Video Game Vintage Title: Test Drive Unlimited 2

Test Drive Unlimited 2

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is an open world racing video game developed by Eden Games and published by Atari. It is the tenth installment of the series, and the second to be marketed under the Unlimited franchise. It is also the second game in the series to be based on an open world styled gameplay. It was the final game released by Eden Games before being shut down by Atari, SA in 2013.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 includes a variety of roads, sports cars, and bikes based on models from a handful of manufacturers; It also includes four wheel drive SUVs, a new feature for the series which is looked upon by the community as being subpar. The plot revolves around an unknown racer, who is offered the chance to enter a series of tournaments and, progressing through the game, to eventually become the winner of a fictional "Solar Crown Cup," by defeating a number of NPCs in various racing events.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 Gameplay

There is a storyline in Test Drive Unlimited 2 for the player to follow. To progress through the game, the player has to earn experience points to level up through the 60 levels. These points can be earned via 4 categories: Competition (racing, completing challenges) Social (making friends in the game, racing against other people, joining clubs) Discovery (discovering all roads, taking photographs of specific locations, finding all car wrecks) Collection (buying cars, houses, furniture, clothing/and other needs)

There are an additional 10 character levels available to those who acquire the TDU2 Casino Online DLC; These levels are achieved within the casino itself. A new meter is evident in freeroam. The player can earn a small amount of money depending on how the player drives. If the player is to drive at medium to high speed near another vehicle, he or she will get a small amount of cash, usually under 500 dollars per 'pass'. The player can try to chain passes, and hit the 'accept' button to accept his cash, then start a new chain.

Exploring the island lets the player find vehicle wrecks, which will unlock two vehicles at the dealerships on the islands. The player can walk around in their houses, vehicle shops, clubs and the optional casino DLC.

The player's avatar can be altered slightly by changing hair, clothes, and facial features. Players can also buy houses in the game. Co-op also features in this game, where friends can be a passenger in the player's car until they decides to leave or the player decides to kick him out.

Reception
Test Drive Unlimited 2 received mixed to positive critical response on release. Critics complimented the open world environment, and criticized the great amount of bugs on the game, the character models, voice acting, story elements and vehicle handling. On Metacritic, the PC version of the game received an aggregate score of 72/100, the PlayStation 3 version a score of 70/100, and the Xbox 360 version a score of 68/100. On GameRankings, the PC version was the highest ranked. The PlayStation 3 version scored 70.04%, and the Xbox 360 version scored 68.30%. According to an Eden Games employee, as of May 2011 studio internal estimated sales for Test Drive Unlimited 2 were put at roughly 900,000 units sold.

Matthew Kato from Game Informer praised the game, awarding it 8.5 out of ten and complimenting the mixture of open-world and online interactions with the single-player competitions and the free roam, calling them a "cohesive experience". He finally stated that Test Drive Unlimited 2 "might be lacking in most critical areas, but this is one instance where the sheer quantity of features prevails since their structure is thoughtful enough to make this game more than just a lazy vacation."

Bryan Stratton from G4 praised the replacement of the motorbikes from the original game with four wheel drive SUVs, stating that it was "an excellent decision considering how broken the bike physics were." He also considered the game's plot to be "so insanely ridiculous that there�s no point in describing it." About the character models, he commented that they "seem like they stepped out of a first-generation PS2 game, and the words that come out of their poorly animated mouths make the barely localized games of the late 90�s sound like the complete works of Shakespeare." He gave the game a score of 4 out of 5, finally commenting that "for all of its hokey weirdness, there�s a strange charm about it that will keep you coming back for more."

Jane Douglas from GameSpot was less enthusiastic with the game, awarding it a score of 7 out of 10, complimenting the open world and online iteractions as "attractive", but stating that, as a whole, the game "doesn't do any one thing better than a number of more specific, less expansive driving games." Oli Welsh from Eurogamer also gave the game a score of 7 out of 10. On his review, Welsh called Unlimited 2 a "fantastic escapism", complimenting the atmosphere and multi-player components. Otherwise, he criticized the theme, commenting that "for a game so obsessed with image and lifestyle, TDU2 is hilariously, if endearingly, uncool." He finally stated that "It's just a shame it sometimes needs to escape from itself."

Jon Denton from The Daily Telegraph gave the game a score of 7 out of 10, naming the game "another flawed gem" from Eden Games, and stating that "Test Drive Unlimited 2 teaches us that it�s not just the open world you create, but what you do within it that really forms its identity." William van Dijk Mart�n from Spanish website MeriStation gave the game a score of 7 out of 10. He concluded that Unlimited 2 can be called "virtual tourism", and commented that "don't expect anything better than the first TDU - It's the same, but with tons of meaningless social options."

Ryan Clements from IGN was disappointed with the game, awarding it a mixed 5.5 out of 10, and stating that "This open-world driving experience is riddled with problems and even the driving itself is far from perfect." He criticized the "ugly character models" and voice acting on the game, considering that it "will annoy at first and then grow to intolerable levels as they're repeated constantly." Rory Manion from GameSpy gave the game a score of 5 out of 10. She compared the title against other modern racers, stating that "Want exciting racing? Grab Need for Speed: Shift, or Burnout Paradise, or Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Want the best driving model? Gran Turismo. Best car customization? TDU2's piddly sticker shops don't hold a candle to Forza Motorsport 3."

Destin Legarie from Destructoid gave a negative review of the game, awarding it a score of 4 out of 10 and commented that Test Drive Unlimited 2 was "surrounded by a bug filled world, glitchy gameplay, and a core mechanic that doesn't function." Steve Butts from The Escapist also gave the game a 2 stars out of 5, calling the game "a wreck, burdened with a laughable economy, too much irrelevant content and weak multiplayer options." He also commented that the game "definitely has its moments", further concluding that he "can't deny the game's quirky charm."