Test Drive Unlimited 2

  • Thread starter McLaren
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Screw it, I've decided to get the Casino and the other DLCs I've mentioned. After I finish my other games I'm coming back and starting a new game.

I don't mind redoing it all, I remember having a blast the first time. Having the DLC cars will also give me more options for single player career.
 
No the gumpert. Apollo and lotus 11 are only available via the clubs you will have to try and get lucky and join a club that already has the cars cos you ain't gonna get em by race other clubs cos the races are virtually impossible to find :(
 
Are you enjoying the Casino? There is sooo much to do in there it is crazy. Like a side game all by itself that can keep you busy for months. It even has its own objectives and features that are different from the rest of the game.
 
Ive never finished this damn game, because i kept hitting a Bush or going to fast and Flying and flipping in a veyron :(.
 
I don't even know if I am 50% through his game. I know most of everything is finished on Ibiza besides the new free cars and other events they added. I always want to work on the campaign but I end up in the casino or just cruising around with friends.
 
Recently gave this a second chance, after having abandoned it years ago after being disappointed by the graphics and the driving physics (especially with a wheel).

This time I didn’t have any expectations and the game actually held up pretty well, especially after changing the controller settings (DS3 this time).

My biggest issue with the physics now is the poorly modelled clutch. It seems to be an on/off thing, which makes it impossible to set off smoothly. Another issue is that there is no idling, if you let go off the throttle the car just engine brakes until it comes to a stop, which makes parking the car a little wonky.

Other than that I’m okay with the game. The vehicle graphics are decent. The landscape graphics are not pretty and the roads are not that realistic in appearance, but I can live with that. My favourite part so far is the license tests.

My least favourite part is the phone. It has an annoying ringtone, you can’t answer (or hang up!) manually, but have to wait until it’s automatically answered. And it doesn’t seem like you can switch it off when you just want to cruise for a while. Hopefully they’ll stop calling you after you’ve reached a certain progress level...
 
Day two of my revisit of TDU2 and the cockpit view is annoying me like only a badly designed cockpit view can do.

Somebody had the brilliant idea of making the camera “look into the corner” as you turn, and while it sounds good on paper it’s really disorienting in practice. You think you have completed a turn but then the camera swings back and you realise you’re heading straight for the cliff.

Fortunately the bonnet camera is fixed to the car, but it’s a shame because I did enjoy driving from the cockpit view.
 
I still think Test Drive Unlimited 2 could have been much more. Great game as it is, but could have been much better in a number of respects. This is still a game I'd recommend.
 
You had me at "Map will be a little bigger than The Crew" - That is a ridiculous scale. But then again, I am expecting this to be a next-gen title so it shouldn't be too surprising. Looking forward to seeing what comes from this!
 
FT-1
You had me at "Map will be a little bigger than The Crew" - That is a ridiculous scale.
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Have you played No Man's Sky?
The Crew has 5,000 km2
No Man's sky has 31,700,000,000,000,000,000,000 km2

But with it being just slightly bigger than 5,000 km2
It should be a good experience.
 
TJ13
Have you played No Man's Sky?
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No I haven't, wasn't aware such a vast world existed in that game.

That shouldn't detract from what TDU3 is seeking to achieve. KT Racing isn't that big of a studio (at least compared to the likes of Ivory Tower/Ubisoft) and for them to achieve a genre-leading map size is highly commendable.
 
FT-1
No I haven't, wasn't aware such a vast world existed in that game.

That shouldn't detract from what TDU3 is seeking to achieve. KT Racing isn't that big of a studio (at least compared to the likes of Ivory Tower/Ubisoft) and for them to achieve a genre-leading map size is highly commendable.
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Hello games has 25 members (as of 2019)
KT has 100.

Just saying that it's possible to have big map sizes with little studios.

But just have something to fill the empty parts with activities or something to make it worthwhile.
 
That sounds fantastic if true. Brasil strikes me as being beautiful - the Rio track in Forza is superb - and there could be interesting changes of terrain and locales.
 
Not to sound like a broken record or something, but remember the last time I talked about Kylotonn doing this "we bought an old IP because we're banking on old farts remembering that name and buying the game because of that because we certainly don't plan on making anything decent of it" thing? Yeah, that's where I'm standing with this. The name on the box doesn't matter if the game is rubbish. Even EA seems to be on the path of realising this.

With the caveat that this will likely be that sort of game, there's still not really anything too interesting. To start with the map, what I really want to know is how "good" a map it is. Sure, size matters to an extent, but.. ironically, look at Oahu's transition from TDU1 to TDU2. TDU2's version is vastly superior in every single way, and it hasn't inflated to twice the size - it just has so many more areas of interest. Size, on its own, does not make a better map. It only make for a more impressive statistic to put in your announcement so clueless people start flinging money at you. Change my mind.

