Test Drive Unlimited 2 - The Complete Review

With TDU2 online services recently restored by the Project Paradise 2 mod, its time to dive deep into every single online and offline element of Test Drive Unlimited 2 for a final review before TDUSC launches in 2023.
Whether you're discovering the game for the first time or wondering if it holds up all these years later, I've tried to explain everything so it can be understood by new and experienced players. This is the ultimate TDU2 retrospective. Enjoy!
0:00 - Intro
1:01 - Story
4:13 - Licence Tests
5:57 - Physics and Driving model
8:50 - Progression
13:12 - Open World and Exploration
17:09 - Campaign Events
18:36 - Timed Events (Discovery)
21:19 - Online Events
23:33 - Cars and Dealerships
26:05 - Houses, Garages and Furniture
27:34 - Character Customisation
29:06 - Other Points of Interest
30:51 - Online Freemode
34:06 - Online Clubs
35:45 - Online Police Chases
36:50 - Social Features
38:28 - help
39:01 - DLC0: TDU2 Casino Online
43:46 - DLC1: Exploration Pack
44:59 - DLC2: Motorcycles
46:12 - The Conclusion
MODS IN USE:
Project Paradise 2 by Kuxii - project-paradise2.de/
TDU2 Unofficial Patch by Xarlith - turboduck.net/files/file/330-...
TDU2 Hawaii Summer Mod by Ramon1991cobra - turboduck.net/files/file/292-...
TDU2 Ibiza Summer Mod by Ramon1991cobra - turboduck.net/files/file/294-...
Realistic Sky Clouds Pack by Ramon1991cobra - turboduck.net/forums/topic/35...
Thanks to Boxx, Rootesy, GTAlex and Kenni for assisting in multiplayer footage.
Twitter: / lwsbty

[@EdenGamesOfficial]

💙

[@jaguareagle7026]

You guys are the best

[@jonm.]

This is one of the top 5 greatest gaming experiences I ever had. This game blew my 12 year old mind back then, I wish so badly I could capture even half of that feeling in a modern title.

[@zeusdz1]

Yeah bro games just don’t hit as much as they used to when we was young

[@parker73724]

I went back and played it again, its not all just nostalgia, this game genuinely had some crazy features that seemed gimmicky but were really fun and innovative.

[@TheAngryAustrian]

I remember playing this game, listening to deadmau5 at 3am in the morning

[@Paulydjr88]

I agree somewhat. I feel like we just not as amazed cause we know its gonna keep getting better. Even tho i feel like we willl be pretty stagnet on graphics an shit. Idk how u could get better than ps5. An some pcs.

[@Paulydjr88]

​@@TheAngryAustrian u was rolling hard huh?? 😂 jk just cause u said u was listeni g to dubstep at 3 am 😂

[@ZinkUnofficial]

I feel like the physics in this game are rewarding when you figure out what the game likes and doesn’t like

[@skyline2601]

Agreed.

[@crimsonkate8241]

TDU2 is kinda the epitome of "patience is a virtue" lol. Everything was so broken from the physics, livery editor, online play etc. But for those of us that stuck around & learned how to mitigate those issues. It left an experience that's still inparalelled today!

[@80sBaby925]

@@crimsonkate8241 livery editor was fine for me. I spent hours on this back on ps3. Worked out how to hex edit the game save, unlock cars that were unattainable etc. www.youtube.com/@ODTGAMERZ/videos My old channel from years ago. Made south park cars, Redbull, all with the in game editor.

[@nicorosberg7225]

Yeah i get that

[@austinbatton4849]

What all you people say when the game doesn’t have good physics

[@Wrekkshoppe]

Test Drive Unlimited 2 was solid, but it never hit me the same way that the ORIGINAL Test Drive Unlimited did when it first released. I've owned the original TDU on PS2, XBOX 360 and PC. The PS2 version was my very first experience with it back in 2007, and it blew me away to the point that I purchased the other platform versions. I was obsessed with all versions of the game, but the PS2 version will always have a special place in my heart due to it not only being the first version I played, but also the awesome soundtrack (composed by Gavin Parker) exclusive to that version.

[@Crudux-Cruo]

Just seeing pieces of driving in this video is so heart warming! Hard nostalgia for me! Atmosphere in this game is so friendly..

