This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content. It was written by Brian Mohr.

Racing has suddenly gone in a new direction with Atari’s Test Drive Unlimited. Players head to the island of Oahu to drive through various races like any other driving title, but this time there is a twist. Instead of just straight races, Eden Studios is taking you for a new ride with a massive open racing game where you can go and race anywhere on the island you want even against online opponents. It’s quite a different trip and Test Drive Unlimited is venturing into new territory, but how does the experience pan out?

First and foremost, Test Drive Unlimited is a pretty good looking title on the Xbox 360. Where it really shows is in the car models. Inside and out, it is impressive to look at and there is some really nice detail and reflection graphics presented. These are easily some of the better looking car models shown on the 360 to date. On top of that, the environment looks lush and beautiful. It certainly captures the tropical atmosphere of Hawaii and isn’t repetitive looking at all. There is a real nice attention to detail about the island too as the developers went out of their way to map Oahu right with landmarks, road signs and more. The only problem is that Eden Studious obviously didn’t give much attention to the characters as they are blocky and visually distracting.

Of course graphics wouldn’t mean all that much for a racing game if there aren’t any good cars to drive. Thankfully Test Drive Unlimited features approximately 150 cars from nearly 50 manufacturers including Mercedes, Lamborghini, Lotus, Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, VW and plenty more. This game features a nice variety of new and classic vehicles for any car lover. Cars are nice, but Eden also included a nice variety of motorcycles too.

Aside from the cars and graphics, TDU does a nice job of making the entire experience seamless. You’ll have one or more residences on the island with a garage. If you want to test drive a car, you simply go to a dealership that carries the brand you like and you can give it a spin as well as buy your vehicles there. That is easy, but joining races whether online or off is just as simple. Players simply drive to starting points on the map and press X. This is where everything is seamless as you can choose a single-player game or select multiplayer all while driving around the city.

If you jump into multiplayer, this is where the action in Test Drive Unlimited is at. The developers made the experience very simple by always having you online and able to interact with other players. On the roads around Oahu, there are other cars that you can challenge on the spot or you have the option to meet up with opponents through the club area.

Through the online game, players are able to wager money on the outcome of the race and even trade cars with other online members. You’re also given the option to filter the type of player you’re looking to race by car, friend or more. There is a nice news ticker that alerts you to races and you are given the option to create your own races too, right down to the checkpoints, class participants and more. One other nice feature is that TDU offers players the opportunity to create a unique identity with create-a-driver. This allows you to select your physical looks, accessories and wardrobe which include brand name merchandise.

Probably one of the few major problems in the game has to be the sound. The engine sounds are mediocre. The soundtrack and voice work are even worse. The soundtrack is anything but memorable and the voice acting has no depth or personality to it. The other real bothersome problem with the sound is the GPS voiceover which is too frequent and quickly gets irritating.

One other problem with the game is the fact that the single-player experience isn’t that engrossing. Basically you’re participating in various races and other driving jobs (i.e. time trials, errand runs and more) to build up money for cars, accessories and parts. The opponent A.I. is poor, the storyline is extremely weak, and the overall adventure gets tiresome quickly.

Test Drive Unlimited is a solid product that features stunning graphics and a tremendous open-ended online experience. Though the game has a slight drawback in the sound and single-player campaign, the multiplayer more than makes up for it and should provide racing fans with plenty to do. Overall Test Drive Unlimited is a new experience that is worthy of the trip particularly for the reasonable $40 price tag.

Fun and easy to play. Combining the single and multiplayer experience is very exciting.

Cars and the island look nice, but characters aren’t refined enough for today’s graphics.

Voice acting is average; the soundtrack, car sounds are poor. GPS voice quickly gets bothersome

The game is fun to play for a little while, but grows tiresome quickly on single player

There is plenty of replay value with multiplayer since it is well done and keeps you interested