the power – be it naturally aspirated or turbo-charged...

The aim’s to build experience; ‘Social’, ‘Competition’, ‘Discovery’ and ‘Collection’, all of which are self-explanatory. Online’s integrated quite seamlessly; you can be pootling about when challenged to a race by the likes of m3gad00dle69 – who you’ll invariably immolate as they’re a hyper-dweebie. You can create car clubs and congregate with others for a natter – social stuff that isn’t normally associated with car games.

Motor-wise, we’re talking smorgasbord of revhead dreams – 175 to be exacterer. Lap them up (heh), ’cos it may be the closest you’ll get to kicking the tyres of a Veyron, GT-R (Godzilla!), Vantage, Koenigseggisseggggnignigsegigisegggg...

Whilst similarly race specced, TDU2 lacks the perfection of Burnout Paradise, but the social aspect helps get it over the line. (Sorry!)

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