Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

From the moment you step off the virtual plane in Test Drive Unlimited, the island of O’ahu is your driving playground. You start by choosing an avatar—either male or female—and receive $200,000 to kick off your motoring adventure. That initial budget quickly evaporates as you purchase your first car and home, but this financial pressure only fuels your desire to hunt down street races, checkpoint challenges, and time trials scattered across the island’s diverse terrain.

O’ahu is fully open from the first minute of gameplay. You can traverse winding mountain roads, seaside highways, and urban cul-de-sacs at will, either by simply driving around or by using the in-game map to warp directly to race events or dealerships. Each car’s built-in GPS voice guides you to pre-programmed or custom locations, making navigation intuitive whether you’re tracking down a cross-country race or exploring a hidden shortcut.

The heart of the gameplay loop is acquiring and upgrading an automotive collection. With over 125 licensed cars and motorcycles—ranging from affordable commuters to exotic supercars like the McLaren F1 or performance bikes like the Kawasaki Z1000—every purchase carries realistic handling, acceleration, and braking characteristics. Winning races not only earns you prize money but also Master Points, which unlock higher-tier events and exclusive vehicles.

Test Drive Unlimited’s seamless integration of single-player and online modes adds another layer of depth. Log in through GameSpy, and you’ll see other players sharing the roads, participating in community events, or hanging out in the virtual meeting lounge. You can set up custom races with specific car classes, define start and finish points anywhere on the island, and fill out slots with AI racers if needed. This social dimension makes every drive feel unpredictable and alive.

Graphics

On Xbox 360 and PC, Test Drive Unlimited delivers an expansive and detailed rendition of O’ahu. Cars sparkle under tropical sunlight, and the island’s lush foliage and distant mountain ranges create immersive backdrops for high-speed chases. Vehicle exteriors and interiors are modelled with meticulous accuracy, allowing you to appreciate the fine stitching of leather seats or the glint of chrome accents.

Dynamic weather and day-night cycles enhance visual variety. Early morning fog blankets valleys in mystery, while evening sunsets paint long shadows across coastal roads. Reflections on wet pavement and realistic particle effects during drifts help convey speed, and ambient sound design—from rustling palm fronds to distant ocean waves—rounds out the sensory experience.

The PSP and PS2 ports, while admirable for bringing the core experience handheld and to older consoles, understandably reduce polygon counts and texture resolutions. Some motorcycles and dealership NPCs are absent, and the cockpit camera angle is locked out. Still, these versions retain the essential charm of cruising around an entire Hawaiian island, complete with Master Points and Auto GPS features.

Despite occasional pop-in on distant objects and the long loading times when teleporting across the map, the overall presentation holds up. The sense of scale and environmental authenticity will appeal to players who crave a living, breathing open world rather than linear drift courses or point-to-point sprints.

Story

Test Drive Unlimited doesn’t burden itself with a deep narrative. Your character arrives at Honolulu International Airport simply to begin a life of fast cars and free-spirit exploration. There are no branching story paths, moral choices, or NPC dialogue trees—just the thrill of the open road and the social beats of racing other players online.

The minimalist approach means there’s no scripted drama or plot twists, but this is by design. The game treats its island setting as the real protagonist, inviting you to carve your own story through the cars you collect, the friends you make in the online lounge, and the personal challenges you set for yourself. Every new purchase, race win, or scenic drive becomes part of your unofficial chronicle.

If you’re looking for a character-driven storyline with cutscenes and voice acting, you may find the narrative framework in Test Drive Unlimited sparse. However, fans of pure driving experiences will appreciate the lack of interruptions. The story is what you craft: an endless summer of automotive obsession on one of the world’s most iconic islands.

Even without a traditional plot, the progression system—unlocking tougher events with Master Points, upgrading your garage, and dazzling other players with your rarest cars—provides a compelling sense of purpose. In many ways, the story is the pursuit itself: building the ultimate collection and mastering every corner of O’ahu.

Overall Experience

Test Drive Unlimited stands out as a milestone in open-world racing. Its unparalleled freedom to explore a real-world location, combined with a vast roster of licensed vehicles, offers a level of immersion rarely seen in the genre. Whether you’re mapping out a cross-island cruise or battling rivals through tight mountain passes, every session feels like a personalized driving holiday.

The online integration elevates the experience further, transforming single-player roads into shared highways. Spontaneous drag races with strangers, coordinated cruises with friends, and community-created events ensure that the island never grows stale. While the GameSpy service has since shut down, fan-run servers and community tools help keep the multiplayer spirit alive.

Visual fidelity on Xbox 360 and PC remains a highlight, and even the scaled-back handheld and older console versions capture the essence of O’ahu’s scenic diversity. The lack of a scripted storyline might disappoint those seeking narrative depth, but for driving purists, the title’s focus on pure motoring freedom and social competition is liberating.

Ultimately, Test Drive Unlimited delivers a unique blend of collection, competition, and exploration. It asks little more of you than to get behind the wheel, find your favorite car, and experience the rush of open-road freedom. For anyone who dreams of cruising down sun-lit highways with the wind in their hair, this game remains an essential destination.

Retro Replay Score

8/10