Tips and Tricks - Test Drive Unlimited 2

Test Drive Unlimited 2 has had some interesting twists and turns in its first week, and not just on the numerous roads you can drive. The MMO-style racer hit some speed bumps due to traffic and server issues shortly after launch, which has led to the game getting stuck on the initial load screen.

While the original game (Busy Gamer Review) would gracefully drop you into offline mode, for some reason the presence of an Internet connection leads it (at least on Xbox 360) to keep trying... and trying... and trying.

The quick fix, at least until the next game patch hopefully corrects this, is to disconnect your Internet connection (either Ethernet cable or wireless adapter). Just be aware that if you login later, it will dump you out of the game - so make sure your progress is saved.

The game actually lacks a quit button, so watch for the save progress icon at top right. Switching to the map view is a quick way to prompt a save. Once the icon stops spinning, you can power off or return to the dashboard.

Once you get into the game, here are some more helpful suggestions:

• Quit if you're losing a championship race. You can retry races as many times as you like as long as you don't finish and lock in your score. If you finish, you can keep trying but if you throw in towel and quit, whatever ranking you receive last sticks. Your only choice if you want to improve your race rank is to start the whole set of events over. Best not to cross the finish line if you're not at least in the top 3 (or happy with less than 1st!). Keep an eye on your racing status indicator after you cross checkpoints: Green means you're in the lead and red signals that you're behind. If you can read the numbers without crashing, you'll know by exactly how much. Pro tip: Get a spotter to tell you how you're doing while you focus on the road.
• Race dirty. Use your rear-view look (LB on Xbox 360) to peek behind you and cut off the other vehicles when they try to pass (this works best with AI racers; real multiplayer opponents might just ram you!). If you're just not cutting it, try another car or upgrade the one you have. Do odd jobs to save up the cash and unlock any upgrades you need.
• Level up to unlock parts. This is a new twist in TDU 2: You have to increase your fame in the quadrant where you want to buy your tuner upgrades. So first find all of the tuner shops and then make a note of which half of Ibiza the one you want is in (or the quadrant of Oahu if you've unlocked it). Drive the roads, pick up some of those challenges with little timers on them and stop to find any wrecks (if your wreck radar pops up while you explore the section) to quickly level up. OK, so maybe quickly isn't the right descriptor. This can take awhile. But upgrades can make racing the cups go a lot smoother. I upgraded my VW Golf at the German Tuner Shop and then cleared the A7 challenges in record time (even that nasty one with all of the twists and turns!).
• Use day runners. I can't fathom why more people don't use headlights during the day in real life, or why they're not available as an "always on" option in this game. They really improve visibility for others (especially if you drive a gray car on an overcast drizzly day in Seattle - yeah, buddy, that's why I almost plowed into you). In TDU 2, they can help you spot cars you might otherwise collide with in dim tunnels or even open road when the shadows are long or visibility is poor. Again, it would be nice to have the option to leave them on all of the time, but for now you have to hold down the A button on Xbox 360 while you drive. Check your manual or just experiment with the different buttons if you're not sure where to find it on other platforms.
• Try cockpit view on convoys. There's an achievement for logging a bunch of miles in cockpit view, but it's usually not the best choice for racing (unless that's how you roll in these games; I prefer to see my whole car when hitting the turns fast). But convoys and other untimed transport missions are usually pretty dull, and this can both liven them up and help you toward your goal.
• Add your own soundtrack. Not sure if this is available on PS3 or PC, but on Xbox 360 at least you can switch to your own music by pressing the guide button and navigating to the player controls. I love to cruise to classic Foo Fighters and songs from the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack. Pick your own favorite road tunes and rip them to your hard drive. It's too bad the in-game radio doesn't have a custom soundtrack feature, but this is a good workaround. You may want to turn down the other in-game sounds so your music don't get lost in the mix.