Jump to content
LCVG

Test Drive Unlimited - X360


Romier S

Recommended Posts

There were some screenshots of this one making the rounds in the old Xbox threads. I came upon a new shot which should interest race fans on the forum. No idea how the game will end up playing, or if the early shots are indeed an indication of the final graphics (judging from the some of the aliasing in early shots I wouldn't doubt it); but it looks like PGR3 won't be the only game dipping into the "in-car dash" view well. Take a look:

 

[ATTACH]634[/ATTACH]

 

..and some more screens to take a look at:

 

[ATTACH]635[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]636[/ATTACH]

 

[ATTACH]637[/ATTACH] [ATTACH]638[/ATTACH]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
  • Replies 112
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • 1 month later...

So I just downloaded the TD:U demo and 10 seconds into it my 360 locks up. Try it again...driving around the island and all the sudden people are showing up in my game. I'm thinking whoa cool I didnt even set this up as a multiplayer game yet there are people all over chatting and driving. And just when the coolness factor of that hits me the game locks up again. I'm going back for a 3rd attempt right now. :) Someone else please let me know if the TD:U demo is freezing on you as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ugh you gotta be kidding me. Game locked up again. Seems to be completely random. I wouldn't be surprised if they pull this demo because it is buggy as hell. Also was seeing tons of ghosting from multiplayer cars. This could be a good idea gone bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I played very briefly & didn't have any probs with lockups. In-car is good, graphics aren't PGR 3 quality, but not bad either considering the size of the game's levels. Engine sounds were pretty good too.

 

The handling is pretty arcadey, cars are very stuck to the road. I did have some problems with the arrows/voice over girl not appearing soon enough to make the turns.

 

Demo is limited to 15 mins also.

 

Might be fun for the right group of people to play around in though...I'm not totally turned off yet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I got to play for about 5 minutes before it locked up, so you're not alone.

 

Good to know. :) The game shows some potential at being fun but I just have a feeling it will fail in a technical sense. The size of the maps combined with all the multiplayer people popping in and out of the game could make for some insane laggy moments and general glitchyness. The demo certainly shows those issues I was concerned with going into the game.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It locked on me too after about 8 minutes. From what I got to play I enjoyed it and was happy to see that the handling has improved over previous Test Drive's. It feels a bit like PGR handling wise, but more on the arcadey side as Dan mentioned above.

 

It's definitely on my watch list.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I spent some more time with this one, and I am enjoying it quite a bit more than my first try. The handling: I described it as arcadey initially, but I don't think arcadey is the right word for it. It just feels a little off. I do get the feeling that it might feel much better with a wheel, or that it has been designed with a wheel in mind. Also, apparently there is some kind of handling assist in the demo (there are four levels which you can adjust in the full game but they're stuck on in the demo) Lack of options in demos piss me off!

 

The game's got potential. I can definitely see cruising around with friends as well as the occasional race. Oh, the police AI kinda sucks too...they need to work on that.

 

PS The lockups seem to have gone away too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I agree Dan. This is a title that I've been pretty excited for just because it's pretty damn impressive to have an actual Hawaiin island completely mapped out for racing, both offline and online.

 

I'll probably get it. I'd like to explore that island some more. The illusion of speed seems a bit off as well. I'm really hammering it in the Shelby, and I'm not exactly blowing past the npc traffic. What...some guy in his Chevy Silverado is tooling around doing....95mph????? Riiiiiiiight...

 

But, this is a demo. Hopefully some of this shit will be tweaked since the release date isn't too far away.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I finally gave the demo a try and I agree this game has good potential. I'm not normally into arcade type racing games (MTM & PGR series being the exception), but damn did I have a blast driving around Hawaii. If there's more realistic handling models, sign me up!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Ya know I decided to give this demo some more playtime last night and I really am finding the whole drive anywhere you want approach to be quite addicting. I can only imagine how cool it will be to drive the ENTIRE island instead of the restricted one we get in the demo. That 15 minute timer is a bitch. :) I just really hope they include a more realistic driving model in the final game. That being said even if they go more for the arcade feel I will probably pick this up. There is just something about it that is fun. I am picturing some pretty wicked point to point racing in this game with your buddies. Imagine the shortcuts/different routes one can take when driving for miles across this island. I just hope the game isn't riddled with bugs and asshats who do nothing but run into people on purpose. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Good news for those that may be on the fence about picking up Test Drive Unlimited. Atari just announced a $39.95 price point for the game when it releases here in the states.:tu

