Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Test Drive 4 delivers a pure racing experience built around ten distinct vehicles, spanning modern supercars like the Jaguar XJ220 and TVR Cerbera, to classic American muscle in the form of three Chevrolet models. Each car is underpinned by its own physics model, offering a tangible sense of weight, traction, and unique handling quirks. Beginners will appreciate the arcadey responsiveness at lower speeds, while veteran racers will find the high-speed corners and abrupt traction loss on more powerful muscle cars a serious challenge.

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The game features five full circuits, plus a dedicated drag strip, giving players varied ways to test their skills. The track designs capture a good balance between long straights for top-speed runs and technical sections that punish even minor steering errors. In championship mode, you’re tasked with climbing through a series of increasingly difficult races, rewarding consistent lap times and clean driving over pure aggression. The absence of shortcuts—unlike Test Drive 3’s hidden paths—means you must master the official layout to stay competitive.

Beyond the championship, Test Drive 4 offers single races and ghost-car time trials, extending replayability by challenging you to beat either the AI field or your own best performances. The drag strip is a welcome diversion: perfect shifts and launch control become critical, providing a change of pace from circuit racing. Overall, the gameplay centers on mastering precise lines and throttle control, making every victory feel earned rather than handed out.

Graphics

For its era, Test Drive 4’s graphics set a high bar. Car models are surprisingly detailed, with properly rendered body panels, accurate headlight shapes, and recognizable brand liveries. Reflections and specular highlights are used sparingly but effectively, lending a sense of realism to high-end paint finishes. In cockpit view, the steering wheel and dash show clear instrument textures, though resolution is modest by modern standards.

The trackside environments strike a balance between realistic and stylized. You’ll race through coastal roads, desert highways, and urban outskirts, each populated with static roadside objects that lend character without overly cluttering the scene. Draw distances handle well, avoiding pop-in at reasonable ranges. Weather effects are minimal—no rain or dynamic skies—but bright sunlight and cloud patterns give variety to different circuits.

Performance remains smooth across both console and PC versions, with frame rates that rarely dip even during close-quarters battles. Lighting is straightforward, focusing on clear visibility over moody atmospherics. While you won’t find post-processing bloom or volumetric fog here, the clean presentation complements the game’s emphasis on racing precision and ensures you never lose sight of braking markers or apex turn indicators.

Story

Unlike many driving games that weave a narrative around street culture or professional racing leagues, Test Drive 4 takes a more minimalist approach to story. There’s no overarching plot or character development; instead, your progression is driven by performance and your choice of vehicles. This streamlined design keeps you focused on lap times and car upgrades rather than dialogue sequences or cutscenes.

The implicit “story” unfolds through the championship ladder: as you conquer each tier of races, you earn the right to pilot more sophisticated supercars. This structure conveys a satisfying sense of advancement, as upgrading from a vintage muscle car to a mid-engine exotic is framed as a personal achievement. While you won’t find rival personalities or team alliances, the ghost-car mechanics give a feeling of competition against past performances, effectively filling the narrative void with self-improvement goals.

For players seeking a character-driven drama, the absence of a fleshed-out story might feel like a missed opportunity. However, Test Drive 4’s philosophy is that the thrill of speed and perfecting each corner is narrative enough. The game trusts you to create your own memorable moments—be it a flawless drag launch or the perfect overtake down the final straight.

Overall Experience

Test Drive 4 remains a compelling racing title that emphasizes raw driving skill over cinematic flair. Its strength lies in the diversity of cars and realistic physics models, which invite multiple playstyles—from the planted grip of supercars to the unpredictable slides of muscle cars. The straightforward race modes ensure you’re never bogged down by complicated menus or superfluous features.

Although the lack of shortcuts and minimal story elements may disappoint players who enjoyed the hidden paths of its predecessor, this decision ultimately contributes to a more cerebral, track-focused gameplay loop. Each circuit demands clean lines and precise braking, making victories a true test of your dedication and learning curve. Ghost-car time trials and single races add longevity, while the championship mode ties everything together in a clear progression path.

For racing enthusiasts new and old, Test Drive 4 offers a solid package of cars, tracks, and game modes that hold up even today. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it refines the core elements that make arcade-style racing enjoyable: approachable controls, rewarding physics, and a variety of challenges. If you’re in the market for a pure, no-frills racing game that still delivers excitement behind the wheel, Test Drive 4 is well worth your time.

Retro Replay Score

6.9/10