[@galaxia-2]

Such a comprehensive video with great humor thrown in. Truly a masterpiece 🔆 👑

[@gt4lex]

I didn't get to experience the game at launch back then, only being introduced to it last year by Lewis, and I can attest it's a really nice game to play even nowadays. I've organized road trips in real life and no other game has ever come close to this in replicating the satisfaction of leading a group of sports cars through nice, scenic roads. If you have a bit of time to kill and never got to play TDU2, I'd encourage you to look into Project Paradise 2 and bring a few friends along, then imagine the banger TDU:SC could turn out to be next year.

[@stanleysimmonsreactions9056]

I don't think it will really be possible with TDUSC unfortunately though simply because the map size is extremely small in comparison. It's actually going to be smaller than Forza H5 map

[@gt4lex]

@@stanleysimmonsreactions9056 Sure it won't be crazy like Oahu, but if the road network is dense enough, I think it can still work out reasonably well. Ibiza is fine as well for road trips, and HKI might have a similar road network length. Still doesn't replaces overall size and time required to go from one end to another for sure, but a packed map would still be fun.

[@JustynPlays]

@@gt4lex Since HK is just near china, I wonder if they will add a dlc to include parts of china 🤔, for example ets2 which is still expanding till this day (Its 2023 most games have dlc's 😭) Also thanks for bringing up Project paradise 2 I'll try it now

[@yurilopes420]

have you played forza horizon? 5 specifically i had that exact feeling on that game, but i heard 5 is just 4 and 3 rebranded, and also TDU2 was pretty good. how do you say it compares

[@JonathanLukeAvery]

@@yurilopes420 I was 13 when Test Drive Unlimited came out and 18 when the sequel, TDU2 was released. I played both games religiously, organizing roadtrips with buddies and spending hours racking up the odometer on my favorite cars (one of my fav features from this game that made cars feel owned and you could see how much you had used a car). Forza Horizon games had the opportunity to really take over the mantle of TDU and do it better than they did, but I was always disappointed by those games because they failed to implement the best parts of what made TDU special. The Crew is really the only game that has captured that essence of endlessly exploring a map and having so many possibilities of where you can go and end up (it reminds me of the first time I dropped into San Andreas and the feeling of exploration there). People that say the Crew map is boring and bland just don’t get it. For those of us that just loved to cruise around the 1:1 scale map of Oahu for hours on end in our super cars with our buddies are the ones who really appreciate The Crew’s map. The problem is that we can’t have the best of both worlds with these games it seems. TDU and The Crew’s driving mechanics and graphics are admittedly dated. The crew suffered from horrible texturing and awful pop-in sometimes that are hard to look past until you really get into the game. I wish we could have a game like the Crew but with Forza Graphics and polish and I would say their driving physics except I think forza’s driving physics are kind of trash, though they are better than TDU and The Crew for sure. TL:DR As someone who has played them all… at the end of the day I think even though games like Forza Horizon are much more polished and have better physics, the endless hours of fun and special experiences I had having my imagination run wild are far greater in TDU and The Crew. I’m sad that the Crew Motorfest decided to try and chase Forza Horizon trends with their whole festival and shrunk down map. I think it was a mistake for them to stray away from the very thing that made them special, and that was the massive USA map. The problem was never that map, it was the polish surrounding the rest of the game. If they did that map again but with motorfest’s updated physics and world terrain graphics then it would be perfect. And don’t tell me they can’t do it with modern gaming engine tools using AI to help fill in detail in the world Solar Crown looks immensely disappointing as well, as they’ve forgotten again what made their previous games special Also, why haven’t any do these games brought back the realistic house / garage mechanic that TDU had where you actually had to fill your physical garages with your cars and you could swap them around the spots and walk around the garage and see your cars.

[@TheAlexVII]

Well done Lewis, very good video, and even saying that is an understatement.

[@punkysmunk129]

Shut up alex

[@Cessna-dv8uy]

You are the GOAT❗❗

[@los8627]

I'd be lying if I said I didn't want Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown to release before a new and improved Midnight Club. Test Drive Unlimited and Midnight Club titles absolutely own the car gaming scene. Hours upon hours of endless game play of both titles. But Test Drive just has this unexplainable vibe that I can't quite put into words. All I know is... I can't wait to play Solar Crown with you all. I get chills just thinking about Solar Crown ... it almost feels like once it releases... whatever depression and anxiety I have will go away just a bit 🤣 so serious. I just know that Solar Crown will be mind blowing.

