Test Drive Unlimited 2
Encyclopedia
Test Drive Unlimited 2 (TDU2) is a racing video game developed by Eden Games
and published by Atari. It is the sequel to Test Drive Unlimited
and the tenth game in the series. The game was released on 8 February 2011 in North America
and on 11 February in Europe
.
The game suffered from many bugs during launch, particularly on PC. Namco Bandai UK marketing boss Lee Kirton confirmed that a Test Drive Unlimited 2 patch would be released to address various issues in early March.
There are an additional 10 Levels available to those who acquire the TDU2 Casino Online DLC/Pre-order Bonus, these levels are achieved within the casino itself.
The player can earn extra money depending with how the player drives. Driving like a daredevil and performing stunts, drifting through turns at high speeds and evading crashes and the traffic will earn the player extra cash. Exploring the island lets the player find vehicle wrecks, which will unlock exclusive vehicles at the dealerships on the islands. The player can also walk out of the car in their houses, vehicle shops, clubs and the optional casino DLC. The player's avatar can be altered by changing hair, clothes, physical appearance, attitude and facial features. Players can also buy houses in the game. Co-op will also make an appearance in the game including a Follow-the-Leader mode. In this mode, players will have to complete a route by driving through checkpoints. When a checkpoint is passed by the leader, the game promotes one of the other drivers as leader. Working together properly is made even more important as only the leader can see the route on his GPS display.
(Near Spain in the Mediterranean Sea) and Oahu
(One of the Hawaiian Islands and the setting of the first game). Both islands have been modeled very accurately by using satellite data. Each island has both asphalt roads and off-road routes, translated to roughly two-thirds of all roads being asphalt roads, and the total amount of road exceeds 3,000 kilometers, or 1,864 miles. The islands have new challenges and races to earn extra cash, and the roads on Hawaii have been modified to make the location interesting again for those who played the previous game. Hawaii has also been renewed graphically to stay up to date for the new game, and each island will feature the 24-hours cycle and dynamic weather.
The player can travel between the two islands by driving to the airport on one island, where a cutscene shows the character taking off as a passenger on a plane, and then flying to the next location on the other island. This air-commuting ability needs to be unlocked by reaching level 10 out of 60 in the game.
experience, and Classic Cars ("G-class" in Test Drive Unlimited) have been split into two classes (C4 and C3).
Not all vehicles are obtainable however; clubs can get exclusive club
cars when reaching high ranks. These exclusive vehicles can be driven by any member of the car club, and not by players from other clubs. The pre-launch game
sported motorcycles that were quite hard to control, and also hard to win races with. They are not present in the Game.
Vehicles feature cosmetic damage
which does not affect the behaviour and technical aspects of the vehicles. There is no option to manually repair the vehicle; the car
may get fixed by visiting a house. Rainfall does affect the handling of the vehicles though, and also influences the appearance of a vehicle as rain
washes off dirt
. Eden has also spent years working on a new physics
engine
to ensure each vehicle has its own driving behaviour. New details and functions have been added, such as different headlight modes, turning signals and working convertible roofs. There is also a vinyl-editor which is similar to that of Forza Motorsport
.
When pre-order information was revealed, it became known that pre-orders in the United States would get additional bonuses. Among these bonuses are bonus cars, such as special Carbon-edition Aston Martins, an Audi Q7 concept car, Ford Shelby GT500 and Alfa Romeo models. These pre-order cars are now available on each console's respective store.
During E3 2010, Atari released the first part of the list of cars that are available in the game. The list includes various models of Aston Martin, Audi, Dodge, Lotus, Mercedes, and more. All of these vehicles will be purchasable in the final game.
As confirmed on the Official TDU2 Forum, Lamborghini will not be making an appearance in the game, due to licensing issues. Lamborghini made an appearance in the last game, however, this does not eliminate the possibility of these cars returning as DLC.
In December 2010, Atari released the official car list for the game, containing 101 cars.
The Ferrari 458 Italia is not available in the 360 version as Turn 10 and Microsoft have exclusive rights to that car on their platforms. The PC and PS3, versions, however, do receive the 458 Italia, while the 360 version has the Spyker C8 Aileron instead. The Spyker C8 Aileron Convertible, however, is available on all platforms and is part of the Casino DLC.
