Test Drive Unlimited 2 goes gold

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 20 January, 2011

Plus: New screenshots.

Eden Games' simulation racer Test Drive Unlimited 2 has gone gold, Atari Europe has announced.

The PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 game will launch on 11th February.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is based on an open world tropical island where rich people live. You'll be one of them. Through what's called M.O.O.R. - Massively Open Online Racing - TDU2 puts players in a persistent online environment, allowing them to team up and share achievements and creations. The game is always live and updates automatically. The new single-player "narrative mode" can be played offline or as part of the multiplayer.

TDU2 boasts realistic vehicles, vehicle damage, weather effects and a day and night cycle. You can customise your vehicles, acquire property, clothing and "all the accoutrements of a luxurious car-based lifestyle'. Ah, what we wouldn't give for a car-based lifestyle.

Oli went hands-on with Test Drive Unlimited 2 in November. "No other racer offers such a romantic, indulgent celebration of the open road,2 he said. "And no other racer has hairdressers, either."

New screenshots are below.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (14) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • Eraysor #1 1 year ago

    How can something be massively open...surely it's either open or it isn't?!

  • neems #2 1 year ago

    "TDU2 boasts realistic vehicles, vehicle damage, weather effects and a day and night cycle." Any news on whether or not it features realistic handling? Reports from the beta tend to suggest that once again we have a driving game with rubbish driving.

  • Haloboy #3 1 year ago

    I've had this on pre-order for a month or two now but after hearing so many negative things concerning the beta I'm petrified to get my hopes up. I loved the first TDU with a passion (even if my friends on bikes would always warp speed engage around me) so I was hoping this would be a much ironed out version. I'm still hoping that's the case. As good as it can be Hot Pursuit just isn't TDU.

  • Harmonica #4 1 year ago

    You've made the mistake of questioning the ineffable wisdom of the Atari marketing department.

    I liked TDU. It was a good game to chill out in, but it didn't have much depth to it.

    I'll be disappointed if this game sticks with the same 'you can only see cars in the near vicinity of your car' schtick, because that ultimately made it feel like any single player game with pseudo-online elements.

  • wizlon #5 1 year ago

    I have a car based lifestyle... it involves me working overtime to get enough money to fix up my POS car that keeps breaking down!

  • SalarymanDaishi #6 1 year ago

    It has been nearly five years since TDU. It wasn't massively open nor did it sport realistic handling, yet it enchanted a small bunch of gamers with its open world and the ability to just leisurely cruise around a huge island with no particular goal whatsoever. Not a single console racer has ever since even been bothered to challenge that wonderfully unique approach. Merely seeing a sequel is a godsend on its own. Realism? Go back to your clinical Forzas and Turismos. Open worlds? Have chaotic fun in Paradise City or Seacrest County. TDU2? Something very much in-between and as such, most welcome!

  • funk_you #7 1 year ago

    wowoot !!

  • Haloboy #8 1 year ago

    I wonder if I ever sat with any of you in that car park next to the light house in the far north west corner? The place where everyone would gather just to rip roar it down that coastal region like motherfucking bat shit insane car crazies racing into hell.

    I bet I did!

  • metalangel #9 1 year ago

    @wizlon: Sell it. Even for a grand, you can get a very good used car nowadays.

    @Haloboy: Yup, I used to meet up with people several times a week for cruises in that very spot.

    As for TDU2, I am extremely concerned. We have one new, tiny island (Ibiza isn't big) fighting for players against the huge island from the previous game. They've recycled the island from the previous game. There's no motorcycles. The half-baked and pointless 'lifestyle' thing is being pushed even harder. Beta players report the car physics are still shoddy.

    It doesn't sound at all like a game that has been in the works for five years, that is the sequel to *the* game that convinced me to buy a 360 in the first place.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #10 1 year ago

    I so want this to be good. I would have pre-ordered it a long time ago because I loved the first one but I am a bit afraid that there won't be enough substance to the sequel. I don't know why that is but I'll wait for some reviews.

  • BillMurray #11 1 year ago

    @metal angel

    Bikes are apparently DLC not long after launch, which is when ill be buying it.

  • aphexstwin #12 1 year ago

    regardless of the handling woes of beta testers, tdu doesnt set out to be a sim, but its still the most realistic 'driving' game there is and tdu 2 will be no different. roll on 11/2!

    ps, i used to just drag in honolulu, near the fire station and nissan dealer, never once saw anyone at the n/w lighthouse except on pc

  • metalangel #13 1 year ago

    Dragging at Waikiki was great, apart from all the screaming elmos in Saleen S7s ramming into you and squeaking demanding you race them.
    Edited by metalangel at 21/01/11 @ 12:02

  • SalarymanDaishi #14 1 year ago

    Ah, good old Saleen S7 - the fastest and skiddiest car in TDU. Only driven by power-insatiated newbies (majority) or winning-obsessed veterans (minority) which actually made it easy to ignore any race involving one in the first place. In general, the key to civilized, enjoyable, no-grief fun was to stick with E-B class races only.

    As for Waikiki drag, there was that one downtown stint in the south coast that used to be more popular in TDU's early days. Equally short but since it sported two corners, there was morbid fun to be had in witnessing many straight-out boosters not being able to make it through even the first one :)

    There will be time when TDU2, too, is going to be all about its fastest car, its easiest track, and preciously little else but at least we get a few months to enjoy a thriving world full of car aficionados before that happens. Looking forward to that, day one!