[@Paulydjr88]

No way brotha. U smokin dope 😂.... Nfs was the king of street racing gami g from 2001 till probably 2015. After 15 i agree they fell off like unbound looks so cartoony i disnt even wannna buy it. Nfs Pro street was the first NFS that i thought was kinda wack.

[@Paulydjr88]

Ps1 yes test drive was king. But soon as nfs came out wit underground it was so much better to me. The driving an everything. But test drive was dope asf on ps1. I had a wheel i used to play test drive San francisco. You gus remember the racing game for n64 called RUSH? That was decent when it hit also.

[@austinbatton4849]

@@Paulydjr88 nfs heat was great

[@andasfs]

now i can finally stop trying to explain my friends how amazing TDU2 is, im just gonna send them this vid! Great work Lewis :)

[@calster2545]

The fact this game has cats made the game from 5/10 to a strong 9/10

[@crimsonkate8241]

Lol, don't forget the iguana's!

[@jej1.]

dont forget the budgie in a cage in one of the houses

[@Boxxout3]

Fantastically put together! Highlights exactly why this game still shines today, the concept is wonderful and i've not seen anything like it since. Hopefully TDUSC can continue the legacy!

[@DrPowerslide_]

How does this video only have 100 views? This was a well-done video, and I really liked the memes scattered throughout!

[@reiddale9051]

Its a great summary, don't think Ive seen anything this thorough on TDU2 in a while, looking forward to your TDUSC review

[@SebVictor]

Test Drive Solar Crown releases in 2024 but yeah I do agree with the points u mentioned there, the game is awesome and it was way ahead of its time! I think it was the first racing game that offered character customization, houses and houses customization (We can own many different houses at the same time and it’s from 2011)

[@gundruki9862]

Lewis this was an amazing and really well edited video thank you for your time. Remembered the time when I had no internet and my dad bought the disk randomly. Turned out to be one of the best games I have ever played.

[@BradleyWhalley]

This game has a special place in my heart so many memories and no game ever since has ever matched it, they might have better graphics but there is something about TDU that has that special feeling and i am so glad i got to enjoy the glory days of this game.

[@chrisdoyle7612]

Yes i was lucky enough to have played this online , even offline is still fun to remember the good fun old days of TDU2-online and to all the old gamer friends made, cheers!

[@Victory356]

Very good video, I was surprised it only had 600 views on it, you deserve way more!

[@NFSlegend2]

Amazing review! You just earned a new sub 👍🏿👍🏿 I have so may memories playing both tdu1 and tdu 2 in my teen and early 20's years

[@Modi_]

I can see that a big amount of effort went into this video, it feels like a game review from one of the bigger channels and its really in depth. Covers all the multiplayer aspects for the first time on youtube. i played a ton of tdu2 when it came out and was sad when they shut down the servers. I hope tdu solar crown delivers a similar experience with the open endedness that tdu2 had. if you keep content like this coming I'm sure you're going to grow in no time!

[@nouryy]

That James May clip is pure gold. Fantastic review! Subbed.

[@wr0ng569]

Genuinely a brilliant review, honestly you're very underrated!

[@dankdat620]

I loved the background music selection! I'm very happy you included music from Blur. :)

[@TiaKc28]

Thanks for the effort! Great video! I bought it for the ps3 a couple of weeks ago and I'm having a blast

[@OTRgamerTv]

great video lewis , just seen it from the discord , really well put together

[@somakun1806]

Good to see there's a still a youtube channel revisiting this game. I used to love playing this game.

[@robertjohnson1078]

Nice job on the video!!! This explains a lot of the The Crew 2 since some of those people worked on TDU, TDU2. I just a copy TDU and will look for TDU2 in the future, thanks!!!

[@noquedaniuno]

I remember playinbg this game back in the day... I was so positive about it that i pre order on steam without a proper computer to play it. By te time i got my gaming pc the DLCs were already out and my pre order were there waiting for me. Your video got me remembering great things about the game. I remember having to avoid jumps all togheter and having to use more "regular" cars on free mode to avoid all headache that came with having a "too fast" car in the road. Great video. PS: Im downloading it as Im writing this comment XD

[@SYNFPVPILOT]

Kick ass thorough review man. Much nostalgia 🥂

[@FrostCutter]

Great video, really funny... Also love the Blur soundtrack 💯

[@kathrynhall7570]

LB never lets us down! Great work as always...

