The Great Big Problem at the time of writing is that despite TDU claiming to be the first MOORG (that'd be Massively Open Online Racing Game to you and me), the online aspect just isn't working like it should. It's twitchy, the servers are down much more often than they should be, it's far too difficult to find online opponents and if you do, it's a roll of the dice whether the game will actually let you connect with them. Really, for a game that bangs on endlessly about its expansive online experience, you'd think it would make sure the basic, technical underpinnings were in place. And they're not. Yet. A patch is imminent (wouldn't it be nice to read a PC game review without that particular phrase?) and could well transform TDU from a Good Attempt into The Real Deal.
Which leads us directly to the second major problem - there simply aren't enough people playing the game to make putting up with the online hassles worthwhile. TDU presents you with a huge area to explore, with every nook and cranny of the whole Hawaiian island of Oahu having been faithfully modelled. That's all well and good, but if you have visions of bumping into potential opponents and buddies on every corner, think again. Our experience with the game found people scattered sparsely around the island or laid up by the side of the road with a "connection problem" icon floating over their head. Again, this could all change after the game is patched - the floodgates might swing wide and allow great, unruly masses of petrolheads to swarm into the game. Or not.
Parallel parking is tricky.
Perhaps the most frustrating thing about all this is that there is, without doubt, a phenomenal multiplayer game in there somewhere. You can see it, you can wave at it, you can make plans for dinner and book a table but it consistently fails to arrive. Or if it does turn up, it's likely to be drunk, surly and throw up on the tablecloth. There are only so many apologies you can take before looking for a more reliable, if slightly less attractive date...
And yet, TDU has so much to offer that it's difficult to write off as a noble failure. In theory, this should be the last arcade-style driving game you'll ever need. It could quite literally take you hundreds of hours to explore all the roads, win every challenge and drive every car or ride every bike. TDU is absolutely packed with neat stuff. Create your own car club, give lifts to supermodels or just noodle along the coastline, admiring the view and swerving cheekily into oncoming traffic every now and again - the choice is yours.
Oddly enough, for a game that's so obsessed with online multi-whateverness, it's the single-player mode that saves the day. Obviously all the online benefits aren't there but it does provide a good, solid Test Drive game. There are more than enough single-player races to keep you going and the AI drivers put up a decent enough fight that you just might get your money's worth here alone. Unfortunately, though, in one of those decisions that seems to have come from the Department of Player Irritation, your offline and online profiles remain two separate entities and never the twain shall meet. Whatever cars and cash you earn in single-player mode don't transfer to the online game. It's worth mentioning that the online game incorporates all the single-player challenges so, in an ideal world, you'd only ever play with an online profile and this wouldn't be an issue. However, if the servers are down or you're away from an internet connection, you're out of luck.
TDU's single-player occupies an odd netherworld in the racing genre. It's not a balls-out arcade blast, with fifteen smokies on your tail as you blaze a cross-country path of destruction. Nor is it a slide-rule and pocket calculator style simulation. While it's definitely in the arcade racer category, it can feel a little hesitant, a bit sober and precious about things. At times, it's like GTA with the guns and car-jacking replaced by lots of stats and a GPS system.
TDU certainly looks pretty enough. You'll find yourself hooning along multi-lane highways, coastal scenic routes, wooded back alleys and inner city roads as the sun glints off your hideously expensive, virtual status symbol. The graphics engine does have a tendency to stutter at just the wrong moment - when overtaking or hurtling into a tight corner - which can put a dent in any Dukes of Hazzard moments, but it generally does the job. The sound is equally up to the task, providing a wide variety of (presumably) accurate engines noises. You can set up your own mp3 radio station to listen to while driving, so you only have yourself to blame if the soundtrack sucks.
Licensed to swerve.
A few other, relatively minor irritations, cling to TDU's ankles. The manual could be more helpful. For example, it provides a picture of the game's Heads Up Display, and a list beneath it describing all the HUD elements but neglects to number anything on the picture or list, rendering the whole thing meaningless. It's not too difficult to sort out yourself, but it does rather defeat the purpose of having a manual in the first place. It's interesting to note that 22 of the manual's 37 pages are devoted to credits, licensing details and copyright statements, so make of that what you will. Finally, TDU's online leader boards are currently worthless, due to the rampant use of cheats and trainers in the game, though this should all be addressed in the upcoming patch.
Test Drive Unlimited on the PC is, at the moment, very much a game in the balance. The positives and negatives are there in equal proportions and it's only going to take a slight move in one direction or the other to seal the fate of the game. If you're looking for a big, varied racer that lets you to drive on the wrong side of the road at great speed, then TDU should do very nicely. If you want a cutting edge, online racing experience with lots of like-minded car buffs, then wait and see. It might happen tomorrow, or it might all collapse under the weight of the technical problems. It feels very much as if the game is slowly haemoraging players, but there is so much here to potentially enjoy, it would be a real shame if it can't pull itself together.
, and the muscle cars, though I hate the fact that its a console port, hopefully the patch will change this but I will doubt it will let you play with each graphical feature like 
Loading...