In terms of the car list, 90 cars (if that happens) sounds like a decent starting point - TDU2 only had 70-something, and you could argue a few of them were duplicates. Depends on the level of detail and things you can do with them, I guess. Again, TDU2 is the gold standard for essentially-pointless things you can do with them, and given that they are branding it as a TDU game and thus validating anyone expecting at least the same amount of useless things, I'm expecting them to add the ability to pop the boot and bonnet while just out and about. Anything less than that will be decidedly disappointing and they'll have shot themselves in the foot - YET AGAIN.

As for it being multiplayer-focused.. that sort of depends on the game selling at all in the first place. So that'll be interesting - doubly so when one considers it apparently being an Epic exclusive and thus limiting their appeal on the PC side of things. Which, I'd argue, is exactly where a TDU game specifically would do best.. wait, have they thought any one part of this through?
 
The problem with this is that TDU's time in the sun has truly passed. The actual spiritual successor in The Crew has iterated on the idea of a wide ranging, open world driving game and added a lot more, even though one can debate the more online trappings of it.

Forza Horizon is king now, and it's going in a direction that makes it very much TDU for a new age. What can TDU3 offer in the market place while being made on a peanuts budget by a studio who's output can be considered average at best? Because a large map isn't a reason to go out and buy a game anymore, unlike in 2007 or 2011. Nor are people going to blindly drop 70 dollars on a game that might not live up to the expectations that the name has set...whatever expectations are left, anyway.

90 cars also isn't a whole lot for an arcade racing game now. I'd be worried about the car list more or less being a greatest hits sort of collection, with nothing truly interesting.
 
Nothing there really moves the needle as it's pretty much all stuff I've seen before in racing games.

Something I would love to see someone try with a car game is what SCS has done with their Truck Simulator games. Both of the games initially released quite awhile ago with small maps but have since grown much larger, especially the European one (not counting mods, of course). If a budget studio can make driving a semi compelling enough to draw rather good player numbers (ETS2 has averaged at least 10k since March 2017), I don't see why one can't do the same with cars. That's not to say I think it would be easy (it would be anything but), but at the same time if they could pull it off they could elevate themselves and put Test Drive back on the map.
 
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Silver Arrows
The problem with this is that TDU's time in the sun has truly passed. The actual spiritual successor in The Crew has iterated on the idea of a wide ranging, open world driving game and added a lot more, even though one can debate the more online trappings of it.

Forza Horizon is king now, and it's going in a direction that makes it very much TDU for a new age. What can TDU3 offer in the market place while being made on a peanuts budget by a studio who's output can be considered average at best? Because a large map isn't a reason to go out and buy a game anymore, unlike in 2007 or 2011. Nor are people going to blindly drop 70 dollars on a game that might not live up to the expectations that the name has set...whatever expectations are left, anyway.

90 cars also isn't a whole lot for an arcade racing game now. I'd be worried about the car list more or less being a greatest hits sort of collection, with nothing truly interesting.
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I don't think TDU's time in the sun has passed. It's a beloved game and I pretty sure there's enough of an audience to warrant it's existence... I enjoyed The Crew for the duration that I played it, but I wouldn't call it a spiritual successor because the focus was different. It wasn't about exploring an exotic location, buying houses and racing supercars around an expansive map. You had more freedom in TDU and I think that's the main sticking point of the game. You could do things your way and progress from a modest, 2 car garage house to a massive 10 car garage house. I would love for it to come back.
 
CLowndes888
It's a beloved game and I pretty sure there's enough of an audience to warrant it's existence...
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That's the thing though. You can't exactly bank on nostalgia, especially when it is for a series who's shelf life, reliably, was only for one game. And as mentioned, there's a whole bevy of games which follow if not in the same mold, then definitely within the same ideals of TDU. What can Bigben and Kylotonn do that can differentiate themselves from the competition, especially when one considers they'll be working under shoe string budgets?
 
Ubisoft or some other big gaming company could have easily bought the test drive licence and reboot it.

Test drive should go back to its test drive 2 the duel days or test drive 5 or 6. They should not bother with another open world racing game. Test drive unlimited days are all but over.

I have to say this test drive unlimited 3 is destined to faul due to its peanuts development not to mention kyoloton is average at best.

Horizon, the crew 2 and even nfs heat have all but passed the 100+ cars. Horizon is like way over the hundreds. Its mentioned that test drive unlimited 3 is constrained by licensing issues.

A 90 car limit would have worked best if they made it like test drive 5 or 6. Or maybe another test drive lemans?
 
