Test Drive Unlimited
I've been indulging myself in buying video games that I've wanted to for a while. One of these is TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED.
I think the thing that got to me about this game is that it's 8 GB installation is a recreation of driving the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu - all of it! The game must be a few years old by now as a sequel, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is being heavily promoted on the official web site.
You catch a plane to the island, buy a home and a car, and go out and race, sometimes for $$$. But you can't just driveany old way anywhere. The police with go after you if you cause too many accidents and don't escape in time (I chalked up $9000 of fines in the first 4 hours of play) and driving over cliffs and into water isn't recommended. There's a lot involved in this and the controls though simple took me a while to master (and I still drive like I just got in a car for the first time).
But, I love the simulation! It really felt like driving on a real road. I puttered around in the back roads for a while and lost exactly where my home was (should have bookmarked it) before I started a new game. Love driving on those freeways. Apparently you can go online and interact with thousands of players but I'm nowhere near that yet in skill, and there is still much for me to explore (and I also need a gamespy account).
Golly - I wonder if therte are mods for other areas? I'd love to hoon about in the Hunter Valley!
I think the thing that got to me about this game is that it's 8 GB installation is a recreation of driving the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu - all of it! The game must be a few years old by now as a sequel, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is being heavily promoted on the official web site.
You catch a plane to the island, buy a home and a car, and go out and race, sometimes for $$$. But you can't just driveany old way anywhere. The police with go after you if you cause too many accidents and don't escape in time (I chalked up $9000 of fines in the first 4 hours of play) and driving over cliffs and into water isn't recommended. There's a lot involved in this and the controls though simple took me a while to master (and I still drive like I just got in a car for the first time).
But, I love the simulation! It really felt like driving on a real road. I puttered around in the back roads for a while and lost exactly where my home was (should have bookmarked it) before I started a new game. Love driving on those freeways. Apparently you can go online and interact with thousands of players but I'm nowhere near that yet in skill, and there is still much for me to explore (and I also need a gamespy account).
Golly - I wonder if therte are mods for other areas? I'd love to hoon about in the Hunter Valley!
