Test Drive Unlimited – 360 – Preview

Test Drive has always been a
series to stick to the straight racing while the other titles of the genre
branched out into new territory. Well now it’s branching out, and far
surpassing its competition.

Test Drive Unlimited is
almost like a racing RPG now. It takes place on an island that is totally
open, with roads that stretch on into the horizon. Highways and city streets
as well as coastal cruises are found all over. This may sound like something
that’s already been done, but Eden Games goes above and beyond by making the
entire island inhabited with other players. That’s right; it’s like an MMO
racing game.

One of the elements that
truly add a role playing twist on Unlimited is your customizable character.
You won’t be spending any time running around outside of the car, but when
shopping, hanging out at home, or even driving your player is visible to
everyone else. To make each character as different as possible, players are
able to change their look and what they wear.

To gain new clothes and
such, players will actually have to drive into town from their home and access
a store. There they can spend their hard-earned money on shirts, pants,
accessories, and whatever else. This is also how you purchase new cars or
homes, by actually going out and shopping for them. For instance, you’re sick
of your current house, the garage is too small for your car collection, and
you have tons of money to blow. As you leisurely cruise along the beach you
notice a beach house that fits the bill. So after taking a closer look and
seeing the “for sale” sign you purchase the house.

Car purchasing can be
done multiple ways. There’s an in-game trading post where players can trade or
sell their cars in an eBay style fashion, using your in-game money to make the
purchases. You can also go to the dealership and buy one new. Or, to save
money, you can earn your new cars by seeking someone out and challenging them
to a one-on-one race, putting your cars up as the prize. There are tons of
other ways to set up these races too, from setting your own checkpoints to
allowing more racers and so fourth. There will be more than 50 different rules
to use when setting up these races.

The cars are extremely
detailed, inside and out. All the cars are licensed, and there will be over
125 available. I was also told that they are all high-performance cars; the
slowest having 250hp. Before buying or riding a car you can do a close up
inspection using a free camera system, as well as open the door and take a
look at the interior. All the dials and dash systems are there and fully
functional. You can even roll down the windows.

Players can even create
clubs, much like a clan or guild in other types of games. When starting a
club, certain criteria can be set, such as an all Jaguar club. These clubs can
organize tournaments or meets, as well as just hang out and chat.

I was able to try the
game out using a great steering wheel setup. Controls were great, the look of
the game was smooth and crisp, and I saw no framerate issues even in its early
build. The cars even controlled fairly realistically – corners weren’t easily
navigated at high speeds versus low speeds. There was no noticeable car damage
in the demo, but with the focus being on collecting high-class cars and
keeping up your status it would seem a little out of place. There were also
markers on the HUD showing where the other human players were on the map and
their distance.

Test Drive Unlimited
seems to take online racing to a whole new level. It’s planned to be a launch
title for the Xbox 360, so make sure to check back for more updates.

For All E3 2005 Previews