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Parents' Guide to

Test Drive: Unlimited 2

By Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 13+

Ambitious but flawed racer glamorizes illegal street racing.

Game PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360 2011
Test Drive: Unlimited 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Test Drive: Unlimited 2 Game: Screenshot #1
  • Test Drive: Unlimited 2 Game: Screenshot #2
  • Test Drive: Unlimited 2 Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 2 parent reviews

JoleBobby
JoleBobby Adult
March 19, 2022
age 15+

A good game but not without some questionable themes

This game could have been a 5 star if they hadn't put in some unnecessary and slightly objectionable content. I liked TDU 1 better in a few ways. for one thing this sequel has more than half of the vehicles unlocked, the rest are only available as DLC packs which you have to pay real money for to get tokens which you spend to unlock them, but in fact these vehicles are already available in the game files, but must be unlocked or hacked. The site where you once downloaded them is no longer available as well. TDU 1 gave you everything. TDU 1 also did not have unnecessary cutscenes with characters partying and showing off and sometimes being rather immature. When you beat some of the racers they will act unbelievably childish about it. Also there is some mild swearing in the cutscenes and one scene shows one character carrying another who is drunk. The in-game driving gameplay is mostly alright except if you go into the carwashes a scene will play where 3 scantily clad young chicks wash your car and act suggestive while they do it and also if the player should pick up a female hitchhiker she will sometimes say "you're cute" when you drop her off. Make no mistake that TDU 2 could have quite possibly been game of the year in it's time if they had just not added in the unnecessary and inappropriate content and kept it more focused on what it's really about which is driving and exploring and racing. And if they just didn't decide to pull this DLC stunt on the players. If you happen to uninstall the game for any reason, you will lose your DLCs. And because of the servers no longer in existence, you will only be able to get the DLCs with a hack or a trainer as I believe they're called. I will however tell of a quick simple secret to get the DLC cars 1. When you want to buy a DLC car, go to the saleswoman at the dealership. 2. Select a car on the list that is unlocked above or below the one that is a locked DLC. 3. The menu will slowly change and give you time to quickly select the car that is the locked DLC one. And you buy the car, simple as that. If the DLCs don't interest you and if you ignore and skip the bogus cutscenes you can still get a lot out of the game. At least give it a shot
Tom_Gamer_Tom
Tom_Gamer_Tom Adult
March 11, 2011
age 9+

Its appropiate for just about any age.

Let's look at Grand Theft Auto..Violence, sex, drugs and a lot of language. Look at this game. NONE of that is here. A bit of bikini at the start, but nothing else. Its a game based on driving, nothing else. So, it has illegal street racing. The majority of appropiate racing games also have illegal street racing. Its nothing new to the genre, or to ANYONE. Anyone who hates this game, its your opinion. But this is a REALLY good game, and you'd have to be an idiot to think its rubbish or mature in any way.
See all 2 parent reviews

What’s It About?

An open-world driving game set on the tropical islands of Ibiza and Hawaii, TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED 2 allows players to enter impromptu races against anyone they happen to run across in the game's world. They can bet on the outcomes of these races to earn virtual cash that can be used to purchase clothes, furnishings, car modifications, and other items. A story mode exists as well, with players working through a series of licenses and championships that help them earn prestige. As players continue to race and explore, they work toward levelling up by meeting objectives in four categories: competitions; collection of game items such as vehicles, homes, and haircuts; discovery of new areas on the map; and socializing, which can involve making friends, creating challenges for others to try, and joining clubs.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (2 ):
Kids say (9 ):

If nothing else, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is an ambitious game. There are hundreds of square miles to explore, dozens of hours worth of single-player competitions, loads of items to collect and objectives to complete, and nearly limitless challenges to be both created and found while playing online. But the enormity of the game's world also causes some problems. By focusing on scope, the game's developers seem to have neglected important details. Environments are in turns bland, empty, and repetitive, never sparkling with the vibrancy and near-photo realism of other recent racing games -- save perhaps during inclement weather, when we get to see some lovely effects. Plus, motoring through the empty tropical wilderness for long minutes can become tedious. Perhaps most importantly, the car handling never feels quite right, regardless of whether you play with driving assists on or off. Vehicles just seem to lack weight, floating around the road. Test Drive Unlimited 2 stands apart from the crowd, but not always for the better.

Online interaction: Players encounter other humans frequently in the game's persistent online world. Players can chat with one another if voice communication is enabled, creating the potential for kids to be exposed to unsuitable subjects of discussion and share personal information. Common Sense Media does not recommend open online play for pre-teens.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the dangers of driving at high speeds. The drivers in this game never get hurt. What do you think would happen if you crashed into another car driving 100 miles per hour in the real world?

  • Families can also discuss the difference between sanctioned, legal races on closed circuits and street races set in public spaces. Why do you think drivers would want to engage in such a dangerous activity?

  • A recent study looked at whether players who take risks in racing games are more likely to take risks in real life driving. What do you think?

Game Details

  • Platforms: PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: Atari
  • Release date: February 8, 2011
  • Genre: Racing
  • ESRB rating: T for Lyrics, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling
  • Last updated: August 30, 2016

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