People who bought the game at Best Buy
received a redemption code for an Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black edition.
With the release of DLC 1 came the Dodge Charger (1969) and the Lancia Stratos, these can be found as wrecks after completing Convoy missions.
When playing the DLC Convoy missions players could drive DLC cars such as the Shelby Mustang GT500 and Bugatti Veyron Supersport. The Corvette ZR1 and Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Edition , which are not available in-game as a DLC addon or otherwise and has never been officially announced.
With the launch of the new Test Drive Unlimited 2 website, the FAQ section confirmed that like in the previous game, the game will not require a subscription fee to play online.
Test Drive Unlimited 2 features dynamic weather effects, day and night cycles, and cosmetic vehicle damage. The game takes place on the islands of Ibiza
and Oahu
. After enough gameplay, players will be able to return to an expanded and updated Hawaii
from the previous game.
Hariba Radio and Road Rock.
) while playing these casino games.
Though it is not necessary to play online for winning these cars, if you have enough money, you can convert it to casino points, which you can use for buying those cars.
TDU2 Casino Online will also includes a track for player to try out the exclusive cars that were won. All prizes and cars won in the casino can be carried over into Test Drive Unlimited 2.
TDU2 Casino Online was also available as a pre-order bonus at select retailers.
score. A majority of critics criticized the game for having lots of issues, stating that if the game was without them, the final product would have been better.
On March 10, 2011, Atari had announced that save corruption fixes for the Xbox 360 and PS3 would go live on March 11, 2011. Atari also stated that additional patches for both consoles would be available March 14, 2011. After the March 14, 2011 update, Xbox 360 users began to have network and server issues. These issues since have been either fixed or are currently being investigated. The PlayStation 3 patch was released on March 17, 2011, giving access to MyTDULife and Clubs.
The PS3 Patch 1.02 and DLC 1 (Exploration Pack) was not released for PS3 until November 02, 2011.
Eden Games
Eden Games is a game development studio. In May 2002, the company was sold to the Infogrames Group. It is most well known for the V-Rally series of games, as well as the 2006 release Test Drive Unlimited. They have most recently developed Test Drive Unlimited 2, which was released in February 2011...
and published by Atari. It is the sequel to Test Drive Unlimited
Test Drive Unlimited
Test Drive Unlimited is an arcade-style racing game, the 9th game of the Test Drive series, it features over 125 licensed sports cars and motorcycles and a terrain modeled after the Hawaiian island of Oahu that features some 1000 miles of roads and highways. Test Drive Unlimited is the ninth main...
and the tenth game in the series. The game was released on 8 February 2011 in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and on 11 February in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The game suffered from many bugs during launch, particularly on PC. Namco Bandai UK marketing boss Lee Kirton confirmed that a Test Drive Unlimited 2 patch would be released to address various issues in early March.
Gameplay
There is a storyline in Test Drive Unlimited 2 for the player to follow. To progress through the game, the player has to earn experience points to level up through the 63 levels. These points can be earned via 4 categories:- Competition (racing, completing challenges)
- Social (making friends in the game, racing against other people, joining clubs)
- Discovery (discovering all roads, taking photographs of specific locations, finding all car wrecks)
- Collection (buying cars, houses, furniture, clothing/basic needs)
There are an additional 10 Levels available to those who acquire the TDU2 Casino Online DLC/Pre-order Bonus, these levels are achieved within the casino itself.
The player can earn extra money depending with how the player drives. Driving like a daredevil and performing stunts, drifting through turns at high speeds and evading crashes and the traffic will earn the player extra cash. Exploring the island lets the player find vehicle wrecks, which will unlock exclusive vehicles at the dealerships on the islands. The player can also walk out of the car in their houses, vehicle shops, clubs and the optional casino DLC. The player's avatar can be altered by changing hair, clothes, physical appearance, attitude and facial features. Players can also buy houses in the game. Co-op will also make an appearance in the game including a Follow-the-Leader mode. In this mode, players will have to complete a route by driving through checkpoints. When a checkpoint is passed by the leader, the game promotes one of the other drivers as leader. Working together properly is made even more important as only the leader can see the route on his GPS display.