Silver Arrows
That's the thing though. You can't exactly bank on nostalgia, especially when it is for a series who's shelf life, reliably, was only for one game. And as mentioned, there's a whole bevy of games which follow if not in the same mold, then definitely within the same ideals of TDU. What can Bigben and Kylotonn do that can differentiate themselves from the competition, especially when one considers they'll be working under shoe string budgets?
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What could they do to differentiate themselves? What do you propose? And do we really know what the developers are working with? How much money is being devoted to the game? I mean, they would have to know the significance of the Test Drive title surely. KT and BigBen have a massive opportunity to prove themselves as game developers. I wouldn't jump to conclusions until we have a working product.
 
For TDU3 to really break out, it'd need a proper developer with proper time & ideas devoted to it. TDU1 was ground-breaking, TDU2 was fine, but definitely had some issues. TDU3 would need something that not only encompassed everything that made the titles great (large map, homes, car variety, dealerships, customization; something that brings a sense of actual lifestyle & ownership), but does it all at the current abilities of this generation. TDU2 is nearly 9 years old, with a whole console generation having passed. #3 would have to deliver the previously mentioned features in a new fashion, homes that really invoke privatization, dealerships that showcase interior, wheels, exterior options in unseen ways, etc. etc. None of this would be all that difficult, but would need proper implementation to avoid any half-baked features after a decade away from the market.

With a wanted timetable of late 2020, I'd need to know how long this has actually been in development to have any sense of hope. Looking at KT Racing/BigBen, I'm guessing WRC is their biggest title. Don't know anything about it, but it looks like a fairly stable title they've stuck with.
 
CLowndes888
What could they do to differentiate themselves? What do you propose?
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That's the thing though. This isn't 2006, or 2011, where the idea is new and exciting, or there can be things that allow for Kylotonn or Bigben to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. Again, we have three games including the proposed TDU3 that more or less do the same thing. One is the direct spiritual successor, the other is a game that does have the budgets, and has the lion's share of the arcade racing market, and is also getting incredibly close to becoming the TDU game people actually wanted without dealing with the strange design choices and decisions. In that case, why would I, or anybody else, buy a game that is one of these games, except a lot cheaper, and the only thing that they have going for it is control of the actual series and trademarks?

CLowndes888
I enjoyed The Crew for the duration that I played it, but I wouldn't call it a spiritual successor because the focus was different.
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It's made by many of the same Eden devs, under a new name. That's what I meant by 'spiritual successor'.

Likwise, McLaren puts what needs to be done by Kylotonn and Bigben in order for TDU3 to succeed. Considering what it coming down the pipe for Forza Horizon 5 especially, which is probably the better comparable, what *can* they do in order to get people interested, especially since they're obviously going to be working under shoe string budgets?

CLowndes888
I wouldn't jump to conclusions until we have a working product.
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The world doesn't work that way, alas. It's pretty obvious, to me at least, that what would be needed to be done by Kylotonn and Bigben in order to make TDU3 a better and more significant game then FH5 is out of their reach. And for that reason, it's hard to be excited.
 
Silver Arrows
That's the thing though. This isn't 2006, or 2011, where the idea is new and exciting, or there can be things that allow for Kylotonn or Bigben to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. Again, we have three games including the proposed TDU3 that more or less do the same thing. One is the direct spiritual successor, the other is a game that does have the budgets, and has the lion's share of the arcade racing market, and is also getting incredibly close to becoming the TDU game people actually wanted without dealing with the strange design choices and decisions. In that case, why would I, or anybody else, buy a game that is one of these games, except a lot cheaper, and the only thing that they have going for it is control of the actual series and trademarks?
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You haven't answered my question. You've just told me why the formula no longer works.
 
CLowndes888
You haven't answered my question. You've just told me why the formula no longer works.
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Which is why he (along with the rest of us) is on the consumer side of the equation.

You don’t need to know how to fix a problem to know it exists.
 
CLowndes888
You haven't answered my question. You've just told me why the formula no longer works.
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There is already enough open world racing games.

Test drive series is better off remaking test drive 5 or 6 or maybe a point to point racer like test drive 2 the duel.

Test drive unlimited 3 is destined to fail lets be honest its time has passed. Kyoloton and Big ben usually make average games at best.

Driveclub is the last game where we had point to point or track based racing in beautiful locations around the world. Perhaps Test Drive series could be revived for this.

Test Drive in the past even had Racecars like the Nissan R390 GT1 and the Toyota Ts020 GT one. Imagine driving a LMP1 or a GT1 car in the streets of Sydney or the Streets of Vienna. How about the Swiss Alps or the Himalayas.
 

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