A Massively Multiplayer Online Racing Game is a great idea that would please any racing fan who's looking for the next big thing - and Test Drive Unlimited did just that when it launched on the Xbox 360 last year. With a huge island, an online mode fully integrated into the single player mode, and hundreds of vehicles and missions, how could it possibly be ported to the now ancient PS2 hardware? Well, it can't - and that's why some changes have been made. That's not to say that the conversion is bad; it's just not as massive as you're led to believe. Even so, it's easily the most refreshing racer to hit the PS2, ever.

And where better to set a refreshing game than Hawaii? The game throws you straight onto the island, where you test drive your first car and (hopefully) win a race and earn enough credits to buy your own ride. Afterwards you can purchase a house to store your cars, view stats and other homely things. As you progress, you'll find yourself owning numerous houses all across the island, each filled with exotic cars from around the world. As an open-ended driving game, Test Drive Unlimited really succeeds.

You can drive anywhere on the island; across crowded highways overlooking the ocean, through treacherous mountain ranges and even across the back country. If you're looking for a leisurely drive with a beautiful backdrop then look no further (well, other than the 360 version!) and if you're looking for some intense races and challenges then Test Drive Unlimited is also the game for you. It features a large assortment of races, time trials and checkpoint challenges, each with varied lengths and opponents. Some races take a few minutes while others can take over an hour; and you'll find stiff competition along the way from the AI, traffic and a few cops (unless you're playing online, but more on that later). Unfortunately, TDU suffers from some repetitive AI patterns, but if Gran Turismo can get away with it then why can't Test Drive?

The exploration aspect of the game is one of the best parts; you can teleport to anywhere you've previously driven, but if a race or challenge is outside of an area you've explored then you have to drive over to it and 'unlock' that road - and trust me when I say that it will take you ages to unlock all the roads on the island! That's one of the nice features about TDU; it actually feels like you're driving the distance displayed on screen. Twenty miles takes a good while to drive, and driving around the edge of the entire island takes over an hour to achieve.

TDU isn't a straight port of the 360 version - obviously - and as such it's had some overhauls. The loading times have increased and this does take away the seamless transition from the overhead map to the game itself. Also, while viewing the map you don't see activity on the streets below as you do on the 360 - to put it bluntly, it doesn't feel as alive. Furthermore, motorcycles have been removed completely (many people didn't enjoy this aspect of the 360 version, so perhaps this is a blessing), as well as mission-based challenges where you drive hitchhikers, cars or merchandise across the island (again, a blessing? Perhaps). New challenges have been included to round the gameplay out a bit more though, as well as a points system that's very similar to Project Gotham Racing's kudos concept, implemented for stunts and drifts.

Surprisingly, the online play isn't as dumbed down as you might expect; when playing online you simply experience the single player with other people. As you drive along, instead of seeing cops, you find real racers. Not a lot, mind you - only a couple per area and sometimes none at all. You can lock at a set of players so that the game only keeps track of them and doesn't transfer any new drivers into your server, but this doesn't seem to work as it should. As you pass drivers you can challenge them to one-on-one races right there, or you can find specially marked multiplayer race hubs that look like your usual race challenges. Each hub is for a specific track, so at times you'll have to go to the map and browse the various hubs to find one with racers in it. It's a bit silly compared to the usual online menu in games, but twice as much fun.

Test Drive Unlimited really is a brilliant concept, no matter the platform. Sure, you can take a racing game and put other drivers in the single player to explore and race with, but the fact that so much effort and detail has gone into the actual island itself is a real standout attribute of the game - one that puts it above much of the competition. Although the PS2 version doesn't look as good as the 360 or PC version, it looks pretty good and runs smoother than you'd expect, all things considered.

The cockpit view is even included, allowing you to look at the full interior of your car while you drive around the island. Roads and buildings aren't as detailed or anti-aliased as the other versions, and the draw distance is considerably shorter, but the overall atmosphere and feel is represented and really pushes the PS2 in its final days. The sound isn't as fully-featured as it is in other racing games either, but you'll likely find yourself enjoying the mellow tunes on the radio, or rocking out to some of the more well known acts such as Queens of the Stone Age; unfortunately, minor details such as the audio changing when you're inside the cockpit view haven't been implemented in the game, but overall the sound is good for a previous-gen racer.

For a PlayStation 2 racing game, Test Drive Unlimited is totally unique and would have been absolutely huge if it were released earlier in the life of the console (like right around the time the network adapter came out). If you have the choice then the 360 or PC versions are naturally better, but if you're limited to the PS2 and have grown weary of constant street racing titles basing their games on what's trendy, then Test Drive Unlimited is exactly what you need. Simply put, it blows away any other realistic racing title at the moment, providing heaps of entertaining and challenging racing action that will last you for a long time to come.

Reviewed by Christopher Martin for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).