User Score
6.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 97 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 97
  2. Negative: 19 out of 97
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  1. Sep 11, 2023
    5
    Modern take from 2023.

    Big content, small quality 5/10 PROS Ibiza is a big ass map. And once you beat the first chapter, you get a second big ass map, Hawaii. Forza Horizon 5 isn't as big as the first map. It's gigantic. You quite literally can make a multi-hour road trip in this game. When this game had servers available it was incredibly fun to just cruise with friends all night.
    Modern take from 2023.

    Big content, small quality
    5/10

    PROS
    Ibiza is a big ass map. And once you beat the first chapter, you get a second big ass map, Hawaii. Forza Horizon 5 isn't as big as the first map. It's gigantic. You quite literally can make a multi-hour road trip in this game. When this game had servers available it was incredibly fun to just cruise with friends all night.

    Buying a car at the dealership and choosing what interior color you want, or the wheel style, which trim you want is a surreal experience. It gives you that fantasy dream of one day YOU WILL go to a Ferrari dealership and spec out your own V8 supercar.

    The fact the map is so big AND there is a day/night cycle was absolutely BONKERS when this game came out. Nothing had that! At least no day/night at this large of scale

    There is a decent size collection of vehicles to drive, and you can "test drive" ANY of them whenever you want.

    You can buy homes with bigger garages to show off all your cars, it's almost like a life-sim game more than a racing game, you can even get your character new clothes, a haircut, or get plastic surgery (I'm not kidding)

    CONS- I'm sorry boys it's not a good game from here on out, I really wanted it to be.

    -Physics, Numb, uninspired, not fun, disconnected, stiff, unresponsive, unpredictable, take your pick.
    Not even the supercars handle well, SURE they go faster but they don't feel much. better
    -Sounds, some cars have that Gran Turismo problem where they are horrible. It's like a vacuum cleaner sound. Others sound OKAY, but there isn't much to write home about here.
    -Difficulty, the races are LONG and BORING, too easy. You will spend hours doing races you don't car about. Two races have you driving the outline of the map and the race is 1 hour long.
    -Money, it can be hard in the early stages to afford what you want, forcing you to do races you hate
    -Story, we aren't going to talk about the god-awful story just don't even bother
    -Servers are down, no more multiplayer, no more showing off your homes and cruising late into the night with your homies
    -Music, I guess this is subjective, but I did not care for the music. Maybe like 2-3 songs I liked but nothing else.
    -Very little car upgrading at all, you basically drive stock cars the majority of the game.
    -You need to do Gran Turismo style license tests to do the higher-level races and they are boring and time consuming.

    This game had a dream, but it dreamt too big. Lots of ideas not many executed well. I applaud the attempt because there is fun to be had, but you have to GRIND a LOT to get to the fun. And even then...the servers aren't coming back, and main focus of the game was the multiplayer experience and maybe on PC you can get that but not on console.
    5/10
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  2. Sep 1, 2023
    9
    If you like cars and adventure, this is your game. Forza Horizon copied the formula
  3. Aug 31, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Simplesmente o melhor jogo de mundo aberto de corrida e o mais completo,mapa imenso e roncos dos carros são simplesmente perfeitos Expand
  4. Apr 22, 2021
    10
    Still in 2021- The best car game ever made and with features not in today's games. Good job
  5. Jan 20, 2017
    3
    Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a terrible game,and embarassing in comparison to the original

    TDU 2's gameplay is atrocious.The cars handle terribly,the physics and collision detection are off,and it's a shame because the game has so many cool ideas,like buying houses,walking around your house and dealerships,and exploring the world for hidden wrecks to give you a new car,that could have
    Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a terrible game,and embarassing in comparison to the original

    TDU 2's gameplay is atrocious.The cars handle terribly,the physics and collision detection are off,and it's a shame because the game has so many cool ideas,like buying houses,walking around your house and dealerships,and exploring the world for hidden wrecks to give you a new car,that could have resulted in an amazing game if done well,but the gameplay kills this title.

    The graphics are bad,but the framerate remains solid throughout

    Sound design and soundtrack are hit and miss.

