Test Drive for PC

[pentoman]

Yesterday I played the demo of Test Drive on the Xbox 360, from the xbox 360 magazine dvd. I was unconvinced after playing it in the shops, but with more time I have realised it is incredible.

This is what has made me buy it:

If you go to your garage you can view all around your car. You can switch to the interior, and look all around the interior, and even open/close the doors. But here's the amazing thing: you can start the engine and rev it up, and hear the muffled sound of it from inside the cabin. However if you wind down the windows, it gets louder and louder and how it sounds changes exactly how it would in real life, until the window is completely open and you can now hear the engine echoing off the walls around you and the higher pitched sounds aren't drowned out. It is so lifelike (and I'm sure very hard to program and/or processor intensive to do).

That is incredible attention to detail, so I realised at that time I need this game in my life.

Unfortunately whilst buying it online, I saw they're bringing it out for the PC in February 2007.
http://shop.gameplay.co.uk/webstore/p

I have a steering wheel for PC, and my PC is not bad (XP 64 3200+, Radeon X800GTO) - should I buy it for PC or Xbox?

Is there any split screen or other advantages to the xbox version? I don't have xbox live gold, but plan to get it soon anyway. I don't have a hard disk either, but I guess I will probably get one someday.

[mr2aw11]

I (and many others here) have it for the 360, and it looks glorious in hi-def on my 26" Samsung LCD - I think it would lose a bit on a 17" or 19" monitor. Also, I think the instant access to online aspects via Live are much more user-friendly than the sometimes haphazzard server issues when playin PCs on line.

That said, there is the occasional slow down issue, but I think you'd need a Mega-Ninja PC to avoid slow down and still have the same graphical detail/resolution as the 360. I tend to keep my PC for the likes of the Total War series.

If a steering wheel is the big issue, I believe there's a 360 wheel coming out to coincide with the (original date, or put back?) release of Forza 2.

[Steve_Evil]

Not sure if it will be out before as there is supposed to be a wheel pack bundled with an updated PGR3 (that will include wheel support) or you can buy it on it's own if you already have PGR3, as soon as the wheel arrives PGR should update to include support for it.

[pentoman]

mr2aw11 said:

I (and many others here) have it for the 360, and it looks glorious in hi-def on my 26" Samsung LCD - I think it would lose a bit on a 17" or 19" monitor.

I am using the same new Samsung 26" HD for both my PC monitor and my xbox, so it would make no difference. See my dilemma?

Also an xbox steering wheel is yet another bulky thing to put somewhere, I am v unlikely to buy it. And it's more cost. My current PC steering wheel is a USB microsoft one - any remote chance of it working on a 360??

And the xbox version of the game is already more expensive (£40 vs £25).

Interesting about the slowdown, thanks for mentioning that, it's an irritating phenomenon.

[mr2aw11]

pentoman said:

Interesting about the slowdown, thanks for mentioning that, it's an irritating phenomenon.

The slowdown I've experienced occurs in two places - it's very specific.

On the Millionaire's Challenge, the game seems to have upped the traffic levels, and I get slowdown when I get round to the city - I've done this race three times now, and each time it occurs in the same place. Normally city driving seems fine frame-rate wise (free ride etc.). Second instance was on a challenge in a mountainous region, but I've only raced that once, so haven't duplicated it. Don't get me wrong, we're not talking "jerk-o-vision" here, but it's a definite drop in frame rate.

Otherwise, it's all good, and I'm well hooked.

Have no idea about compatibility with the Microsoft wheel I'm affraid.