What made TDU more than just another racing game | A retrospective look at Test Drive Unlimited 

"Your itinerary is being recalculated" The best feeling I ever had in this game was grinding to buy my very own V8 Vantage, then I set a waypoint to a house I bought in the hill and simply drove the long way home. It was such an event for me

I met my first Xbox live friends on this game, and I meet them at goodwood festival of speed every single year it has been on and have done since 2007. We formed lifelong friendship cruising around on this game. One of the best games I’ve ever played

There's something about TDU 1 that always pulls me back to it . The atmosphere,the cars, the challenges the multiplayer, the soundtrack, the showrooms, the bikes, the garages and so on... No other game can replicate this even TDU 2 which felt a bit lackluster... Hoping Kylotonn doesn't screw up solar crown.

I think the biggest thing TDU got right is the feeling actually buying and owning a car. You select the paint and wheels from the Manufacturer options and drive it home and it's yours. New games throw cars at you but TDU is all about slowly accumulating a dream set of vehicles.

The soundtrack to TDU PS2 shaped my love for Techno, House, Trance, Drum n Bass… so much good electronic music in this game.

Speaking of details, I remember in my first 5 minutes being super excited, to the point of opening my bedroom window and yelling to my dad in pure excitement 'YOU CAN PUT YOUR WINDOWS DOWN IN THIS GAME!!!' Such a small, but fantastic detail to me.

What an amazing video. I played the PS2 and the 360 versions and I understand the feelings that you explain. Also I love the description of the surprise that we had when we discovered the Racing Modification of GT2 and at the other side the pure idea of the car of this game and Driveclub. I am really proud following this channel since the GT6 days and this video it's an assurance of that sensation. Sorry for my horrendous english, I am from Barcelona. But I love a world where people so far we feel so close for things like that.

Had this game on pc back in the day. Put countless hours into it. What a gem it was. Recently reinstalled it and have been playing through it. Great content as always

I really liked the "races" where you needed to deliver a car intact. They were so nerve racking, you had no timer (if I recall) so the challenge was entirely up to you and how fast you wanted to drive. Yes, this game was special. As much as I loved the PGR (and MSR) and Forza Motorsport, none of them ever brought back that "TDU feeling". I still have my 360... Always feared to be disappointed if I were to buy it again...

TDU was the most positive surprise I ever had specially because there were no real reviews at the time (no spoilers) which added to the experience

i remember when i was about 7yo and my dad bought me psp and a few games, i didnt know english well, so i left this game on the bookshelf. one day I reached for it, and to this day I have beautiful sunsets in my head while driving the yellow Saturn Sky Roadster.

I wholeheartedly agree with pretty much everything you said, although I could add some small details which made TDU legendary for me. The fact that I could roll down the windows and it made a difference soundwise, the car mileage that reminded me with each look why I loved a certain car and made me think of it as an old friend, the subtle sense of progression with no nonsense like 1000 flashy colors telling me how much of a badass I am, the fact that I had to work for my cars, unlike Forza, the fact that buying houses really made a difference and couldn t really progress without garage spaces, the fact that you could spend time inside the house (pretty limited ik) which looked different and the garage too. I remember everything like yesterday.. the MC12, the S7, the Spyker and the MV Augusta F4. Dang. Also I too am excited and worried about Solar Crown. Let us hope for the best! I found myself in your video so much! My 14 year old self subscribed!