    Overall,Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a bucket of awesome ideas executed in an absolutely appalling manner,and it's a damn shame.
    Expand
  6. Jul 12, 2014
    6
    Ok i used to like the first one thn i got an xbox360 i was was exicited for tdu 2 but it went wrong with bad sounds insane difficulty and you cant do any multi races on single on the other hand the two islands are huge it will take a long time to exspore the roads
  7. May 11, 2014
    2
    A real step backwards for the series. The main map was the same as the original game and the second map that was made for the game, the car roster is not as big and the gameplay just doesn't match the feel you got with the first game.
  8. Sep 11, 2013
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TDU2 is a fantastic game with something that no other open world racing game has to offer. That being a fully customizable life! You can customize your character's physical appearance at the plastic surgeon, as well as change your character's clothes, & what I think is the real kicker when it comes to your in-game customizable life is the ability to purchase REMARKABLE homes!! You also get to meet a decent variety of colorful characters though some are quite annoying... There is a decent variety of cars however, some cars are too sensitive and some cars don't sound right like GTR (R35) sounds like a ZR1 with a turbo, other cars tend to sound wrong as well but the R35 was the biggest mistake for me... Some of the garages are also a mission to find and I personally recommend going to YouTube to find them all.
    The graphics are awesome but do appear to be a bit cartoony at times. My biggest complaint which is solely do to my personal preference is the severe lack of JDM cars to be more specific R34 SKYLINES (MY FAVORITE CAR!!)
    Expand
  9. Sep 7, 2013
    10
    What's with all these bad reviews? This game is my favorite driving game of the xbox by far. There are humungous maps for this, and tons of stuff to do. 10/10
  10. Feb 13, 2013
    0
    So I didn't even have an account on Metacritic before I played this game. I felt the urge to make one and express how utterly this game truly is. First off, I don't think there is one particular aspect of this game that impresses me. The graphics are weak, the voice acting is terrible and feels like some cheesy B-Movie, not to mention you can't skip it! Worst of all the physics andSo I didn't even have an account on Metacritic before I played this game. I felt the urge to make one and express how utterly this game truly is. First off, I don't think there is one particular aspect of this game that impresses me. The graphics are weak, the voice acting is terrible and feels like some cheesy B-Movie, not to mention you can't skip it! Worst of all the physics and handling in this game are AWFUL. Jerky, unrealistic and just Atari didn't even try on this one. The previous "TDU1" was far better IMO. Please please please save yourself the money and frustration and buy something decent.. Forza Horizon maybe? I honestly think 0 is a fair rating for this trash game. Expand
  11. Nov 13, 2012
    9
    OMG why is this game rated so low? The technical issues have been patched and there's some free extra content. It's a driving RPG/sandbox. The driving mechanics aren't the best, nor is the game bug-free. But it's a complete package. Nothing here is of a high standard or has a quality feel, but at least it's not boring. If you want pure racing, look elsewhere. If you want an enjoyableOMG why is this game rated so low? The technical issues have been patched and there's some free extra content. It's a driving RPG/sandbox. The driving mechanics aren't the best, nor is the game bug-free. But it's a complete package. Nothing here is of a high standard or has a quality feel, but at least it's not boring. If you want pure racing, look elsewhere. If you want an enjoyable experience, this is fairly good. It sure is addictive. What this game tries to do, and how well it does it, cannot be commended enough. It's such a shame that the game had so many bugs and exploits when it was first released. The achievements for this game are also pretty terrible. Sure, if you have them all, you have done absolutely everything there is to do in the game, but most of them are pretty silly and pointless. Chievos aside, TDU2 is the most complete driving RPG experience you can find. The quantity is here. The quality? That's personal preference. I think it's pretty average. However, if you consider what this game actually has done, you'll begin to see why it's one of the most underrated and underappreciated games EVER! Not only does it connect everyone playing the game seemlesly in a free-roam MMO Racing RPG environment in two beautiful islands with simply breathtaking sights all round, but the whole customisation of your cars (of which there is great variety - old and new - supercars to hot hatches and 4x4s) both performance-wise and visually, as well as customising your character, you houses and also the ability to challenge anyone on a huge variety of events