Atari unveils Test Drive Unlimited 2

By Robert Purchese Published 3 March, 2010

No longer exclusive to Xbox 360.

Atari (Namco Bandai Partners in Europe) has unveiled Test Drive Unlimited 2.

Eden Studios is at the wheel again and steering the game onto PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The first game was exclusive to Xbox 360.

There's no mention of a date.

The key feature this time will be a merged online and offline world, described in the press release as "always live". This persistent and brand new open-world island space will be inhabited by your Test Drive Unlimited 2 persona, which can not only race, but buy properties, clothing and all the other trimmings that go hand-in-hand with a supercar lifestyle.

Among the other features promised are vehicle damage, weather effects and day-night cycles.

But all this waffle is useless without pictures, so zoom over to our Test Drive Unlimited 2 gallery for the first batch.

Once you've settled, catch-up with our Test Drive Unlimited review.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (36) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Zomoniac #1 2 years ago

    Huzzah! The first one didn't get enough love, awesome game.

  • Syrok #2 2 years ago

    \o/

  • lunnytoon #3 2 years ago

    "The first game was exclusive to Xbox 360."

    No it was'nt, it was on PSP, PS2, PC and X360

    Anyway really pleased to hear this, i loved the 1st game and even if this is only equally as good i will be happy.

    Looking at those pictures, they look like the game is set on the same island, i hope not.

  • winter #4 2 years ago

    exclusive to the 360?

    wasn't this also available on PSP & PS2?

    good news though... loved the first one, just hope they tweak the
    handling a bit though, you never quite felt in full control of whatever
    beast you were driving!

  • mattyboosh #5 2 years ago

    Excellent news - this was a vastly underrated game when it was released and was a massive effort in terms of an MMO Racer. The original game still is as popular as ever online and my copy still gets used.

    Oh and it certainly wasn't an XBox exclusive as previously stated.

  • markypants #6 2 years ago

    I'm really excited about this. I think TDU started to move the genre in the right direction and then nobody seemed to carry on where they left off. Instead the car games have seemed to move towards the more arcade end of the market (Blur/Split second). The open world elements worked well in surprising ways, with people not only racing, but exploring, going on road trips etc. It was a fantastic first game in a series. There is so much that needs fixing though as the physics were pretty iffy and compared to other driving games, just didn't compete in the long run.

    Can't wait to give this game my support.
    Edited by 1 at 03/03/10 @ 08:31

  • dingo75 #7 2 years ago

    Must have been on a good trip when I "played" Test Drive Unlimited on my PC a while ago!
    The trip gets even better: I "see" a steel-case box of it in a rack close to my PC.
    Wow good stuff! ;)

  • Grump #8 2 years ago

    Looking forward to this. The first game was massively underrated. I found that the community wasn't large enough to make the most of the persistent online features. A lot of the races were empty which meant having to drive around the (bloody massive) island for ages to find one of the few more popular ones.

  • booner #9 2 years ago

    This last game was undedrated and pretty good. Although, LAG caused many problems and the open world which people would appear and disappear from was annoying. Handling was a bit dodgy too.

    Great fun though, roll on TD2

  • PlugMonkey #10 2 years ago

    Loved the first one. If they can smooth out the road surface, get rid of the lousy police chases and stop the satnav from going "Turn left...now!" when I'm doing in excess of 200 mph and CAN'T REALLY TURN RIGHT THIS PARTICULAR SECOND YOU STUPID COW then they're onto a winner.

  • Widge #11 2 years ago

    Oh looking forward to this, hope its good. I like the idea of accumulating a garage and just busting around an island populated by other online fellows.

  • Nylz #12 2 years ago

    Very good news.

  • wobbly_Bob #13 2 years ago

    ... i just creamed my pants! Great news¦ Can't wait¦

  • miiiguel #14 2 years ago

    360 exclusive?! It actually came out on every platform. PS3 wasn't available at the time.

  • Viktor #15 2 years ago

    Set in Ibiza if NeoGAF detectives are right.

  • M4RKYB #16 2 years ago

    Great news. No online racer since has given me the same buzz as driving around in dashboard view with my own tunes on the car stereo and then seeing a car appear in my rear-view mirror and then embarking on an epic battle of cat and mouse around that island with a complete stranger. I was new to Xbox Live at the the time and it blew me away. Sure it had some bad screen-tear and the handling model was a bit ropey but you easily looked beyond that for the sheer fun it gave.

