Test Drive Unlimited – 360 – Preview 2

E3 2006
Hands On Preview

It’s not an
MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game), per se; it is what the
developers are calling an MOOR (massively open online racing) title.

The idea is
a simple one, of sorts. You arrive in Oahu (Hawaii) with enough money to buy a
decent but low-end car and a moderate place to live. You run challenges, or
missions, to get more money, or race online through the Xbox Live.

The game is
Test Drive Unlimited, from Atari, and will release on both the PC and 360 with
the anticipated release date of September 2006.

For those
that remember the Electronic Arts online racing game Motor City Online, there is
much to rejoice about when it comes to Test Drive Unlimited. It is sort of like
MCO, but the next generation, with the added luxury of running down streets that
are beyond similar to what is really on Oahu. It is Oahu. Satellite photos made
it so. The only thing removed were dead-end streets. This game is apparently so
accurate that were you to visit Oahu for the first time, after playing it for a
bit, you could navigate the island. Of course, you probably would not be doing
it in a Lamborghini or Jaguar at 150 miles per hour.

The game
features 125 vehicles, many of them of the licensed high-end variety. The
vehicles do not take damage when you crash, but an NPC car may. If you exceed
the speed limit, or crash a lot, you will see a police tag flare. Highlight all
three of the “bars” and you can expect to start paying tickets.

There are 14
avatars to choose from to begin with, but they are highly customizable and you
can even buy clothes later on and change their appearance. There are 65
different homes that can be bought, and while they cannot be decorated, they do
provide some very important features. For example, you will have garage slots
which determines how many vehicles you can have. It also gives you access to
achievements, player-community challenges, rankings and the like. You can own
more than one home and can get it through an in-game realtor or on the in-game
marketplace. The marketplace uses in-game currency. The only thing players will
actually pay for (after buying the game) is downloadable content.

Players will
also be able to upgrade the cars and motorcycles they buy.

Playable at
Atari’s pre-E3 event, the game was very well suited for the 360 controller. It
played very tight on the cars and the motorcycles were very touchy. Quick
acceleration on the top Ducati bike usually meant sliding sideways on the
highway.

The game
sported unique engine sounds and graphically was a delicious bit of eye candy –
not only in the look of the vehicles (you can color customize both the interior
and exterior) but in the environments, from the trees and mountains to the sky.

Test Drive
Unlimited has the potential to be a truly fun addition to the MMOG space. This
was a title where the time spent behind the wheel, roaring down the streets was
too limited … for now.

For All E3 2006 Previews