With big names like Gran Turismo and Need For Speed in the market, Test Drive just doesn't have a chance.
(-) computer opponents range from completely brain dead to super genius; slippery and unpredictable controls; graphics aren't much to look at; disastrous physics assume a tree is more powerful than a telephone pole or large car
In the story of Test Drive, called the Underground Mode, you are Dennis Black and your employer has sent you to race in the illegal Underground racing for pink slips. He basically needs you to compete in his place as he recovers from a recent crash in a race.
The game itself is a pretty awkward toss up between racing simulation and arcade racing, though it's a little more arcadey. There are linear races, drag races, and navigation challenges. The tracks are pretty long and they are littered with incoming traffic and ramps. You have a modest selection of licensed cars to choose from.
Something about this game that I thought was pretty unique was the loading screen. Instead of staring at a single picture and waiting for the game to load, they give you the opportunity to play a little pong match. I thought this was a pretty good idea, it certainly beats sitting there doing nothing, but this is one of the only two good points I found about this game. That right there says something.
The controls are pretty slippery and sometimes even delayed a bit. Not quite as bad as Tokyo Xtreme Racer Drift 2 on the PS2, but still pretty bad. The sense of speed can be really overcoming at times and the sensitivity with the controls just do not allow you to take turns sharp and fast enough to pull off the trick. The controls for the drag race are even worse, because the game gives you no direct explanations on what buttons to use and you must chance it until your magical try gives you the win. My first drag race I assumed hold the X button, I was astonished when my enemy whizzed on by and my car stood there motionless.
The graphics are pretty shabby as well. They look kinda like a mid generation PS1 title if it was polished a bit. For the most part the game's visuals look serviceable, especially sense the feel of speed can be immense at times if the incoming traffic permits, but if you've seen Gran Turismo 3 then it's doubtful you'll be impressed. Same goes with the rest of the game, damn it.
The artificial intelligence of the other racers have two different presets. One is completely stupid and brain dread, I've seen racers just run point blank into walls and other cars when they had more than enough time to swing the other way. This can be comical to watch, and really does save the game from monotony. But at other times the computer opponents can be extremely cheap, somehow trailing ahead of you just near the finish line when you were almost positive that you were about to win. They also have a tendency of ramming into you or knocking you off of the track.
The track design is mostly okay, the races have a good length to them usually and they have some personality. You'll be driving through San Fransisco, Monte Carlo, Tokyo, and London. But something I've noticed while I was running through the levels was a Need For Speed influence on the tracks. Your designated track is separated by a wall of arrows. Now what was stupid about this, usually on Need For Speed the walls of arrows actually prevent you from going to the suspended area. On Test Drive, they are completely transparent, which means you can drive right through them. But if you do, you'll be disqualified and forced to restart the race! What?
And perhaps my worst complaint of all is this game's laughable but heartbreaking physics. Save the humor that could come out of watching a dubious computer racer run point blank into an incoming car. But some of these cars actually fly about in the air and do cart wheels? This would seem like another Need For Speed influence, because one of my favorite past times on my Nintendo Wii was running into cars and flipping them around and about on Need For Speed Undercover. But a major difference here is running into any incoming car actually stops your car dead in it's tracks. In Need For Speed, it only slows you down. But forget about that, here's my greatest concern. Your car can flip other cars around the track, it can knock down telephone poles, mail boxes and fire hydrants. But if you try and run into a tree, BANG! Your car is dead still and the tree is unharmed? What the hell? Seriously, i'm pretty sure this Cobra I'm driving would obliterate this tree! Whatever, I guess the in-game public service announcement not to do any of these stunts in real life is a good idea, because clearly the game is fictitious and we would know that by common knowledge.
My final words on this game, you'd have to be pretty forgiving to overlook all the problems with Test Drive to appreciate the arcade racing action that it offers. But good luck, because you'll deal with stupid or cheap AI opponents, clumsy controls, bland visuals, and busted physics. Really? A tree? Test Drive isn't entirely a bad game, it's a very mediocre one. But it has no chance with the competition that it was possibly derived from, such as Need for Speed and Gran Turismo. If you've played any of those games, then this one will be that much harder to recommend.