and location at the flash of a headlight is just remarkable. The challenge creator gives you infinite possibilities, and the multiplayer races are not only innovative events such as having highest combined speed through cameras but also there are co-operative ones too. Don't see that anywhere else. The single player content is pretty good with again nice variety and makes use of both islands, all vehicle types and very satisfying. AI isn't a problem at all either. The driving physics are solid both off-road and on the road without assists; although you can enable them to suit your needs. You do get manual transmission, you get collectibles too. I can't see how this game could be improved other than a few finishing touches to make it less glitchy at points. It really is driving nirvana, which gives you ultimate freedom wrapped up in an MMORPG environment. Expand
  12. Oct 25, 2012
    3
    Barbie meets GTA, except remove 95% of what made GTA fun because in GTA, racing was just a side mission, here it is the main game. All the vehicles pretty much drive the same so there is no reason to worry about buying new cars. The actual driving itself is poorly done because your on a narrow eye level of the car's trunk that causes you to have a hard time seeing up a head of you, andBarbie meets GTA, except remove 95% of what made GTA fun because in GTA, racing was just a side mission, here it is the main game. All the vehicles pretty much drive the same so there is no reason to worry about buying new cars. The actual driving itself is poorly done because your on a narrow eye level of the car's trunk that causes you to have a hard time seeing up a head of you, and you can't see more than an equivalent of fifteen feet from side to side., sort of like you have the peripheral vision of a ninety year old. Graphics are horrible, voice acting even worse. Expand
  13. Nov 13, 2011
    1
    Pretty close to the cheesyest thing I've ever played, the cut scenes make you feel like your in a bad remake of Footloose or some other 80's movie. Painful and unavoidable. Driving around aim lessly trying to get other players to interact, stupid licences and the like a real pain to play. Stay away from this one.
  14. Nov 2, 2011
    9
    It's a really nice game, the singleplayer, the multiplayer, all the modes.
    It has some minuses : Lifeless islands, you can't go off-road when chased by police, earning licences is not that great later in the game, voice acting is not that great, but who cares - it's fun and that's the most important thing in a game!
  15. Jul 28, 2011
    8
    Good game, terrible voice acting and cutscenes but get past those and the bugs and underneath is a good looking and fun driver that will eat many hours up just wandering round the islands (especially ibiza) enjoing the scenery and messing about with buddies. Because that is where the entertain is, just pulling up in a car park to find 12 other petrol heads doughnutting around and having a laugh.
  16. Jul 21, 2011
    9
    I am writing this review after the mandatory update.Now this game is pretty cool.It's got a bazillion things to do and now that the update fixed most, but not all,of the problems it makes all the things pure enjoyment.After seeing and reading all of the major companies reviews it looks like only a few looked past the problems and reviewed this game right.Heck I even put it down to theI am writing this review after the mandatory update.Now this game is pretty cool.It's got a bazillion things to do and now that the update fixed most, but not all,of the problems it makes all the things pure enjoyment.After seeing and reading all of the major companies reviews it looks like only a few looked past the problems and reviewed this game right.Heck I even put it down to the floor cause of my disappointment.I really think this tops MC Los Angelas and burnout Paradise.I have off the charts fun even 5 months after it's release.Those other games are awesome in there own way but this is a different level.My hat is off to you,great game!9.0 Expand
  17. May 2, 2011
    7
    The cut scenes are horrendous, with some of the worst acting and voiceovers I've ever heard. The graphics are passable, but nothing to write home about... but I STILL feel drawn to its unique approach to the driving genre. Something about walking around a garage, sitting in cars and just the entire 'relaxing' feeling you get cruising the many, many, MANY roads, cannot be found in any other racer.
  18. Apr 13, 2011
    6
    When I heard this game was coming out, I was very excited. The previous game was one of the best racing games I had played in a long time and I was looking forward to what would be improved and added to this game. What I got instead was complete disappointment. The cars and the two islands were great, but that's about it. The licenses were an unnecessary add on and the story line is prettyWhen I heard this game was coming out, I was very excited. The previous game was one of the best racing games I had played in a long time and I was looking forward to what would be improved and added to this game. What I got instead was complete disappointment. The cars and the two islands were great, but that's about it. The licenses were an unnecessary add on and the story line is pretty pathetic. The voice acting is also overdone and is very cheesy. The way to upgrade cars has also been worsened. I even have the PS2 version of the first game, and its better than this by a long shot. Overall, I'm going to keep playing good racing games like the first TDU and others like Project Gothem Racing 2, 3, and 4. Expand
