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[DarienA]

Well I might actually have to set my wireless gaming bridge thingie... if I can remember where I stuffed it... this looks like a train wreck in the making considering I don't think I've seen hide nor hair of a PS2 screenshot for this puppy.....

 

[Kleegamefan]

 

[DarienA]

Yeah just noticed I got the email about 40 min ago:

Hi everyone,
It is with great pleasure that Atari and Melbourne House announce the commencement of the Test Drive Unlimited beta test! Congratulations are in order as you have been selected from our beta test pool to participate. We know it’s been a while since sign-ups initially started and we apologize for the delay. We’ve got all the kinks worked out and are ready for you all to dive head first into Test Drive Unlimited!

Getting the build:
Be on the lookout because you should be receiving your discs soon in your mailboxes. We have included a quick start guide with some helpful information to get you started.

According to the forum for the beta they mailed the discs out today via priority so should have it by the end of the week... maybe I'll have found my wireless gaming crap bridge wireless thingiemajigerbob by then.

 

[Ranger X]

Be sure to gimme impressions.
I don't mind the downgrade in graphics if the game can hold up the framerate and having decent online features.

 

[Speevy]

The Xbox 360 game seems like a trainwreck to me.

 

[DarienA]

The Xbox 360 game seems like a trainwreck to me.

The X360 versions XBL demo has gotten mixed reviews from what I saw of the thread with mostly positives... I expect the PS2 version to have framerate, pop-up and draw-in problems galore.

 

[Infernal Monkey]

The X360 versions XBL demo has gotten mixed reviews from what I saw of the thread with mostly positives... I expect the PS2 version to have framerate, pop-up and draw-in problems galore.

I don't. It's Melbourne House we're talking about here, their Transformers game is one of the greatest looking games on the PS2. =o

 

[DarienA]

I don't. It's Melbourne House we're talking about here, their Transformers game is one of the greatest looking games on the PS2. =o

Melbourne House is doing it? TD Lemans was a great game even on the PS2... hmmm faith a bit stronger in this being a good product. I've also heard good things about that Transformers game, I'm gonna have to check it out one of these days.

 

[DarienA]

I'm the only GAF member in this Beta? I find that hard to believe... come on I need someone else I know to laugh along with me!

 

[Nick Laslett]

I basically missed the fact that Melbourne House were developing the PS2 port of Test Drive Unlimited.

I'm a bit of a fan of Melbourne House as they developed not only Transformers and Grand Prix Challenge, but also Le Mans 24hrs on the Dreamcast.

Any news of the beta test?

 

[Blimblim]

TDU will be Melbourne House's last game IIRC

 

[Guns N' Poops]

TDU will be Melbourne House's last game IIRC

For Atari, right? Atari sells all it's internal studios.

 

[open_mouth_]

The Xbox 360 game seems like a trainwreck to me.

It's actually getting some pretty good reviews
though including a few 8+ that haven't been logged yet.

 

[ram]

TDU will be Melbourne House's last game IIRC

wow, really?

 

[gtmax]

If Melbourne House is building it, i'm buying it. They're one of the most underrated devs in terms of pushing hardware.

Transformers game was amazing. Great graphics and 60fps.

TidalWave for life!

 

[Ranger X]

I basically missed the fact that Melbourne House were developing the PS2 port of Test Drive Unlimited.

I'm a bit of a fan of Melbourne House as they developed not only Transformers and Grand Prix Challenge, but also Le Mans 24hrs on the Dreamcast.

Any news of the beta test?

OH SHIIIIIT. This game really was showing. I hope they can make Test drive run good on PS2.

DARIEN!? we need impressions.

 

[dak1dsk1]

Don't tell me you are beta testing their product for free?

 

[Gek54]

I am on the PS2 beta too and the game is TOTAL GARBAGE. The very first midnight club on PS2 is ten times better than what this beta is showing off. Horrible horrible graphics, frame rate and pop up, feels more like a GBA game than anything. There is nothing fun about the driving model.

 

[DarienA]

I am on the PS2 beta too and the game is TOTAL GARBAGE. The very first midnight club on PS2 is ten times better than what this beta is showing off. Horrible horrible graphics, frame rate and pop up, feels more like a GBA game than anything. There is nothing fun about the driving model.

I've posted impressions in various threads you nuts! Anyway graphically the game is very average, it's not that it looks bad.. it just looks... bland... the color scheme itself is very bland. There's some pop up, but the car models look good... what turned me off about the game is how "dead" the world is... sure you've got some traffic, and you've got this whole island to drive around... but something about it just feels dead. Lots of road to drive on... and offroad too for that matter. It really is huge, and you get a sense of that when you jump on one of the highways and drive from one side of the island to another. Unfortunately I have no idea what the police are going to be like because they were horribly broken in the AI... you'd be pulled over while in the lead doing 120+... uh.. wtf.... The driving model leans more towards realistic than arcadey, and I couldn't get a sense of many of the community functions, because they weren't active in the beta. Basically there was really nothing in the game that appealed to me.

In the end I guess if you want to collect cars, collect houses, hook up at drive ins and race folks online you'll probably like TDU.

t this point I'm wondering what the offline/single player portion of the game will consist of... or if there will even be an offline/single player portion.

 

[Nick Laslett]

I guess with Atari selling Melbourne House and this being a port, the omens indicate that no tender loving care will be lavished on this title. That's a real shame, because it could have been an interesting title on the PS2 with online being free and everything.

 

[rs7k]

I decided to give the Test Drive 360 demo a boot, and it's surprisingly awesome. I'm pretty new to arcadey racers (the only racing console game I've played in the past 3 years is GT3/GT4) though, but does anyone else agree the engine sound is quite realistic, as is the sense of speed? The controls could be better, but they're definitely above average. I may have to purchase this game.