Well said ! Yeah, TDU really excels at many things on its genre ! Just from the hand-selected map itself, you can tell how much the developers really care about the driving ! O'ahu really is a perfect choice and a great introduction to the series ! Well urbanized regions, gorgeous sceneries even the roads are fun to drive on it and yeah I love how suitably rewarded the races are and also speaking about the races, I like how balanced it is with the class restrictions so you are encouraged more to try out different cars/tuning and even the AI doesn't seem to be rubberbanding on both titles ! About the cars, yup you definitely nailed it on your head ! It really feels like I own the car and it doesn't feel really grindy to own it ! Buy/test it out from dealers, view/open working windows and doors in house, you can even turn on headlights and activate turn signals/convertible button in TDU2 ! Car list is also kept fresh, there is always that one concept car or the car that is only available in the game ! I enjoy setting goals for these cars and I'm hardly bored racing around the whole island for it ! And man the tuning, the fact that the cars still feel likes its original self yet highly improved just with such simple 1,2,3 stage upgrades, I really hope TDUSC keeps it this way ! I do expect for conversions as well with the likes of AMG, RTR, Nismo, etc. but this time plus TDUSC heading a little more with the street racing direction, I would like to see special kits from Alpina, Brabus, RIEGER, TechArt in the game for both Streets & Sharps, maybe subtle ones too like Novitec for example Oh, and another thing I would like to add is that TDU is really trying to be the best of the best an open world online racing game would ever be ! In depth character customization from physical appearance to purchasable clothes/accessories via discovered stores, owning big houses/mansions, join clubs, hitting the casino in the 2nd game, taking pictures with proper filters/blurs, it's such a huge playground to toy with and not to mention the music really kicks in on both titles and pretty diversely selected too for the ride! I truly think TDU is the GTA of racing games. Great sandbox, great quality, and seriously without TDU, Forza or The Crew wouldn't have existed to this day, truly the Godfather of Open World Racing Games !

It was games like TDU2 and Midnight Club 3 that made me jive with the idea of creating my own game because of the aspect of automotive fantasia. But I got invested in a competition that brought out the uniqueness of each car, and how eventually, each car had a hidden feature or edition that you could either unlock through an even grind or a challenge. Just so you could understand each model and their purpose or formula of creation. That's what makes me forever idolize cars like the Pagani Zonda Cinque, Porsche Carrera GT, Volkswagen W12, Ford GT90, Lancia Stratos HF, Chrysler ME412, et cetera. Hell, Ridge Racer 6 and 7 inspired that nuance I hardly found other than TDU, NFSU2, and Gran Turismo.

Man, I remember playing this game for the first time on PS2, and I was blown away not only by the graphics, but the sheer amount of detail put into each vehicle. You could tell each car was made with love. One thing I liked a lot in this game, was that you could drive to the dealerships, select the cars, see all the OEM colors, wheels and interiors that you could choose from. Each vehicle you acquired felt unique because of that. But I didn't play for long, after sometime I got back to Gran Turismo and NFS games. A few years ago though, I rediscovered this gem, now on PC, and I was blown away yet again. Now I had a wheel to play with, and to my surprise, it worked perfectly from the get go. Just map the buttons and go. Force feedback is decent for a 2006 game, but the one thing that really impressed me, is that the manual cars actually have a working clutch. Yep, you slowly release the clutch pedal, the car will start creeping forwards. Let go of it all at once, and the car stalls. I haven't seen any other game to this day that does the clutch pedal this good, not even full blown sims. And in TDU your controls would automatically switch between paddle shifting and stick shifter with clutch, depending on the car you're driving. There are racing games being released today that doesn't have that functionality. Absolutely impressive for a arcade game from 2006. Riding motorcycles with a wheel felt awkward though, lol.

Tdu and gran turismo were my childhood. Forza, then as now, felt like a more sterile experience, less passionate about cars, more about competing with the big dogs

Oh yeah Driver San Francisco! Please make more videos of older games too, they are always fun to watch.

I picked up another copy of TDU1 just to have a CIB copy for 360. Love that this game gets the absolute praise it deserves!

Ah I agree with everything you said about TDU, you really managed to put into words just how extremely special this game is to so many people, myself included, who grew up with it. I'm currently replaying it with the TDU Platinum mod and it's the same charming excellent game but with hundreds more cars and updated graphics+physics, truly phenomenal. The only thing I disagree with are your comments on TDU2 as I personally loved it as much as 1 despite the bad driving physics, Ibiza was amazing to me. But of course we all have our own opinions. Fantastic video in any case.

