Let's face it, the Test Drive series didn't exactly start off on the right foot...or maybe I should say tire. It originally began early in the 90's over on the PC as a typical racing game, followed by a quickie port onto the Sega Genesis by the people over at Ballistic.
Still, curiousity piqued enough so that a Test Drive sequel, The Duel, would follow a bit later. And so on, and so on. Soon, the series began to swell just as big as EA's Need For Speed series, with different variations to the series like the Test Drive: Off Road games and more Test Drive sequels. Late last year, Infogrames brought the Drive to Sega Dreamcast with Test Drive 6, and, well, let's just say that it looked, felt, and sounded like a game that should have stayed on Playstation. And that's being kind.
Now comes another Test Drive game...or is it? Playing Test Drive V-Rally actually convinced me that there may be some life in the series yet...if the programmers over at Eden Studios are to be believed. This game has a surprising amount of depth to it, as well as a handful of other features to make it the king of Rally games on the Dreamcast...yes, even topping the almighty Sega entry Sega Rally 2 (which irked me anyway, due to the lack of online play and a sloppy frame rate at times- still rocks, though).
So here's the breakdown, and pay attention, you'll like what you find.
Visuals:: Wow. Where can I start here? How about several different cars available at your disposal, all modeled like the real things, right down to the shocks, tires, and vehicle endorsements? No? How about the game's blazing frame rate, which sticks at a constant 60-frames per second (multiplayer exceptions are minimal) while retaining an awesome amount of track details, like flowing trees, the mud kicked up from the tires, or the tail lights that go out on your car after a nasty collision?
Still not enough? OK, we got lighting effects during nighttime driving, being able to see the shadow of your driver within the car, windshield and other reflections, beautiful textures all around (with only a minor-bit of pop-up), and a cool intro movie to get you in the mood for some hardcore rally driving? It's not a perfect graphic engine, but take a look at Test Drive 6 and then take a look back at Test Drive V-Rally. We're talking a 500 percent improvement, and a game that looks like it really does belong on Sega Dreamcast. A damn fine job.
Audio:: Again, an improvement. You can only take so much of "Cars" from Test Drive 6, but what we have here is a more balanced, almost nurtured soundtrack produced by SIN. You'll definitely want to turn it to 11. The sound effects are also very convincing, like some great engine and car noises to keep you rallyfied. However, the announcers, let's face it, need to LOOSEN UP. I miss the old "Very long easy right, baby"...I really do. These guys should just talk normal instead of like school instructors. Overall, a great audio ride.
Gameplay/Control:: Well, Sega Rally 2 may have techniques and such, but Test Drive V-Rally is hardly what I might call a slouch. The handling of each vehicle is superb, right down to the way the car handles after hitting a small bump or hitting another car. You can actually flip your car here, instead of just minorly scratching it on the side, and then just tap on the D-pad to get back in the race, ala Rush 2049. Nice. The gameplay is simple yet addictive, with plenty of options to change things around if you wish. And then you've got a challenge on your hands, thanks to the number of tracks available and the ability to change the difficulty to your liking. And speaking of tracks...
Extras:: : 86 freaking tracks. I'm serious. Just when you think you've got all the turns and twists down on one specific track, boom, there's others to conquer. You'll find a buried treasure of stuff to unlock, including some boffo new cars to add to your digital collection.
Even then, there's the Track Editor mode, where you can create your own muddy haven, save it to the VMU, and show it off to your friends. That's racing love right there, people. To round out this package, you've got various play modes, including the much-beloved Arcade mode for those of you looking to Rally on without worrying about modification. And did I mention multiplayer? Oh, yes, it's here, and it moves pretty solidly for a rally racing game. You'll be bumping cars well into 4 in the morning before you have to get more beer. YEEHA!
Overall:: This game completely floored me. I already had my fill of Dreamcast excellence already with this week's releases, including Jet Grind Radio and NBA 2K1, but I simply cannot put this game down. It does so many things right it's absolutely shocking. The graphics, the gameplay, the extras, the track editor, the multiplayer options...it's the game that Sega Rally 2 should have been, period. I just wish there was a way to make the announcers say, "Baby".
Score:: 8.0/10
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