[@latinblue6446]

Nice Review , great Video! thank you very much !

[@ItsYaBoyMrSatan]

Aw man. This was really nice to see someone talk about my favorite mmo! I met a lot of good friends playing TDU and TDU2. Recently, I got a PC and this was the first game I thought about getting. More so than any other new game out there and this video sealed the deal for me! Keep up the amazing work!

[@Airtrooper719]

This was a very nice tribute to such a classic game, thank you

[@re.liable]

Wow this seems right up my alley First impression: It's like Sims but with racing lol 2nd impression during free roam: It's like Just Cause

[@tmlmagee]

Captured the game perfectly, all I can say is well done. This goes to show you don't need the best equipment or crazy editing to convey a great video-essay.

[@TheVenom46]

Great video, Lewis. I only played TDU1 back in 06 and I really loved it. Really been wanting a TDU 3 for years and this video has got me hyped for Solar Crown. I hope it's as good as you show TDU2 to be.

[@5punkybob]

I played the absolute heck out of TDU1 and I still have some of the songs from that game in my usual driving to work playlist. I’ll always remember the “cheat” race to make bank where you have to reach a certain speed and the quickest way was a Ferrari Enzo and as soon as the race starts turn around and drive the opposite way as the road was straight! I still have my saved game stored on my NAS drive!

[@ronttu1700]

Great vid like small netflix document! Keepp up the good work

[@gameplaymastr074]

Nice work Lewis!!!

[@fishblade2]

Unbelievably good review and so in depth which many creators don't do because of the time it takes on the project. I would also say for the new game of this franchise, they need to include one additional thing, with the better physics and driving experience they need to make it compatible out of the box with direct drive wheels and produce proper feedback to make the driving just boost the social aspect of the game!

[@MkGreene]

Absolutely solid review

[@chiefurxskates]

Outstanding video! You literally covered all bases, I miss this game so much & had no idea I still can play it! I’ll be downloading the mods today! SO many memories made on this game, from mountain drifting with the squad! I got rich, bought everything & used to cruise from one of my farthest houses to the casino racing randoms & just gamble all day😂 Great Video, damn I miss this game. They should incorporate vr

[@Simply_King]

I didnt have any other car game to play back then.. so i was just popping in its CD and always played it. Its amazing ngl

[@gangstalkerofgangstalkers]

I loved this game back on the 360 days. Many good memories.

[@jakubbanaszkiewicz3656]

great video, I can see it took a lot of work!

[@cappinteddy3228]

Honestly, my all time favorite feature of TDU2 was the dealer experience and the homes. Having an avatar who can walk through the world and immerse me in the vehicle buying process, living/vehicls storage experience, etc is so nice. PGR4 was the only other game I can think of that got close with their own weird housing feature.

[@UltimateYugo71]

Oh jesus the nostalgia is kicking hard ..

[@SuperMMCK]

Nice summary, brings back some memories 😎

[@sergeantluz]

Extremely well thought out review! Lv73 greetings to you 🖖

[@Hayden2447]

Amazing review, hope TDUSC takes a lot of what made the game good.

[@krishplaysguitar3751]

Great vid!

[@EpicReality]

Did you add in need for speed music over the police chase section? Hahaha gold

[@WeTheRootesy_]

Who would of thought we be playing this 11 years later, well put video that sums up how we all think about this game. At least now I don’t have to be up at 3am grinding out club races!

[@burakbalkc685]

Suuuuuch a big part of my childhood. First online game I've ever played

[@thatblackua7]

absolutely loved this game as a teen. pls dont trash it. beautiful nostalgia

[@ThatDrTomGuy]

i hated tdu2 but today i learned it has a cat. thank you for changing my life

[@chaoticcasper5835]

Drivers tests... not difficult? Dude I spent two whole days trying to beat one of the drivers tests in Hawaii. I'm still on license number 2 for Hawaii and I can't get past the very last lesson "Circuit" As far as I know the drivers tests are far more difficult than the actual races themselves. Especially the time bound checkpoint ones.