 

Atari's Test Drive Unlimited Breaks New Pricing Grounds

 

Company Announces US$39.95 Pricepoint For Next-Generation Triple-A Racing Title

 

Gaming Experience Extends Via Monthly Car and Music Downloads

 

NEW YORK, July 20: Atari, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATAR), one of the world's most recognized brands and a leading third-party video game publisher, today announced official pricing for its upcoming, highly- anticipated next-generation racing game, Test Drive Unlimited. Atari will offer Test Drive Unlimited for Xbox 360TM video game and entertainment system from Microsoft for US$39.95. To further extend consumers' gaming experiences, Test Drive Unlimited car packs featuring six or more cars, complete with genre-specific radio stations, will be available for download monthly, beginning six weeks after launch on Xbox Live Marketplace.

 

"Innovation should be available to everyone, not a privilege for those can afford high price tags," said Bruno Bonnell, Chairman, CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Atari. "Our GamersFirst program demonstrated the positive impact of flexibility in pricing. We believe it is our mission to deliver triple-A games that are accessible to the masses. As such, we are offering Test Drive Unlimited - a game that is being positively touted and recognized by the media - for $39.95, and furthermore, will continue users' experiences past launch by featuring new cars and free music for download."

 

Test Drive Unlimited's monthly car packs will feature a mixture of manufacturers and models of the world's finest vehicles. Each downloaded car pack will also include a free radio station. Radio stations will be set according to genres, such as Rock, Blues, Electronic, R&B, Jazz, Latin, etc., and feature between 10-20 songs.

 

Test Drive Unlimited has been receiving accolades from industry media as one of the top racing games this decade. GameDaily declared, "This is the kind of racing game I live for," while IGN.com stated, "There's no denying Test Drive Unlimited is looking like one of recent memory's most unique racers." TeamXbox described Test Drive Unlimited as a "revolutionary online driver." At this year's E3, the annual video game trade show, Test Drive Unlimited received a slew of E3 nominations and awards, including both PLAY Magazine and GameTrailers.com "Best Racing Game."

 

Packed with 90 vehicles, one thousand plus miles of open roads and a host of online options, Test Drive Unlimited is M.O.O.R.: Massively Open Online Racing - the ultimate online automotive gaming experience for Xbox 360 gamers. Both online and offline gamers will experience the world's most exotic and fastest vehicles on Test Drive Unlimited's diverse Hawaiian roads. Gamers win races, challenges, missions and tournaments to earn credits and purchase new cars, bikes, apparel, homes and garages. Boasting huge online content, racers around the world can challenge others to join them in the virtual paradise of the game's persistent online racing world. Players will engage in online challenges, and build communities by creating or joining exclusive members clubs to talk, trade cars, and race with other like-minded and similarly-skilled drivers in Test Drive Unlimited, one of the most comprehensive online racing experiences to date.

 

This is the kind of pricing scheme that I'd like to see publishers go for if they plan to offer an extensive list of pay to play downloadable content. There are already plans to offer a full range of downloadable content here including car packs and music. That being the case, they have reduced the buy in price for a customer to pick up the game initially which is an intelligent thing to do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a great idea - let my buy the basic game for a reasonable price....

 

It all depends on how "basic" they decide to make the game. Having 90 cars in the game is nice to see. But if they start talking about something like the "suggested" Gran Turismo single car/single track, then buying everything else ala carte, then I'm not interested.

 

Glen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Every year, Atari has a 'bet the farm game' that they put all their marketing muscle behind in the hopes it will be a breakout hit & sell enough to cover the cost of the rest of their flops. This year, TDU is that game. By dropping the price to $40 (instead of the expected $60), they're taking a big financial risk that it will sell enough extra copies combined with users buying enough online content for them to make enough of a profit to cover the reduced revenue per copy sold.

 

Expect Atari to really push these car packs. My guess would be if you want to compete at any sort of high level online, you'll need to pay, for starters.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Expect Atari to really push these car packs. My guess would be if you want to compete at any sort of high level online, you'll need to pay, for starters.

 

Oh, I'm expecting that too. I'm just expecting that I won't want more than one car pack, however.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...