Reviews of Test Drive Unlimited 2 - Xbox 360

Customer Ratings:

I will start off by saying I was a big fan of the first Test Drive Unlimited because it had a huge open world environment to drive around in, a big selection of cars, and good driving physics that were somewhere between arcade and simulation. The graphics in TDU weren't great but it was just plain fun to play.

Now we finally have the long awaited sequel and sadly it is not an improvement over the first TDU. Like the first game it's not intended to be a simulation racing game. I understand this and didn't expect it to be. What I did expect though was that they would have at least delivered the same if not a better experience. Unfortunately this is not the case. I feel it is fair to compare it to the first game because this is a sequel after all.

DRIVING PHYSICS:

This is my biggest issue with the game. In the first TDU each car had unique characteristics of speed, acceleration, braking, cornering ability, and an overall feeling of weight. It was not super realistic but it wasn't silly either, for example you couldn't make 90 degree turns at top speeds. It gave the feeling of speed but still you had to make sure not to go faster than the car could handle. This is simply not the case in TDU2. Most of the cars handle pretty much the same, poorly. There seems to be only a difference of speed, acceleration and braking between cars but they all handle about the same, and there is no feeling of weight. Among different cars in the same class they all corner about the same. Also doing almost anything can make your car spin out, even while traveling on a straight road. If you turn just a little too much you can lose control of the car. If you slightly graze anything you can lose control of the car. Sometimes though you can hit a wall at a sharper angle and it pops you right off it sending you on your merry way the direction you started. It's also hard to regain control of your car even if you fishtail a little, with each steering correction you make actually making it worse. I don't know why they did this to the driving physics and didn't just build upon what they had from the first TDU, or even just reuse it for this game unchanged.

GRAPHICS:

There is some better news in this department. The scenery and character graphics are actually improved over the first game. The islands really look nice and that makes it fun to explore. Your character looks a little better than the first game also although it's not stellar. The cars on the other hand look a little bland and flat. The cars don't really pop or look very shiny even when they are clean. Your cars now also accumulate dirt, dings and scratches too, which can be fixed by going to a car wash where some scantily clad ladies come out and wash your car by hand. Also you can just put your car in the garage or start an event it it pops back to pristine condition as if by magic. Overall for just driving around and exploring I would say the graphics are an improvement over the first TDU.

SOUND:

The sound is also a letdown. The engine sounds are certainly louder than the first game, maybe too loud. The car engines don't sound very realistic. You could drive a certain car in Forza than drive the same exact one if it's available in this game and easily tell the difference. Also when you run into things it just sounds like taking a metal trash can lid and smashing it against something, no matter what you run into. The off-road sounds aren't much better. Sometimes it reminds me of the sound of chewing on Grape Nuts cereal. The radio is kind of limited like the first game and the music is not particularly thrilling to me but that's a matter of taste. It's not like the first game had great sound either but this is not an improvement.

GAME PLAY:

This game concentrates much more on your character and other social aspects than the first game did. Besides being able to buy houses and clothing for you character you can now also visit a hair salon and get cosmetic surgery so you can completely change your look. Many of the same features from the first game are back such as races against other player in set spots around the island or instant challenges against people you meet in the game world by just flashing your headlights at them. Also there are clubs to form or join and club events just like the first game, as well as custom events you can set up.

The biggest change to the game though is the addition of off-road events and vehicles. This is the area of the game that I feel was the best change. These events can be fun and give you the ability to easily explore the countryside. You can purchase off-road vehicles like Hummers or Land Rovers. They handle differently off-road than on asphalt, which makes sense but once again they all handle pretty much the same compared to each other. The only real difference between the off-road vehicles is their speed, acceleration and braking.

As for the world itself it's pretty much the same as the first game. You can drive pretty much anywhere you want to and explore all you want. This was the charm of the first game in my opinion and why I liked it so much. TDU2 though now has two islands to explore, Hawaii again and now Ibiza. As for the events it's handled differently than the first game. Instead of unlocking events and then picking and choosing which ones you want to do in any order this game has a more linear feel to it. You have championship events that consist of a series of smaller events worth points, finish in first place in the end and you will unlock more. Also there are random events like the first game, such as picking up someone and driving them somewhere within a time limit. These events aren't permanent though and have a time limit on how long they are available, which can be seen in the map, before they disappear and new ones pop up elsewhere. This can be annoying if you haven't previously explored that part of the map because you won't be able to instantly start it, you'll have to drive there and may not get to it in time. Also your contacts will frequently call you, telling you to go somewhere or do something. Overall the game seems to want to hold you hand through the whole process.

BUGS:

Sadly, at least as of the date this review is posted, this game is pretty buggy. There have been some issues with the servers although that can be excused, at least for now, since a lot of games have this same issue at first. I have had issues with the leaderboards not working properly. When I first log in I will do an event and my name and position on the leaderboards will show. Then every event after that it won't work. My name and position do not show properly and if I scroll manually to the position where I should be my name isn't listed at all. I've also noticed issues with sound going out occasionally. This especially seems to be the case when going from off-road to asphalt and hitting some objects. The sounds will go out for a few seconds then come back. I have read there are also issues with trying to form or join a club, causing the game to lock up but I haven't experimented with this myself. Players are reporting other issues also, which you can read about yourself if you go to the game website's forums.