Location
The game is set upon two islands: IbizaIbiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
(Near Spain in the Mediterranean Sea) and Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
(One of the Hawaiian Islands and the setting of the first game). Both islands have been modeled very accurately by using satellite data. Each island has both asphalt roads and off-road routes, translated to roughly two-thirds of all roads being asphalt roads, and the total amount of road exceeds 3,000 kilometers, or 1,864 miles. The islands have new challenges and races to earn extra cash, and the roads on Hawaii have been modified to make the location interesting again for those who played the previous game. Hawaii has also been renewed graphically to stay up to date for the new game, and each island will feature the 24-hours cycle and dynamic weather.
The player can travel between the two islands by driving to the airport on one island, where a cutscene shows the character taking off as a passenger on a plane, and then flying to the next location on the other island. This air-commuting ability needs to be unlocked by reaching level 10 out of 60 in the game.
Vehicles
Two SUV classes have been added (B4 and B3) to provide an off-roadingOff-roading
Off-roading is a term for driving a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain.-Off-road vehicle:...
experience, and Classic Cars ("G-class" in Test Drive Unlimited) have been split into two classes (C4 and C3).
Not all vehicles are obtainable however; clubs can get exclusive club
Club
A club is an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal. A service club, for example, exists for voluntary or charitable activities; there are clubs devoted to hobbies and sports, social activities clubs, political and religious clubs, and so forth.- History...
cars when reaching high ranks. These exclusive vehicles can be driven by any member of the car club, and not by players from other clubs. The pre-launch game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
sported motorcycles that were quite hard to control, and also hard to win races with. They are not present in the Game.
Vehicles feature cosmetic damage
Damage
-General concepts:* Collateral damage, unintended damage caused during a military operation* Fire damage* Foreign object damage* Hydrogen damage, metal degradation processes due to interaction with hydrogen* Property damage, damage to public or private property...
which does not affect the behaviour and technical aspects of the vehicles. There is no option to manually repair the vehicle; the car
Čar
Čar is a village in the municipality of Bujanovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the town has a population of 296 people.-References:...
may get fixed by visiting a house. Rainfall does affect the handling of the vehicles though, and also influences the appearance of a vehicle as rain
Rain
Rain is liquid precipitation, as opposed to non-liquid kinds of precipitation such as snow, hail and sleet. Rain requires the presence of a thick layer of the atmosphere to have temperatures above the melting point of water near and above the Earth's surface...
washes off dirt
Dirt
Dirt is unclean matter, especially when in contact with a person's clothes, skin or possessions when they are said to become dirty. Common types of dirt include:* dust — a general powder of organic or mineral matter...
. Eden has also spent years working on a new physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
engine
Engine
An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert energy into useful mechanical motion. Heat engines, including internal combustion engines and external combustion engines burn a fuel to create heat which is then used to create motion...
to ensure each vehicle has its own driving behaviour. New details and functions have been added, such as different headlight modes, turning signals and working convertible roofs. There is also a vinyl-editor which is similar to that of Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport
Forza Motorsport's received rave reviews from such media outlets as 1UP.com, IGN, Eurogamer and more.The game was also featured in the June 2004 issue of Popular Science.- External links :*...
.
When pre-order information was revealed, it became known that pre-orders in the United States would get additional bonuses. Among these bonuses are bonus cars, such as special Carbon-edition Aston Martins, an Audi Q7 concept car, Ford Shelby GT500 and Alfa Romeo models. These pre-order cars are now available on each console's respective store.
During E3 2010, Atari released the first part of the list of cars that are available in the game. The list includes various models of Aston Martin, Audi, Dodge, Lotus, Mercedes, and more. All of these vehicles will be purchasable in the final game.
As confirmed on the Official TDU2 Forum, Lamborghini will not be making an appearance in the game, due to licensing issues. Lamborghini made an appearance in the last game, however, this does not eliminate the possibility of these cars returning as DLC.
In December 2010, Atari released the official car list for the game, containing 101 cars.
The Ferrari 458 Italia is not available in the 360 version as Turn 10 and Microsoft have exclusive rights to that car on their platforms. The PC and PS3, versions, however, do receive the 458 Italia, while the 360 version has the Spyker C8 Aileron instead. The Spyker C8 Aileron Convertible, however, is available on all platforms and is part of the Casino DLC.
