A Solid Arcade Racer, and a Car Enthusiast's Dream
The game starts with a group of young adults all leaving for Hawaii, which is ultimately a glorified method of picking your character. Right away, players will notice that the graphics of the game aren't quite on par with the higher end 360 games such as Project Gotham Racing 3 or Tomb Raider: Legend, but the customization that TDU throws at you right from the start balances this issue out nicely and makes you forget about the somewhat bland character models. Besides, it's a racing game - it's all about the cars, right?
The cars are definitely the stars of TDU, and it's instantly obvious as soon as your new character touches down in Hawaii and has to pick an exotic rental car to tackle the Tutorial with. Each car is painstakingly detailed, from the reflections in the paint to the working gauges, shift knob, and pedals all performing accurately inside the car. Vehicles have several different camera views - the most notable being the in-car view ala Project Gotham Racing 3, complete with head movement to look around inside the car - though players will find themselves using the typical behind-car view more often than not. And, as if taking an improved in-car view wasn't enough for players, each car also has working headlights, windows, and accurate horns for players to toy with while cruising the streets of Oahu.
As far as gameplay goes, TDU plays very much like a standard arcade racer. Each vehicle has its own unique feel, though realism is not one of the goals the game was shooting for. Wrecks can be pretty intense and damaging for your opponents, though any licensed vehicles in the game conveniently escape any damage and simply topple around like toy cars. They'd be fairly tempting to avoid during races, except that a simple push of the "Back" button will set you right back on the track while going a reasonable speed the entire time. It's not to say this is a bad set up. It's just easy, especially since the computer opponents don't make use of this feature (and tend to wreck frequently). The game does get progressively more challenging though - especially police chases for causing damage to other vehicles and property - but overall the difficulty isn't nearly as bad as many other racers out there.
Speaking of races, there are many of them that take place in the game, and an unlimited amount of Multiplayer matches that players can partake in via Xbox Live. Race events range from the typical street race (both sprint and lap races) and time trials to the more unique errands that players can run to earn additional cash and clothing coupons to help customize their homes, cars, and characters. And, as if those aren't enough, the game is completely free-roaming, meaning players can drive from race to race, or ignore them completely while simply exploring the various clothing shops, tuner stores, and car dealerships dotting the island. There are no road restrictions either, so feel free to take that Ferrari offroading (if that is what you prefer, of course). The game feels a lot like Grand Theft Auto in this sense, with the exception that there aren't any civilians to run over...
Sound, like the look of the cars, is another star of TDU. Each car has its unique engine sounds, horn sounds, and radios equipped with several stations to choose from, as well as the typical range of tire squealing. Volume on your car's console can be adjusted as well - a nice touch, most notable on surround sound when your car's subwoofer truly overpowers the sound of the music. Aside from the cars themselves, expect plenty of environmental sounds ranging from the splashing of waves on the beach to the roaring of airplane engines overhead.
All in all, Atari/Eden Studios have put together a very solid and innovative arcade racer, utilizing some unique elements not seen in racers before while paying very close attention to the current and re-used ones (especially in their car roster). Whether being played offline or on, players can expect to put many enjoyable hours into the game, and at $40 for a new Xbox 360 game? It's a deal that's hard to pass on for any car enthusiast.