Test Drive Unlimited: Melbourne House's Offering Allows Racers to Meet and Race Online

Test Drive Unlimited for PS2, PSP and PC

Publisher: Atari - Melbourne House (now Krome Studios) for the PS2, PSP version/ Eden Games for the PC version

MSRP: $39.99

Available: March 20th, 2007

Some people dream of driving a Lamborghini, a Nissan R34 Skyline or some other expensive exotic.

If you have a PS2, a PSP or well-configured PC, you can with Atari's newest offering, `Test Drive Unlimited.'

The versions, which carry the same title, are different, though. In the PC version, which is a direct port of the Microsoft Xbox 360 version, players start their journey at Honolulu's International Airport. The players can choose from several avatars.

Afterward, the players are transported to a car rental to rent some exotic wheels. The PS2/PSP versions of the game pick up at the car rental. After the rental, you head to a real-estate agent to buy a dwelling. Then, you head to a car dealer to buy a vehicle. Initially, you are limited in your vehicle choices - low-end by most standards - but as you win races, you earn money for the big cars.

The PC version is visually stunning and features in-game chatting, and is free to play online. However, to play the game with intricate detail, you will need a very fast PC. The minimum requirements are: at least 2 gigahertz processor, 1 gigabyte of RAM, a 256 megabyte video card and a broadband connection to play online. During closed beta testing, I had to buy a new video card because my GeForce4000 128mb card couldn't handle the game.

When compared to the 360 version, the PC version is a near-carbon copy. It has the same graphics, the same achievement system - you earn points collecting cars, winning races and submitting challenges. The main difference between the 360 and PC versions are all of the vehicles are in the game, and on the 360, you can download more cars in coming months.