  19. Apr 12, 2011
    9
    First of all,i have to start by saying This is one Complete package of a racing game! It really has alot of different things you can do,From Standard & Co-Op racing events,to delivering packages or people,or just cruising around for the sheer joy of it.. The detail & animation on the cars is superb,& the islands look very good considering its complete free roam & the sheer size of theFirst of all,i have to start by saying This is one Complete package of a racing game! It really has alot of different things you can do,From Standard & Co-Op racing events,to delivering packages or people,or just cruising around for the sheer joy of it.. The detail & animation on the cars is superb,& the islands look very good considering its complete free roam & the sheer size of the game.Its nice to see weather effects in the game now too.This game would've got a perfect 10,had it not been for the state the game was in on release.From Massively twitchy handeling,to currupted saves,Changable Weather not being present when playing offline,& many smaller glitches.. The Bugs mentioned at the beginning really game braking bugs! & are unforgivable(I was really tempted to mark it down further,due to the bugs,but underneath it is a great game).Patches are all very well,but developers need to start realising that not everyone is online,& will be stuck with these massively flawed products.Its not good enough! Its about time they started taking pride in their products,& listening to their QA testers(why do they hire them at all.if they're not going to fix anything found)!? Games need to be unbroken BEFORE release,not after. Expand
  20. Mar 29, 2011
    5
    Whilst the open world driving and racing is fun and works well there are far too many technical, presentation and game plays issues to rate this game very high. The "story" is awful with terrible voice acting. Even after patching some parts of the game still don't work. The licenses are a pointless addition and are needlessly frustrating to finish for many people. Online racing almostWhilst the open world driving and racing is fun and works well there are far too many technical, presentation and game plays issues to rate this game very high. The "story" is awful with terrible voice acting. Even after patching some parts of the game still don't work. The licenses are a pointless addition and are needlessly frustrating to finish for many people. Online racing almost always ends up as a demo derby particularly in club vs club races. There are no bikes and no online trading/selling of cars. TDU2 is a poor sequel to its enjoyable and well made predecessor. Expand
  21. Mar 16, 2011
    5
    Test Drive Unlimited 2 does a lot of things. It is a racer, has a casino, avatar/car customization, houses, exploration, discovery, collecting, hidden secrets, miles upon miles of roads and cars, however it does not do any of these things particularly well. I loved the first Test Drive Unlimited and played it for 100+ hours, however I could not stomach more than 10 hours with this game.Test Drive Unlimited 2 does a lot of things. It is a racer, has a casino, avatar/car customization, houses, exploration, discovery, collecting, hidden secrets, miles upon miles of roads and cars, however it does not do any of these things particularly well. I loved the first Test Drive Unlimited and played it for 100+ hours, however I could not stomach more than 10 hours with this game. The driving is stale and unexciting, the avatars and clunky and rigid and look horrible. There are too many bugs to count. Unfortunately it is a broken game and even if a patch was released to fix this game it would still not be above a 6. I hate to compare to other games but for racing fans there are so many more better games out there worthy of your money and I hate to say it being such a big fan of the first Test Drive but this one is not worth your investment. Expand
  22. Mar 8, 2011
    3
    This game had high ambitions and missed out hitting nearly each and every one of them. After several weeks the online problems and game save corruptions are still no nearer being fixed. The devs have gone quiet on the forums. I wouldn't be surprised if it was never fixed. A very disappointing sequel to a good original.
  23. Mar 7, 2011
    10
    Awesome game. Shame about online not working well but the additions since TDU 1 really make this game fun. Graphics are clean and functional without being outstanding. Game modes are ok but this is a driving game and as a driving game its awesome fun. Disc has hardly left my tray since release day.