Have you tried TDU Platinum, it’s basically the same game but with over 800 cars, gives it a modern touch. But a great game with or without the pack.

I have the same feeling for TDU 2. Played both for dozens of hours, but the 2nd is by far the one I enjoy the most.

I played it on PS2 at the time but I don't know about it by car I gave it to someone and growing up I got interested in cars I played hundreds of car games and I must say that over time I got interested in this game and I really regretted giving it..... it's now 17 year later that I redownloaded this game for 1 week and damn it I weigh my words it's the best car game I've played I feel like reviving my automobile culture that I have acquired during all these years without playing this masterpiece

The Crew and The Crew 2 feel like the perfect template to build a great cruising and driving game. It's such a shame that the actual "game" part of it is not that great, and actually prevents enjoyment of cruising and driving.

TDU is the greatest racing game ever made. The sheer driving pleasure the game gives you on a twisty hawaiian road in a ferrari 575 is something to behold. It's exhilarating and soothing at the same time

I could almost 100% agree with you on the feelings about TDU vs TDU 2. More cars and car types were cool but if I got to choose only one thing from the 2nd game to carry over to the first then it would be the smoothed out road surfaces. I found TDU way back when I was a dumb little middle school kid who liked Saleen Mustangs. This was one of the few games at the time that had the S281 so I got it and the rest is history. I think to this day it is my single favourite driving game. And as you also pointed out, it is funny how they managed to get it so right. Money and cars didn't flood in like in Forza Horizon so you still had to work for them to make them feel special, but at the same time it was never a grind either. If I really wanted something, I could get it in a reasonable time frame.

Being someone who had completely missed this series growing up I am incredibly disappointed I never did give these games a chance now. The biggest thing that sounds amazing to me is the unique way they handled the car upgrades. I would be floored with the ability to upgrade vehicles by getting the chance to take them to the famous tuners of the world and have full conversions. A game where you could buy all the usual suspects and then have the likes of Callaway, Roush, Saleen, Spoon, Mines, Alpina, RWB, Liberty Walk, etc. would have me throwning money at my screen so fast it would break the sound barrier. I just recently picked up Forza Horizon 1 and I may need to find a way to get the TDUs now.

TDU is by far my favorite racing game of all time. Car and motorcycles vast open world that is incomparable to any other open world game just the sheer size of the game the different races. Ugh it is too perfect for me as I was 16 when it came out and I spent just far too many hours literally just driving around the island

I've just discovered your channel, thanks to TDU. I feel as being in the same boat, having discovered TDU at similar time and age. First of all, beautifully put points. I like how many people share the same love for that game. Just like for yourself, TDU is very special on a personal level and seeing the streets of Honolulu, having not played it for a while, reminds me of that. On top of your points, I think I can add some that are important for me. The freedom. I reckon this is also the reason for the love-hate relationship that you mentioned, since I know not all player like it. But I do. You get parachuted in Hawaii, get a car and then do whatever. You don't even need to race. Get your first car and drive a thousand miles and see the island. Game doesn't punish you and just let's you do anything. That leads to another point, that the scenery is good, the island is vast for a game I tend to savour the moments when driving. That is it about driving in TDU, it's not a job, it's a pleasure. Whole game is like going on a massive Grand Tour (or even almost like a Gumball). Then the vehicles, as you mentioned, feel unique as well. I can elaborate on that. It's not only driving or interactions that you mentioned, but the whole experience of ownership. Remember the first time you get the money and drive to a modern dealership for a car you want. Like a Ferrari or Maserati. Then you get to actually spec your car and drive off the dealer for the first time. Odometer is clocking zero, which is another important detail. It's not just any Ford GT, it's yours and you see the hundreds of miles being clocked on it. That car is not the same anymore as the brand new identical one. Of course, more games had elements of this but none ever before or since have captured the harmony of the relationship between freedom, landscapes and cars in one place the same as TDU. I think even TDU2 failed to do that, falling into a trap of too many gimmicks. Anyway, thanks for keeping TDU alive, I might need to play it again now.