People who bought the game at Best Buy
Best Buy
Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Mexico, Canada & China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates...
received a redemption code for an Aston Martin DBS Carbon Black edition.
With the release of DLC 1 came the Dodge Charger (1969) and the Lancia Stratos, these can be found as wrecks after completing Convoy missions.
When playing the DLC Convoy missions players could drive DLC cars such as the Shelby Mustang GT500 and Bugatti Veyron Supersport. The Corvette ZR1 and Mercedes SL65 AMG Black Edition , which are not available in-game as a DLC addon or otherwise and has never been officially announced.
Multiplayer
Test Drive Unlimited 2 has a similar online mode to the previous game. During free roaming, up to 8 players can join in a session at the same time. Improvements to the online aspects have led to the fix of people quickly disappearing just after entering a session. In shops and clubs, up to 32 players can walk around at the same time. The ability to walk is also present in the new racing lobby. When waiting for every player to be ready to race, cars of the other players can be examined. Also, players can be in the seat of another player's car to show or be shown different shortcuts.With the launch of the new Test Drive Unlimited 2 website, the FAQ section confirmed that like in the previous game, the game will not require a subscription fee to play online.
Development
In December 2008, Atari stated that various series, including Test Drive, would be revisited after 2009.Test Drive Unlimited 2 features dynamic weather effects, day and night cycles, and cosmetic vehicle damage. The game takes place on the islands of Ibiza
Ibiza
Ibiza or Eivissa is a Spanish island in the Mediterranean Sea 79 km off the coast of the city of Valencia in Spain. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community of Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Pine Islands or Pityuses. Its largest cities are Ibiza...
and Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
. After enough gameplay, players will be able to return to an expanded and updated Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
from the previous game.
Soundtrack
Test Drive Unlimited 2 features two in-game radio stations,Hariba Radio and Road Rock.
- 01 Operator Please - Get What You Want
- 02 Atari HipHop - 09
- 03 Atari HipHop - 10
- 04 Motormark - Eat Drink Sleep Think
- 05 Fort Knox Five - Funk 4 Peace
- 06 Music Go Music - WarmInTheShadows
- 07 Lithium Project - Acid Drop
- 08 Mr. SOS - Bionic
- 09 Ancient Astronauts - Classic
- 10 Lucy Love - Daddy Was A DJ
- 11 Bullet - Bite The Bullet
- 12 Jonna Lee - My High
- 13 Sunshine - Pretty Girls
- 14 Claire Freeman - High Flyer Kick
- 15 Dmitry Fyodrov - 1B-1
- 16 Sohodolls - Bang Bang Bang Bang
- 17 Deadmau5Deadmau5Joel Thomas Zimmerman , better known by his stage name deadmau5 , is a Canadian progressive, electro, and house producer based in Toronto...
- Ghosts N Stuff - 18 Phonat - Ghetto Burnin'
- 19 Delinquent Habits - Common Man
- 20 Lowood - Close To Violence
- 21 Phoenix - 1901
- 22 Wrong Kong - Real boy
- 23 Danko Jones - Code Of The Road
- 24 The Rifles - The Great Escape
- 25 Weatherall - Selective Walking
- 26 Neon Indian - Ephemeral Artery
- 27 Motor City Devils - Hey Sailor
- 28 Final Warning - Infrasound
- 29 Paul van DykPaul van DykMatthias Paul, better known by his stage name Paul van Dyk is a German Grammy Award-winning Electronic Dance Music DJ, musician and record producer...
- For An AngelFor an Angel"For An Angel" is a trance debut track by German DJ Paul van Dyk. It is his most famous track, it was initially released in 1994 as a track on 45 RPM on the MFS record label, which was van Dyk's first album...
