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A.P.I Review: | Test Drive 5 | ||
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Developer: | Pitbull Syndicate | OPTIONS: | SCREENSHOTS: No.1 No.2 No.3 |
Distributor: | Accolade | 1-2 Player Split | |
Game Type: | Arcade Racing | Memory Card | |
Review Date: | November 1998 | Analog Compatible |
Setting the Scene
Having experienced many of the Playstation's racing titles over a
period of three years I would dread to be a newcomer to next generation
gaming. At last count I believe that I had sampled over seventy of them,
some good, some bad, many indifferent.
Imagine receiving your very first console this Christmas and then
wandering down to your local gamestore to see what was on offer. Visualize
being on the receiving end as almost one hundred games in the racing genre
are suddenly thrust in your general direction. Where on earth would you
start? How could you possibly only choose one game?
First you must understand that the genre involving vehicles is split into
three separate categories. There's the arcade shooter on wheels (Twisted
Metal 2, Vigilante 8, Rogue Trip...) where vehicles of various
descriptions charge around an enclosed 3D world blasting everything, and
everyone, in sight. Then there's the pure, unadulterated arcade racer
(Need For Speed, Ridge Racer, Nascar...) where the emphasis is on extreme
speed, power sliding and 'over the top' collisions. Finally there is
simulated racing at it's finest (Gran Turismo, Formula 1...) in which
skillful driving is generously rewarded and careless collisions are
heavily penalized.
To stand out from the crowd these days a racing game requires at least
one from four features; realistic high-res graphics (such as GT),
intuitive handling and control (original F1), depth of gameplay (GT again)
or some kind of gimmick (DD, CMR, Micro). Test Drive 5 has a little of
each leaning more towards the latter.
Genre
The clash of modern super cars vs. muscle cars from the past continues in the sequel to the best-selling Test Drive 4. Test Drive 5 features twice the cars (28) and three times as many tracks (18). The addition of new features include split-screen mode, branching roads, and improved visuals.
Graphics
Let's not be too hasty in condemning the graphics on display in Test
Drive 5 as most of the visuals are acceptable.
The cars look good... very good. In fact I haven't seen vehicles within
an arcade racer look as sleek and cool as these since the luxurious
Porsche Challenge. The red and white striped open-topped 1965 Shelby Cobra
4275C is as impressive to look at as it is to drive. You even get a
miniaturized driver to steer the damn thing! There's the luscious '67
Pontiac GTO, a delightful '69 Chevrolet Camaro 2LI and an adorable '68
Ford Mustang for those that prefer a blast from the past. While the more
modern man may climb on board the sleek Chevrolet Corvette, Jaguar XKR or
a Dodge Viper. Each is selectable in various colors. Should you
successfully progress through the challenging cup races you may just
unlock the Cop Chase mode where four precisely replicated police vehicles
are up for grabs.
Once the race begins there are a few more nice visual touches that add to
the overall experience of the game. When it lashes down with rain stormy
clouds roll across the horizon as large droplets occasionally spot onto
your windscreen creating distracting circles. The headlight effects are
also impressive as they light up the immediate road area during night
races. Should you hit that accelerator with too much vigor then wheel
spins will burn rubber into the road surface as your car takes off in a
trail of smoke. The lens flare technique has also been used to offer
maximum effect during mid-day races.
On the down side the scenery quickly switches between the highly
acceptable and the downright boring. One moment you are speeding across
the monumental Tyne Bridge, the next you are surrounded by towering
wafer-thin cardboard cut-out buildings. On entering a tunnel the screen
seems to throw around a few imperfections with occasional glitching and
clipping on show. Pop-up is present, but kept to the minimal.
Overall Test Drive 5 may not have the attractive scenic detail of many
other arcade racers but the cool appearance of the cars only just manages
to distract you eyes from a few rough edges.
Sounds and Effects
Both sound effects and music fit into the 'okay' category. I suppose it all depends on your musical taste. If you wish to race around a track at breakneck speeds with Heavy Metal sounds burning into your eardrums then this should suit you fine. If not then you could always turn it down and switch on your favorite CD. Should you decide to switch off the music completely then this will leave a constant background noise of growling engines, screeching tyres and scraping bodywork.
Playability
If Arcade racers such as Need For Speed and Nascar are the type of
drug that you get your kicks out of then look no further for your next
fix. Test Drive 5 offers far more than it's predecessor with multiple
gameplay modes and contests galore.
The 18 circuits feature unique and accurate recreations from real world
locales. Check out Moscow - Russia, Edinburgh - Scotland, Sydney -
Australia, Blue Ridge Park - NC, Honolulu - USA, Tokyo - Japan, Jarash -
Jordan, Newcastle - England, Maui - Hawaii, Keswick - England, San
Francisco - CA, Bern - Switz, Courmayeur - Italy, Kyoto - Japan,
Washington DC - USA and Munich - Germany. There's a new branching
technology which creates shortcuts and alternate pathways on every track
in the game.
There is also an extensive variety of racing modes including; Single
Race, where up to two players may take part in a six car event. Time
Trials pits your skills against the clock. Drag Race where two vehicles
tear down a long straight at lightening speeds towards the finish line.
Cop Chase in which you take control of a supercharged police car and pull
over law breaking racers. All six opponents must be tracked down, forced
from the road and then arrested. Finally there are a selection of Cup
Races.
Success in the Cup Race opens up several new competitions. Initially
there is a standard Championship Cup and Era Cup - Beauty. By winning
these tournaments a Challenge Cup, Pitbull Cup, Masters Cup and Ultimate
Cup will be revealed offering masses of challenging gameplay.
The options allow you to configure your control pad to suit analog and
dual shock technology. There are three levels of difficulty, various
weather settings and the choice to switch on Cop mode (chase and stop
speeding vehicles) and oncoming traffic.
Test Drive 5 is a blast of an arcade racer but I found the vehicle AI a
little frustrating. It seemed very much as if opponents were reacting to a
set of predetermined instructions. We know they really are, but it could
have been hidden a little better. Should you take the lead then the
chasing pack will attempt to slightly touch your rear-end, sending you
into an uncontrollable spin. Now this is fine in my book... but only if
you can do the same back to them. Not only do they rarely react to your
contact but if the CPU cars collide with each other they appear to very
quickly correct themselves and get back into the heart of the race.
Unfortunately your vehicle is left to perform a tight three-point-turn and
then very slowly regain your momentum. This would usually result in the
race being over, but to counteract this happening the leading pack seem to
slow down, bunch up and wait for your car to catch up.
That aside Test Drive 5 is as much fun to play as the Ridge Racers and
Need For Speed of this world.
Value for Money
There's 28 hot licenced cars: 14 exotic sports cars all capable of exceeding 180 mph and 14 ultra powerful "muscle cars" from the past. There is an extensive variety of racing modes including single race competition, and multiple league modes Split-screen racing for head-to-head competition on circuit tracks and drag racing. There is an all new Cop Chase mode where the player takes control of a supercharged police car and pull over law breaking racers. Finally don't forget the night driving, realistic weather effects and breakable roadside objects. Now does that sound like VFM to you?
Opinion | ||
MARTIN | ||
GRAPHICS: | 15/20 | Test
Drive 5 is not without it's faults. Occasionally the graphics are
distracting. In fact when entering a tunnel the screen seems to crackle
and break up - kind of like the effect you get when watching a really
old movie. This aside TD5 is a thrill-a-minute arcade racer that keeps you coming back for more time and time again. |
SOUND: | 7/10 | |
PLAYABILITY: | 43/50 | |
VALUE: | 16/20 | |
OVERALL | 81% |