HSG. I can't think of another RU-vidr who puts so much honest love into their work And so consistently for so many years. Please never stop, the channel itself for me is like a nostalgic game you are revewing. Big ups !

I agree that Crew and Crew 2 reach the similar pattern as TDU and TDU 2. I hope Gold Crown will not lose focus on the genre that the original TDU had. Thats where alot of Game Dev’s downfall is to relate and compete with other genres unrelated to the originality of the design. We will have to see what they have to offer when they are ready to show us. Not a fan of it reciting in Tokyo though IMO.

Maybe latest game has better graphics, modern cars, better sound and x4 amounts of cars. But back then, we didn't have to play annoying PvP to gain "exclusive car", we didn't have to interfere other players, we didn't have to care getting banned for absolutely nothing and most importantly, when developers respected cars and brands instead of using (you could say abusing) cars and brands a material to sell their game. (just note, I have nothing against Multiplayer. I'm just saying insists to play MP for someone who prefer solo by using "exclusive cars" a hostage is wrong). I still miss racing game of this era... Much simple time and I much prefer. Thanks for your video.

I'm still playing and adding cars to this game on pc, using a PS4 controller (sixaxis) as handlebar (best for bikes) and as a steering wheel (when I can't take my T300RS with me) it's awesome for me.

About the Millionaire's Challenge, the content is simple but the race just not as boring, mundane, grindy as it seems, especially when that million means a lot in TDU1 world and that 40 minutes race is a thrill ride and not quite time consuming for us even in today

Great video! Personally, i grew up with TDU 2 which i prefer - it really depends with what game you grow up with, i played TDU 1 too but only for a few hours with the platinum mod. It just didn't get me hooked, probably because i didn't play through the story and just cheated my money to play with my friends online. I love TDU 2 so much because even tho it has a different vibe to the first one, it's just as special just in another way imo. Yes, it was more based on races however the progression system was really good as i still get a satisfying feeling after finally completing that one race that would buy me a Ferrari. The dealers especially, nothing like the animation where you get handed the keys of your car. The upgrade system wasn't as nice with the hidden vehicles tho. What made this game great however was that it didn't stop when you've completed the story, because once you've done that there was the community racing center, which was amazing, and the Casino with it's own seperate island. The Casino is probably one of the best things in TDU 2, it really was it's own world with a seperate leveling system, VIP rooms, bars and minigames. The animation when you win the Audi R8 Spyder is soo cool. Plus the ability to customize your look (clothes, face, hair) really enhanced the whole vibe. It just felt much more like a game where you start as a valet in a campervan, to a rich guy who can own a Yacht and hang out at the casino with friends. I still play TDU 2 today, thanks to AlexVII who re-awakened my love for this game. And the best thing is that we might soon be able to experience the whole online part again thanks to active devolopment by some people. Because even tho a Multiplayer mod called TDU World exists, it only features lobbying (and that kinda broken) and chases currently. Thanks for coming to my TED talk

Great video! Great content, I really enjoyed it. I have similar feelings for this game. i did it first on PS2, then PSP and I went nuts when I started to play the Xbox version. Like a few other games, this one feel so special to me, so many things were right and never seen before. And despite its quirks and lacking performance, it felt just special in the way car culture was treated, and the open world was mind blowing at the time. Please do more! Any of the game you said, i'm in! These are my favs as well. The very same actually. Keep it up!

I totally agree. I also played TDU on all platforms. Did the same with TDU2 and now still playing TDU Platinum. The fact that they offer you to fill your dream garages while also allowing to go in and get at least a kind of feeling how it would feel to own these... something all other games do not achieve unfortunately....

excellent game. I played this first on psp and then on pc back in 2011. The soundtrack(ost) is probably the best I've heard of any game. And with the new platinum mods, it adds my favorite cars like the 911r and the e39 m5. I'll be playing it till the end of time.