[@jamesmmusic5806]

Same. Some of them took ages, but somehow I managed to get thru them all. Just got to keep at it... Would be nice if they were a bit more reasonable tho

[@chaoticcasper5835]

@@jamesmmusic5806 Don't u hate it when you actually land in the checkpoint circle and you're not out of bounds but it wants you to be slightly further in (which would actually mean being slightly out of bounds of the circle)

[@Schaddn]

I'm so happy this video reminded me of TDU2

[@AlxndrHQ]

Good job!

[@maximka_ose]

No cat customization :( Amazing video!

[@andipajeroking]

I like more the first one, but still, way better than anything new on the market. ❤

[@MO_MUFC_895]

This was part of my childhood.

[@LuisRamirez-gc7rd]

Grate video I seen every second of it .I wonder if it'll be out for Xbox s some time

[@mrporkchop110]

I loved this game and cant wait for the sequel!

[@gameplaymastr074]

Same

[@Dr.Juergens]

I liked the calm clean atmosphere.

[@dennis2966]

I made several life-long friends by meeting them in the Casino. I still chat with them on Steam to this day. I can't even express how much I miss the casino experience from TDU2.

[@qwdjfbskxnsjx]

great video, under appreciated game… thank you

[@Dj3ndo]

Subbed!

[@tonkinesenchill4240]

It’s true that the driving physics leave a lot to be desired and the npc interactions are comically bad……..but in every other metric test drive unlimited is better than any racing game made today, it really shines a light on the baron rinse and repeat driving games we see today. I will always hold a nostalgic love for the TDU games, I loved the homes and garages, I loved the side missions (particularly delivering high end cars) but more than anything I loved the attention to detail and lifestyle quirks. Any game today can be visually impressive, have great sound design and give you a taste of exotic cars but no other game has , before or since offered such a fun, rewarding and comprehensive feeling of living the life of a rich playboy. I miss TDU and I really hope that someday a game of this elk makes a return, the latest TDU doesn’t appear to be anywhere close from the demo at least. You know a game is truly special when it’s objectively worse in many of the technical areas games are typically measured by and yet holds your attention and creativity for so much longer.

[@hitnammlg]

I remember being a fresh 12 year old and sitting in my rocking gaming chair with Xbox 360 playing this masterpiece. Played this game as much as I could, back when Minecraft was popular on the 360 as well. Good times. Now I'm a grown ass man and play The Crew 2 for my racing game needs.

[@superswag9861]

I got this game for PS3 at a yard sale back in Summer of 2012, I remember popping off so hard when I won the R8 from the slot machine.

[@thatmotorfreak]

Great video, really liked this game despite the physics. I've played games with much worse physics TBH. First played it on the PS3, but only just got it on PC last year. I've already beaten the SP campaign on both versions. Though I'm not sure if it's just me, but the game is woefully unstable on PC. It would just instantly close without any warning or error messages. Once I beat the main campaign and did all the discovery stuff, I stopped playing it because I got really tired of the random crashes. A shame really, I wanted to stick around for a bit longer. Still, I love this game and I desperately hope that TDU Solar Crown doesn't turn out to be a cynical online-only game.

[@harryc266]

Apart from elder scrolls 6 it’s one of the most anticipated games for me. I really hope Solar Crown is somethings we can play for decades. I really hope it is something special and they haven’t cut any corners. ALSO nobody doing these videos mentions you could do the roof, windows, indicators. It really made people who loved cars feel so connected to them on top of changing the interior etc.

[@bigbellygames]

I use to play this game all the time I collected every car I could all the dlc and casino cars and the club cars one of my favorite cars and best sounding one was the Ferrari 250 GTO. Being able to cruise the massive maps use turn signals and activate convertible tops was so awesome 👌 I still think about this game once in a while. Time flys

[@Lb8068]

Hope you enjoyed the Solar Crown reveal Lewis!

[@Devon_Lewis]

I always loved this game just because of going to the casino l, buying houses and going to dealerships to buy cars etc.. I wish there was more games like this!

[@skethy2333]

36:02 i like the NFS most wanted reference as the background music hahahaha

[@stanleysimmonsreactions9056]

Without a doubt the greatest driving game series of all time! Also thanks for your efforts making this video

[@user-fi5hc9um6q]

TDU is the GOAT when it comes to open world racing, it was decades ahead of everything else and still is by todays shitty standards.

