The Xbox 360 seemed like the golden era of racing games with classics such as Dirt 2, PGR 4, Blur, and Forza. Test Drive Unlimited 2 feels like it would fit perfectly well into that bunch yet it still has something unique to offer. Where as many of those other games just lead you from one race to the next TDU2 tries create a more immersive experience. Instead of just being a name you actually have your own avatar and you can explore select locations in first person. This aspect of starting from scratch and slowly building up your reputation and car collection is quite clever. While it may not seem as grand by todays standards this game still has a lot to offer.
You start TDU2 as a mere chauffeur but that doesn't mean you can't dream of more. See you find yourself in the heart of Ibiza, a place known for wild parties and a huge racing scene. In fact Solar Crown, the biggest racing competition of the year, is just about to kick off. You've earned yourself just enough money to buy a used car but before you start burning rubber you'll need to earn a racing license. Do well in those first couple events and you may have enough prize money to upgrade your ride. Of course you'll need a place to park your vehicles and your little house only has space in its garage for two cars. Note your reputation isn't just based on your skills but the kind of property you own and the clothes you wear as well.
Building yourself up to a life of luxury is great and all but you won't have any of it without your ability to win. The physics is TDU2 are comparable to that of PGR of Forza Horizon in the sense that there is balance between realism and arcade influence. The early classes of cars are all rather easy to control but as you start to compete in the top tier races you will need much more finesse. Of course as the title of the game implies you are encourage to test drive each vehicle before spending your hard earned cash. There are different events to compete in including point to point races, lap races, speed traps, and elimination events. As you dethrone the top racers they may personally challenge you and put their own cars at stake.
TDU2 takes places on two huge, open world, islands that take about a half hour to drive from one end to the other with hundreds of different routes to take. There is a fair mix of scenery from the city, to the suburbs, to the woodlands. Some car classes are all about racing on asphalt while others are design for racing off-road. Although TDU2 may not have the graphical fidelity of todays racers I think it holds up quite well and it is still a thrill to see the trees and street lights flash by. What hasn't aged well is the radio stations with their terrible music and annoying ads. I don't believe there are still servers up for online multiplayer but there is easily 40 plus hours of single player content to keep you busy.
While Test Drive Unlimited 2 isn't a perfect package it was still a fun trip back to a golden era of racing games. I didn't finish TDU2 because I found the top tier cars little bit too difficult to handle. While I think I could have toughed it out I'd rather avoid the frustration and invest my time into newer games. I really thought the immersive aspects of obtaining licenses, buying property, and slowing amassing a collection of cars was really clever. I feel like the driving physics are solid and speeding around the islands is quite a thrill. If you enjoyed may of the other great racing games of this era I'm sure you'll like TDU2 but I imagine many people will simply prefer newer racing games with modern visuals.