Yeah TDU is my favorite racing game. I think it was way ahead of its time and still many things are better than in modern games

I was in the middle. I really liked TDU1 and 2 and I totally agree that there was something special about acquiring and driving a car in TDU and in the PGR titles. To be honest there was a very special feeling to unlocking a concept car and a prototype in the Sixth to early Seventh Gen titles. And your comparison is spot on and it's something that's not appreciated as much as it should. Driveclub and PGR did this so well with not having tuning and basically making you appreciate driving each car more

TDU had the perfect balance between a videoludic experience and a racing game, which finally kicked off the boredom given by the same claustrophobic title repurposed with better textures. I'm a petrolhead to the soul yet I can't get how people stick with the same title over and over again (hey Gran Turismo 7 I'm looking at you) which is a reasonable racing game but a boring party in the long run. Sense of freedom, the social side, the vibe given by the location, the global ranking system...a lot of things added to the cocktail that made Test Drive Unlimited delicious.

I loved both versions mostly because of the sheer size of the maps, especially in the first game. That is why I'm skeptical to TDU: Solar Crown if what they say is right about the map because Hong Kong Island is tiny in terms of open world and given how big the map was in TDU1 I just hope they will open up the mainland as well. Hong Kong Island is 78.5 km² and compare that to the 1,545km² of the Island in TDU1 it is rather small. I don't care about the total size of the 2 Islands in TDU2 because both are smaller than the one island in TDU1.

I think I once tried TDU on my old PC, not good enough graphics for it, and while I enjoy just driving around, it never felt like a totally memorable game for me. You've convinced me to give this another chance, I might go back and try experience TDU again. Then, I'll compare it to FH5.

Btw talking about modifying cars, Need For Speed Shift had quite a good system, it was very much like GT1&2 Racing Modifications, but you could built them slowly piece by piece into real racecars. (you could for example turn a Viper into a GTS-R, almost all cars had body kits available like their racing counterparts) Even interiors could be stripped and made all race car like, there was also an option to convert them into even more hardcore racing versions out of the already maxed out ones, I don´t remember the name for it, but you should look into the tuning side of that game, it was really good. (It was called Works Tuning, it had body kits like from Super GT series and such) Also in Need For Speed 2015 you could apparently turn cars into others too, like a Ferrari F40 into a F40 LM with an official body kit.

just put the classic music radio and the island lap and enjoy going 350 or 400 km/h on a large roead

TDU one and two is the best race game ever, I'm 100% going to buy the new one the TDU crown❤️👑

What a game tdu1 was. Lets hope tdusc will manage to revive the spirit of it instead of ruin the legacy like grid did.

I realize I'm a year late to the party but wanted to throw in a few thoughts as well. This was the first game I bought after buying my first 360. It would be understanding to say this game was lightning in a bottle. I still have friends to this day, some 16 years later, that I met playing this game. And that's the point I feel should be emphasized about this game. It was a racing game second to being a social game. Think of all the copy cat titles created since this game that follow the MMOR format. And to think it was a nearly perfect 1:1 scale of the island of Oahu is just impressive. I liked the second installment and the music on both but I like you have some trepidation about the release of Solar Crown. It'll be too much of the stuff I didn't like about tdu2 and not enough of the stuff I liked about the first one. TL:DR TDU is > all other racing games.

One important thing missing from modern racing games is soul. Older games have it,in my opinion, Because older games was made by real developers ,that have passion for cars and games. Nowadays most racing games is just about make profit of sales,but not joy of gameplay...that's why more and more people comes back to older racing games,not because of nostalgia,but just because they were better and make with the soul.