  24. Mar 4, 2011
    0
    Long, boring cutscenes you can't skip past. In this day and age, that's just inexcusable. I want to play a game, not sit through countless inane, puppet conversations. And you can't skip them! It was about 40 minutes of that crap before you're allowed to interact in the online part. This has got to be the only multiplayer racing game that punishes you for 40 minutes before you're allowedLong, boring cutscenes you can't skip past. In this day and age, that's just inexcusable. I want to play a game, not sit through countless inane, puppet conversations. And you can't skip them! It was about 40 minutes of that crap before you're allowed to interact in the online part. This has got to be the only multiplayer racing game that punishes you for 40 minutes before you're allowed to actually get into a multiplayer race. Except here's the kicker, once you get into the "multiplayer" zone, unless you happen to have a bunch of friends playing at the same time, good luck getting into a race. I drove around fruitlessly for another 40 minutes trying to get a race started as other drivers passed me by like a homeless guy trying to get a cab. I guess everyone was busy hustling over to the next tedious cutscene. I hate games that force you to sit through lame narratives in general. But in a racing game?! I thought this would be a game with a lot of people driving around a huge expanse, having fun. In reality, it feels like a very solitary, joyless, grind, as you pass other players doing whatever the hell they're doing as you try to avoid any interaction with the game itself for fear of having to sit through another several minutes of poorly written, poorly acted, totally unnecessary, gibberish. This game gets a zero, because it's by far the least fun I've ever had playing a "racing" game. Okay, that's not fair. I can't really call this a racing game, because I NEVER GOT TO ACTUALLY RACE ANYBODY!! Did I mention the environment looks totally generic and lifeless? Bleh. I hate the makers of this game for wasting my time. Expand
  25. Mar 1, 2011
    7
    This is one of those games where you don't really mind the bad graphics,awful character, bugs and a glitchy world, just sit on the couch, just drive around some beautiful cars and take it easy.
  26. Feb 24, 2011
    7
    Since its release, this game has caused tons of grief for players around the globe with its endless bugs, freezes and glitches. However, credit where it is due, Eden have been working around the clock to fix these issues and are even making it up to the community by offering the first "exploration pack" DLC for free. Smoke that Activision! It is important when reviewing this game to noteSince its release, this game has caused tons of grief for players around the globe with its endless bugs, freezes and glitches. However, credit where it is due, Eden have been working around the clock to fix these issues and are even making it up to the community by offering the first "exploration pack" DLC for free. Smoke that Activision! It is important when reviewing this game to note that there is simply NO other game like this around and its unique-ness is what makes this game so special. Take the ability to cruise on thousands of miles of roads with an awesome amount of cars from the first (great) game and just add more (more races, more islands, more challenges, day night and weather dynamic cycle) until the game itself offers so much that the game's value and length becomes apparent. In conclusion, the game builds well on the first game with a new car handling physics engine, better graphics and with an absolute ton of things to do and you get a game which truly represents value in the long run. On the other hand, the terrible inescapable launch will always plague the title and put off buyers as well as the visuals, car physics and car sounds will disappoint the car enthusiasts and die hard sim racers (stick to Forza Motorsport or GT5), not to mention the most cringe worthy voice acting around. Expand
  27. Cyc
    Feb 23, 2011
    10
    There certainly seems to be a big split between people liking this game and hating it. I have to say I fall on the side of liking it. In fact, I would say loving it. The whole idea of an open world racing game is great, there's certainly plenty to do in it and it's easy to get lost in the whole world of the game and hours soon passing by.
    Yes, it does have certain issues. Graphics can be
    There certainly seems to be a big split between people liking this game and hating it. I have to say I fall on the side of liking it. In fact, I would say loving it. The whole idea of an open world racing game is great, there's certainly plenty to do in it and it's easy to get lost in the whole world of the game and hours soon passing by.
    Yes, it does have certain issues. Graphics can be varied, at times the island comes to life in amazing detail, and at other times the graphics can look a little crude. Overall it's still very impressive. There is some noticeable pop up, and the frame rate can suffer at times, but not enough to distract you.