[@MatthewBluefox]

I never even knew about the police chase online mode. I used to play this game extensively when the official servers were online.

[@fonesrphunny7242]

Every now and then I get the itch to play a racing game. A couple of years ago it was TDU2, because I remembered being impressed by TDU1 (after seeing like 30 minutes of gameplay, many years prior). The physics drove me insane and eventually I got stuck on an event, which didn't let me skip the cutscene, so I had to sit through the same cringy narration every time. It just struck me as borderline shovel ware at this point and I never came back to it.

[@MadLadMartyMcFly85]

Lewis bently...is there a more british name possible🤣 haha good video man👍👍👍

[@TheClassifiedMan]

Such a great game and franchise, remember me and all my friends all got it one day 1 and used to cruise etc, Test Drive does it best there’s just nothing like it👌💙

[@somakun1806]

Havent watched the full video yet but you better talk about the BANGER soundtracks this game has

[@Adam_Byrd]

I just got back into TDU the original and so far I'm enjoying the driving physics even though drifting is still not great. And I started off driving to the top of the map doing the $20K every two minutes to get money started. Once I unlock the race where I use the S7 twin turbo Saleen turn 15K every 20 seconds. I can't remember what the third one was but I think it's 60k every 20 seconds. Towards the upper middle of once it's unlocked. I wish the game offered more customization, however I do enjoy what the game has. I used to have all the car packs and realistic mode with working suspension. That was super fun.

[@ryouhonoo5]

The fact that this game had an entire dlc dedicated to a casino simulation that had almost nothing to do with cars or racing is kind of insane

[@Eburon]

I have played this game in the past, but never gave it a fair shot. Will play it completely soon. There's a lot of game here. A true gem. Sad to see it was not given the care and love it deserves. I own it on steam but it cannot be bought anymore

[@JEKitchens]

Speaking of exploration do you remember that cliff jump on north western Ibiza? So much fun with your bros jumping over the ocean to a single cliff

[@toyotacorollaaltis8613]

The one where there was a wrecked Beetle around there right

[@SystemCrasher113]

The multiplayer instant race challenge in tdu1 allows you to set the length, route and the cash pot for the winner!

[@TheRokas9944]

aight cool now do 4 hour iceberg of TDU2

[@Xegethra]

That Sonic zone sounding music for the casino there....

[@cruce907]

Liked the video for using NFS World safehouse music

[@dinkthepoof4832]

It looks like the wilder brothers are squabbling with stuart again!

[@NESSTOR94]

*masterpiece*

[@blenderpunk2077]

1:01 I agree with you about the story. But at least it's better than stories from most of the other racing games like modern NFS titles. And it is good at giving us a real sense of progression.

[@dardoura]

I think this is what GTA would be nowadays if in the original GTA they didn't have the police bug.

[@youreright...9254]

Literally playing this now, but the handling with a T300RSGT feels close to Forza Horizon 4 and 5, maybe even Heat... just a bit more grippy. On controller though on Sport settings, it feels like driving in Vice City. Here are my settings: Thrustmaster Control Panel: 540 degrees, everything else your preference In game: Game Settings: Driving Aid:Hardcore Controller Configuration: Vibration: Max Steering Sensitivity: 0 Deadzone: 0 Hope this helps anyone out there.

[@tominatorxx]

This is the only racing game I managed to play for quite some hours, despite absolutely despising its handling model... Everything else about it was really cool imo, even the corny story was kind of "so bad it's actually kind of entertaining". Great open world, great progression, nice collection of cars and an overall cool atmosphere.

[@MysteriousMatt89]

That was quite the video! Such a complete review really was missing on youtube, the only time youtubers talk about it is when it's a video about TDU SC and all they often say is "this game had functioning windows, blinkers and convertible roofs wow so cool!" But playthroughs are rarely seen. Unlike Forza for example, TDU also targets older audiences which is a good thing. Also thankyou for the PP2 shoutout, also found it funny how you didn't mention TDU World xD

[@gt4lex]

Wasn't TDU World basically PP2 being in jail ?

[@MysteriousMatt89]

@@gt4lex Haha i guess you can say it like that :D