Cert: 12+
Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Genre: Racing
Upon release, Test Drive Unlimited successfully seduced gamers with its lushly detailed Hawaiian world, providing a racer that did something a little bit different, yet at the same time didn't steer too far off track from the other racers on the market. Here its sequel, Test Drive 2, again presents more of the same, however its greatest hurdle now is that it's been several years since Amiga's last effort, and since then some heavy hitters - most notably Gran Turismo 5 and the excellent Need for Speed Hot Pursuit - have hit the market. So TD2 would need to have introduced something groundbreaking to champion either of those two racers, and its surprising TD2 lags so far behind the best the genre has to offer.
The sequel is no longer constrained to the Hawaiian tropics of the first title, with the holiday Mecca of Ibiza now also available to race around. And what TD2 has tried to introduce in an attempt to distinguish itself from other racers is the story mode; instead of unlocking cars you buy or win them, with rewards for success allowing to you update your apartment. It all tries to add an extra layer to the genre but, like the rest of the game, is dogged with glitches and at times is frustratingly unpolished.
The game's most attractive element is the simplicity of its multiplayer - pass a player on the road an instantly challenge them to a race - but again this area isn't immune to problems.
A disappointment.
Rent or Buy: Rent
Graphics: 2/5
Gameplay: 2/5
Replay Value: 3/5
Overall: 2/5
Reviewed By: Simon Rubbathan