CONCLUSION:

Compared to the first TDU I'd have to say this game is a disappointment. It is better in some aspects, such as the scenery graphics and the addition of off-road content, but it is a big let down in the department of sound, bugs, and most importantly driving physics. The game is named Test DRIVE Unlimited 2 after all, with the main focus being on driving. Making the driving physics worse really takes a lot away from the game. It can be fun exploring the huge world, buying nice cars, houses and clothing (if you're into that), but just getting through events can be annoying with the clunky handling the cars have. You will have to retry events a number of times because your car so easily loses control. Overall it's not a worthy sequel and I had more fun with the first TDU, which is a superior game. If you loved the first game this one may really make you mad, so you may want to rent it before you buy. Unfortunately there is no demo as of yet on Xbox Live. If you've never played the first game and want a fun, open world driving game, find a copy of the first TDU instead of buying this one.

I gave the game 2 stars because of the horrible driving physics and bugs. They may fix these issues in patches someday but I have to rate the game in the condition it is now, not how it might be in the future.

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I really did want to like this game more than I do. TDU1 was a lot of fun, and the concept is great. The feature list is impressive, too. More character and house customization, rain and night driving, two islands to explore, better graphics.

But the two things that make this frustrating are bugs and the difficulty of making money.

The bugs are pretty bad: servers down, clubs disabled, oh...and corrupting the game save. Yes, I started over from scratch after losing my saved game. Seems to be okay now, but I keep backups on a flash drive. I'm not totally pessimistic about this since patches will come out (check forums before buying for the status of these before buying).

My second gripe is the same problem that plagues GT5: not enough ways to make money. After winning the championships, you can't win the grand prize money again, and there aren't an overwhelming number of events. You can repeat individual races, but the most you'd get is about 20k. High end houses and cars are well into the millions.

The cars' handling is kind of goofy, but I don't hold that against this game. I don't consider this a sim and I've gotten used to it. It can be fun to do handbrake turns, and just cruising around is this game's best part.

One nice addition is the FRIM system. It helps you make a little money while just cruising around. You'll get a few hundred for near misses, drifts or jumps.

I'm still giving this game a chance, hoping it will get better as I collect enough money and cars over time, but since I don't have the hours in a day for the grinding needed I don't expect to have all the cars I'd like.

EDIT: Bumped up the rating to four stars. After playing for a while, I keep going back. It's fun. And most of the bugs that got me were patched.

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I Played TDU1 extensively and really enjoyed it. So much so that I pre-ordered the second version and could hardly wait for it to arrive. But unfortunately the second hasn't lived up to the legacy of the first. Annoying cut scenes and poor voice acting are forgivable in a racing game, but poor driving physics are not.

The first struck a good compromise between acessability and realism. TDU 2 fails to approach either and the cars handling is truly bizarre. they are on rails until you attempt to take a 90 degree corner at which point if any throttle is in the car will promptly fishtail. Ferrari or starter Mustang it seems to make no difference. All sharp bends must be taken at about the same speed. And funnily enough if you attempt to counter steer the car enters an uncontrollable tank slapper. It really doesn't matter how you enter the corner or apply the power. Also all cars seem to handle roughly the same. No real difference in a lightweight Italian hypercar and a lumbering Aston. No increased twitchiness or responsiveness, just a difference in cornering speed which equates roughly to their rating in the car dealership.

I'm not expecting Forza or GT quality driving dynamics. But something that resembles how a car handles would be nice.

It's a shame because the islands are beautiful and the online component is just as compelling as the first time around. But the core of the game, driving and racing is just poor.

If you are interested in this game I suggest sourcing a used copy of TDU1. You will be a lot more satisfied.

Honest reviews on Test Drive Unlimited 2 - Xbox 360

I became a fan of the Test Drive series after playing the first TDU game. An open world racer where you could buy any car, any house or change the look of your character in any way. The second game takes the first experience and expands on it.

What I like about TDU2 is that now you have access to two islands (Hawaii & Ibiza), your character and your houses are more custimizable. There is also more challenges and more cars for you to choose from, but what I like most about TDU2 is that anyone can pick it up and play it without being a ''hardcore'' racing gamer. I also like that it is a social game where you can invite friends with you on a joy ride or to your own house.

Unlike other racing titles, you don't need to be the greatest driver. In fact, you don't have to get involved in the main story arc (Solar Crown Championship), you could simply explore and admire the detail of the islands (can we say begining of virtual tourism?).

The only flaws I can think of is when I first bought it, my saved data was erased, but other than that, nothing unusual has happened. I also don't like that you're limited to what you can do within your own home. For instance, you can buy any home with a pool, billiards table or even a yacht yet you can't do anything in your home except walk around and sit on the couch, so what's the point of buying an expensive home?

Basically, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is like the first game only with more options. I have literally spent hours just discovering every road on Ibiza alone and have only yet to scratch the surface of Hawaii! So if you liked the first TDU, I don't see why you wouldn't like this one. And if you have never played the first one, I recommend trying TDU2 out anyway because I'm confident you'll get your moneys worth.

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I really enjoyed the first TDU and so I've been waiting for TDU2 for quite awhile. When the release was postponed in the fall of 2010 for 6 months I figured that was okay and just waited it out.

Having played the game quite a bit over the past week I have to say that it is probably THE single most buggy XBOX game I have ever played personally. The number of times it has hung my console alone is kind of staggering. Add to that non-crashing issues like truly bizarre collision detection issues, horrible scenery pop-in, and multi-player glitches and I can't really say that I could recommend this to anyone as the game stands today. I shudder to think how bad it must have been six months ago for the original release date.

If you were a huge fan of the first game and have a LOT of patience for all of the problems in the game as it stands there's a lot to enjoy, but buyer beware on this one.