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MOOR Racing Action
Product: Test Drive Unlimited
Company: Atari
Date: 05/12/2006
Avaliable On:

Test Drive Unlimited is a completely new spin on driving games. So much so that developer Eden Studios has taken to referring to the game as a Massively Multiplayer Online Racing Game, or MOOR. So just what should you expect?

The demo kicks off on the island of Oahu and takes an open-world approach similar to Need for Speed: Most Wanted. As you drive around the island you’ll be able to challenge other players to races. You begin by creating your in-game persona, which includes how your character will look as well as your starting car. Only a few cars are available in the demo, the Shelby GT 500, Lamborghini Spyder and Lotus Exige 240R. In addition to selecting a paint job, you can also tool around with the gear ratios and other aspects as you delve deeper into the game.

From here you can hit the streets and see what’s going on around town. As you cruise the streets you’ll notice other cars cruising around town. Some cars have names above then, which indicates that the car belongs to another player who you can challenge to a short free-roaming race or take on more formalized check point race. Of course, there’s something to be said about cruising around town and trying to pick up a police escort. If you’d rather jump right into a race, a fast travel option is available as well.

As far as visuals and general racing mechanics go, both are on par with other racing games. Cars look as nice as they handle, so it is hard to see how anyone could not be happy with either at this point in time.

For a more hands on look at Test Drive Unlimited, a free demo has been released in the Live Marketplace.

Starscream aka Ricky Tucker

GameVortex PSIllustrated TeamPS2