  • LiveForever #17 2 years ago

    Good News. The Pics however dont look that much different from the first.

  • Jimster71 #18 2 years ago

    I loved the first TDU until they broke the handling trying to support the MS steering wheel. Online was pretty seamless in the first game, so not sure how they can bill it as a new feature. It was great fun to blast around Hawaii with your friends and using a lambourghini as a ramp to launch your motorbike into the air.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #19 2 years ago

    Didn't play the first one online that much but spent ages just driving around and doing the missions. What a fantastic game that was - especially because I kept playing and playing even though it was clearly flawed; Still, it just didn't get boring and this is why I adore this game even more.

  • Beano #20 2 years ago

    Great news!

    Loved the first one for 360 - flawed but entertaining online.

  • Boomerang #21 2 years ago

    First one was a pretty game, and the car selection was a bit of a wet dream for car nuts, but the handling was floaty and toilet. I'm no expert, but i'm pretty sure cars are quite heavy. They didn't feel like a ton and a half of metal at all.

  • PearOfAnguish #22 2 years ago

    Yeah, the handling was horrible, always put me off enjoying the game fully. Brilliant concept though so this is good news.

  • DrDamn #23 2 years ago

    It would be nice if Europeans don't fund a budget release in the US this time.

  • OnlyMe #24 2 years ago

    Yay!

  • metalangel #25 2 years ago

    Ibiza? Meh. Mallorca for the win!

    First game was excellent. While most car games just worry about driving, this was giving you the experience of actually owning a supercar IRL. Where you decide if you'd like a convertible or hardtop. Where you get to push it to the limit on real roads, not a closed circuit.

    Lots of things need tweaking (finding your friends in free roam, the race screen interface, the annoying NPCs) but nothing was really broken!

    Can't wait.

  • secombe #26 2 years ago

    Set in Ibiza if NeoGAF detectives are right.

    That would be fantastic, we go to Portinatx every year, the C-733 loop up there is a fantastic hidden gem of a road, rarely busy but as twisty and smooth as you could ever want a road.

  • Anthony_UK #27 2 years ago

    Set in Ibiza? Get in!!!

    The first one, was ahead of it's time really, especially on consoles. If they can learn from the original, and make the handling more 'gotham' this could be truely amazing!

  • Darren #28 2 years ago

    The first Test Drive Unlimited came out on the PSP, PS2 and PC so it was hardly exclusive to the 360. EG shouldn't really be making these silly mistakes... tut!

  • mkreku #29 2 years ago

    I picked this up from the bargain bin for the PC and I was surprised at how good it was. I actually managed to get gold on all races.. except one: Thanatos, I think was its name. CURSE YOU, MAYBE-THANATOS!

    Anyhow, I'll be on this like Oprah on cake.

  • Quak #30 2 years ago

    "The first game was exclusive to Xbox 360."

    Does anyone at EG actually do any research? Is there anyone there that actually knows their stuff?

    The game was on 360, PC, PS2 and PSP. I have it on two platforms myself.

  • the_mtfr #31 2 years ago

    I just reinstalled this yesterday. On my PC!!! So either EG is smoking or I am.

    Anyway TDU was a huge, detailed and fantastic game, can't wait for the sequel. Might be the thing that makes me upgrade the video card.

  • the_mtfr #32 2 years ago

    @mkreku, "I'll be on this like Oprah on cake."

    I wet my pants laughing at this for a while.

  • Xeopuppy #33 2 years ago

    Awesome, I had it on the PC, upset it didn't support 360 controller, hopefully this time it will...

  • aphexstwin #34 2 years ago

    ABOUT

    FUCKING

    TIME

    i loved the first, was gutted it never came to the ps3, so i could drive with proper 900 degree steering support.

    i hope for more little cars tbh, more my kind of driving, my favourite car was the db9. any faster just got worse on handling, the s7 was a fucking pit to drive with the ms wheel.

  • yagisencho #35 2 years ago

    The ultimate experience for me while playing TDU was earning the 'Island Tour' achievement. It took me ~45 minutes to complete the circuit in an A-class car. It's among my ten favorite gaming moments.

    So...yes, interested in the sequel. =)

  • earobus #36 2 years ago

    What crap reading. Good game loved the first one, the only thing to take from this is that they have anounced a new one. Have word will you!