    From what I can make out, most people who don't like the game are fans of the original, and they feel the game has not progressed enough and some of their favourite things even removed. This may be the case, I don't know. I never played the original. So if all this is new to you, then I can't see you can be anything but impressed by the sheer size of the game and what you can do.

    You can spend hours just driving around the 2 islands, entering championships, challenging online players, forming clubs buying cars, houses and clothes. There is just so much to do.

    If you can cope with the small issues it has, there's an amazing geme here.
    Expand
  28. Feb 21, 2011
    5
    Never in my life have I been so disappointed as I am with this game and that's pretty pathetic.I can't tell you how much I thought Atari was going to amaze us with this game but it's the same ol' song and dance,great amazing Ideas on paper but executed very,very poorly on screen.Are you kidding me, I have never, ever played a driving game this bad on the 360 or playstation 3.This gameNever in my life have I been so disappointed as I am with this game and that's pretty pathetic.I can't tell you how much I thought Atari was going to amaze us with this game but it's the same ol' song and dance,great amazing Ideas on paper but executed very,very poorly on screen.Are you kidding me, I have never, ever played a driving game this bad on the 360 or playstation 3.This game belongs as a Wii exclusive cause it doesn't have the graphics like need for speed,Gt5 or forza at all!!I'm tired of this company giving us pathetic titles.I thought it was bad about Jeff Gordon's mouth moving all over the place in GT5 now it seems alright,I just can't tell you the disappointment I feel. 5 Expand
  29. Feb 18, 2011
    8
    I think the draw for me to this game is the massive open world to explore and currency system in the game. The first game it was a little too easy to make $$$ but now I have to weight the cost/benefit of my purchases. The addition of the casino was brilliant too. I am hooked.. Its one of those games that I think about when i am at work waiting for the day to end so I can exploreI think the draw for me to this game is the massive open world to explore and currency system in the game. The first game it was a little too easy to make $$$ but now I have to weight the cost/benefit of my purchases. The addition of the casino was brilliant too. I am hooked.. Its one of those games that I think about when i am at work waiting for the day to end so I can explore and race more. Expand
  30. Feb 18, 2011
    9
    Ok, first off, this game is awesome fun to play. If you like fun, this game has it. There are things wrong with it, like bad story line attempt, graphics are not the best, and driving is far from perfect, but it doesn't take away from the fun. So far, I have driven all of Ibiza, played several challenges and championships, covered over half of oahu, and still going. Hours have beenOk, first off, this game is awesome fun to play. If you like fun, this game has it. There are things wrong with it, like bad story line attempt, graphics are not the best, and driving is far from perfect, but it doesn't take away from the fun. So far, I have driven all of Ibiza, played several challenges and championships, covered over half of oahu, and still going. Hours have been lost. If you want to have fun when playing games, its great. There really is nothing else like it out there. Take a look. Expand
Metascore
68

Mixed or average reviews - based on 61 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 17 out of 61
  2. Negative: 2 out of 61
  1. May 24, 2011
    67
    We were really looking foreward to TDU 2. The controls of the cars and the AI are really poor. Online multiplayer is more offline than online.
  2. Apr 29, 2011
    67
    Ultimately, Test Drive Unlimited 2 is a fun game to play that will keep you entertained for hours upon hours. Despite a few annoyances and flaws, the game has so much to do and explore that you could spend hours playing in this part of the game without any actual online multiplay.
  3. Mar 27, 2011
    67
    I am a bit torn when it comes to Test Drive Unlimited 2. It is definitely not the worst racing game I have played, but it is marred with technical problems that really do affect the gameplay. I would be willing to overlook these issues if the storyline was either better or nonexistent, but as it stands the story is not even enjoyable in an ironic sort of corny way – it is just frustrating to not give a damn about the characters, especially your own.