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Video Review
Driven to perfection? Test Drive Unlimited 2 PlayStation 3 #facebook-like {float:left;} Release Date: February 8, 2011 More Info

Also Known As: TestDrive Unlimited 2
Also on: X360, PC
Genre: Racing
Publisher: Atari
Developer: Eden Games
T for Teen For more info visit the Test Drive Unlimited 2 Profile » Game Highlights Videos Images Walkthroughs Cheats All Articles Message Boards #Layer1, #Layer1 IMG {position:absolute; visibility: hidden; z-index:10;}

Test Drive Unlimited 2: Going OnlineDrifting through Ibiza with friends in tow.showUSloc=(checkLocale('uk')||checkLocale('au'));document.writeln(showUSloc ? 'US, ' : ''); December 3, 2010by Ryan ClementsLATEST IMAGES

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If you take a quick glance at Test Drive Unlimited 2, you might dismiss it as just another racing simulator with exotic cars. But what makes developer Eden Games' racer special is its online functionality. Like the original Test Drive Unlimited, the sequel is designed to bring massively-multiplayer online (MMO) sensibility to traditional digital driving. Earlier this week, I hopped into the driver's seat for the first time in an online race with Test Drive Unlimited 2, and was impressed with how it was structured.

In case you haven't read my first preview of Test Drive Unlimited 2, let me break it down. Players are tasked with racing around the Mediterranean island of Ibiza in order to build up personal wealth and buy exotic cars. The developers went to great lengths to create a realistic Ibiza, using actual satellite data to build the island as accurately as possible.

Nice Car
Racing across this island is only part of the fun. As Test Drive Unlimited 2 celebrates the luxury lifestyle, players will also be purchasing lavish homes and clothes, as well as showcasing their purchases to other players. To do so players are able to get out of their car and walk around homes, clubs, and dealerships to strut their stuff. When multiplayer racing is involved, all the cars will be lined up at the start of the track and players are free to walk around and admire their opponent's rides. This setup serves as an interactive lobby. A devious player can even get into the driver's seat of a competitor's vehicle and scope out the interior, though this may or may not aggravate the car's owner...

At the start of the multiplayer demo, I met the rest of the players at a driving school which is used as a hub to earn racing licenses. These licenses give players access to tournaments. From the school, it was easy for us to friend each other and hop in and out of multiplayer events. Most events in Test Drive Unlimited 2 will be "instanced," which means you'll be playing with others in a specific instance in the game that can't be interrupted by other players. With that said, you'll always be connected to other players in the world and you'll see them racing around the island freely when you're not actively engaged in a race.

The first event was a traditional race, which was easy to set up and surprisingly fun, especially considering the aforementioned lobby system that gives you time to check out the competition. There are predetermined races that can be tackled, but players can also create their own races virtually anywhere on the island by mapping out the course on existing roads, competing on the impromptu course with their friends.

The second event was spread out over several intersections in a small village, and was dotted with gates that register the speed of the racer as they pace through. In order to win, players must have the highest average speeds registered at each of the gates. Interestingly, players can tackle these gates in any order, so there's some strategy to finding the speediest route.

Yeah, I bought this because it had a nice smell. No big deal.
Along those lines, the third competition tracked a player's average speed over the entire duration of the event. This means even a simple mistake or spinout can have a dramatic affect on your score. I performed terribly in this competition thanks to a few pesky road signs that decided to get in my way, but it was fun nonetheless.

The final session I participated in was a "follow the leader" game type, where only one player in the group can view a checkpoint laid out on the map. The rest of the players must follow them in order to uncover the checkpoint and pass through it before the timer runs out. This definitely encourages active communication in the group and feels more like a cooperative effort, which is rare in racing games.

All the modes were a blast to play and -- assuming minor technical glitches are ironed out -- Test Drive Unlimited 2 looks like it'll run well online. My only remaining issue is with the visuals themselves. The cars in Test Drive Unlimited 2 look nice, inside and out. But the environments and the human character models still feel uncomfortably lifeless. This is partly due to the lack of pedestrians on Ibiza, and also the awkward animations and shadowing on the avatars. Even if these issues aren't addressed in the final retail version, they're not as important as good-looking cars and great gameplay, so maybe it won't be an issue at all when it launches in February of 2011.