TDU1 had amazing unicorns in it. Adonis, CLK DTM, DB7 Zagato, Holden Effijy, Cien, and Cobra's less-famous brother AC 289. Oh yeah, and although 360/PC version had better gameplay, PS2/P version had its own charm. The OST was AMAZING (love the chillout radio station), and those clubs (+ all those reward cars) added a great sense of progression that were missing in the 360/PC version. Nevertheless, both versions were great games in their own rights. I'm replaying the PSP version. Although it's outdated to hell and back, it's still a charmer. Nothing feels quite like TDU - cruising from one end of O'ahu to the other was truly a magical feeling. You put what made TDU special succinctly, yet correctly - love. As much as I'm enjoying later FHs, those games have been lacking love. Cars are treated as another number in spreadsheet. It utterly lacks that feel of intimacy that was rife in TDU. Oh yeah, I was super hyped about TDU2. It's a shame that the game turned out... uh, interesting.

Couldn’t agree more😎

I ABSOLUTELY love this video, watching the gameplay as you speak back so many memories, myself personally I did prefer TDU2 But I see where your coming from, I miss the old cars even on GT4 when you would unlock the Cadillac cien It would just give me butterflies, I do hope I do hope gt7 COULD bring cien and other cars that just don't get featured in racing games anymore, I hope TCU3 sticks with the driving to dealerships and walking around that is what made TDU different from other games

Wow you posted this right as I was playing this game XD

You're probably far too young to remember but Test Drive 5 was my favourite from this title. In particular the Pitbull Mini and the hidden 'micro machines' type course, happy days, remembered fondly. Like deployed 👍 😎🎙🏎✅

For me,one of my favorite racing games is a Test Drive too. But it's rather unknown or forgotten..it's called Test Drive Overdrive. I still have copy of that game installed in my pc nowadays.

actually in FH5 the car mastery trees do have some hidden cars. If you unlock certain car mastery in a certain Porsche for example, you get a very special tuned rally Porsche. You can do this with a Diablo SV and get the GTR. The nissan 240SX becomes a bonkers drift car.

Its a shame sony stopped supporting driveclub, it could of been so much more

I managed to get my hands on a PC copy 6 years ago, and I loved it a lot! Sadly the PC version never got the Xbox DLCs.

If you talked about modifications turning Mustang into Saleen version of it, that thing was in first The Crew game from Ubisoft. That gane have that future in almoust every car)

hey hsg my dude what is the song in the start of the video? Like at 0:03 .I fucking love that song. ik it's an ost. Can you tell me the source? I couldn't find it in any of the tdu ost playlists and its stuck in my brain. Love your channel. Keep on. You'll eventually burst into popularity im sure.

I like TDU2 more, but TDU is still a great game.

I think 'Driving Life Unlimited' seems quite appropriate to this game

Can you tell me the name of first song from this video?I really liked it.!

My starting car was always the audi A3 3.2 the saturn sky was to slow

Tbh I've only played TDU2, like I finally got a new copy after so many years not playing it, I'm sure I'll feel right at home, but I think I should actually try to grab this too sometime, although I'm not too big on how it looks, that's not a big deal tho, the atmosphere seems great

Id like to check this game out but would it even be possible to get the DLC cars? a patch on pc or something? I want those Spykers and the Me412 and Cien.

Tdu and tdu 2 are THE best racing games to date. Along with (in my opinion) forza motorsport 4, gran turismo 4 and pgr4 (also nfs carbon) Yeah 4 is the lucky number in games

i love cien cien is my dream all the time speed and look like is superbe topspeed 480kmh god like

I truly wanted this game but it came out when I was in college and forgot about it. It came in the mail right now but I just got home after working 9 hours and I have to go back in less than 6 hours for another shift. Meh.

You can just drive it not just race it, definitely nothing come close at that era.

ретроспектива, о как!

PSP version is amazing

You need test the New version of TDU

From what I've seen the car models in tdu seem to be pretty janky in some cases (McLaren F1 comes to mind). So I'm guessing your part about cars being treated with love is to do with the parts other than the car models like the unicorn cars and customisable options in the dealer.

I love this 😂

it will be perfect if there are pedestrians

Amazing game back in the day, much better game than Forza Horizon 5.

TDU definitely sucked in comparison to TD2. Maybe it's just nostalgia talking.