(E-Werk Club Mix) - 30 Taddy Porter - In The Morning
- 31 Fisherspooner - The Best Revenge
- 32 Splitside - Wake Up
- 33 Ursula 1000 - Star Machine
- 34 TemperTrap - Fader
- 35 V-Twin - Delinquency
- 36 Pretty Whores - Midnight Showdown
- 37 Popular Damage - Everybody Got Young
- 38 Sohodolls - Right And Right Again
- 39 Union Square - Sirens On
- 40 Simian Mobile Disco - It's The Beat
- 41 Bonafide - No doubt about it
- 42 Fort Knox Five - Insight
- 43 TheTallerBoy - Don't_Surrender
- 44 The X why - Down2yourlow
- 45 Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes Silence
- 46 Ancient Astronauts - Oblivion
- 47 Scott Ledger - Gravity Wont Win
- 48 Ellie GouldingEllie GouldingElena Jane "Ellie" Goulding is an English singer-songwriter. In 2010 she became only the second artist to both top the BBC's annual Sound of... poll, and win the Critics' Choice Award at the BRIT Awards in the same year, following Adele's win of both in 2008...
- Under The SheetsUnder the Sheets"Under the Sheets" is a song by English recording artist Ellie Goulding from her debut album, Lights. Produced by Starsmith, it was released as the album's lead single. The song premiered on BBC Radio 1 on 30 September 2009 and was released on the UK iTunes Store on 15 November 2009, peaking at...
(Jakwob Remix) - 49 Dmitry Fyodrov - Wolf Brigade
- 50 Atari_Rock_11
- 51 Passion Pit - Little Secrets
- 52 Me my head - White Lights
- 53 Fukkk Offf - Im A Freak
- 54 Acrylics - Innocence
- 55 Metric - Gold Guns Girls
- 56 Dum Dum Girls - Bhang Bhang
- 57 CunninLynguists - Running Wild
- 58 Last Days Of April - Hanging High
- 59 Valley Lodge - Naked City
- 60 Midival Punditz - Dark Age
- 61 Boeoes Laelstigen - Radius
- 62 Billy Buttons - Purdy
- 63 Modesto - I Wonder If This Happens To
- 64 Hawk - Party People
- 65 Winnebago Deal - Heart Attack In My H
TDU2 Casino Online
Atari will release TDU2 Casino Online on the same day as Test Drive Unlimited 2, which can be downloaded on the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Marketplace. TDU2 Casino Online includes casino games like poker, roulette, and slots. The player will have a chance to unlock exclusive cars (Audi R8 Spyder and Spyker C8 AileronSpyker C8
-Models:There are several variants of the C8:* C8 Spyder SWB * C8 Spyder T* C8 Laviolette* C8 Laviolette LM85* C8 Double 12S* C8 Double 12R* C8 Spyder GT2-R* C8 Laviolette GT2-R* C8 Aileron* C8 Aileron Spyder* C12 LaTurbie...
) while playing these casino games.
Though it is not necessary to play online for winning these cars, if you have enough money, you can convert it to casino points, which you can use for buying those cars.
TDU2 Casino Online will also includes a track for player to try out the exclusive cars that were won. All prizes and cars won in the casino can be carried over into Test Drive Unlimited 2.
TDU2 Casino Online was also available as a pre-order bonus at select retailers.
Reception
Test Drive Unlimited 2 received slightly positive review scores with a 70 MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
score. A majority of critics criticized the game for having lots of issues, stating that if the game was without them, the final product would have been better.
Issues
At release, on all platforms, there have been many bugs reported in the game. Some of these include game save files becoming corrupted forcing the player to start a new profile. Also reported are issues with the multi-player functions such as players being unable to connect to each other. These server issues also prevent anyone trying to start the game in "connected mode" or connected to Xbox Live or PSN. A patch has been released to fix some of these issues, including the activation of the Club feature, which was disabled to correct exploits in the system. On the same day the patch was released for the PC, Atari had sent console patches to both Microsoft and Sony for approval.On March 10, 2011, Atari had announced that save corruption fixes for the Xbox 360 and PS3 would go live on March 11, 2011. Atari also stated that additional patches for both consoles would be available March 14, 2011. After the March 14, 2011 update, Xbox 360 users began to have network and server issues. These issues since have been either fixed or are currently being investigated. The PlayStation 3 patch was released on March 17, 2011, giving access to MyTDULife and Clubs.
The PS3 Patch 1.02 and DLC 1 (Exploration Pack) was not released for PS3 until November 02, 2011.