After the last couple of Test Drive installments, I had very low expectations for Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction. But with a talented developer like Monster Games at the helm, the latest Test Drive game partially redeems the tarnished franchise and manages to be a fairly entertaining game devoted to almost every conceivable way to put two or more cars together and have them wreck each other.
If you have not guessed already, Test Drive: Eve OF Destruction is a game involving demolition derby-type events. There are literally so many demolition permutations available in the game, space does not allow me list them all. Needless to say, the fan favorites like wide-open arenas where the last man standing wins and the figure-8 racing modes are here. It is really interesting to see how many ways you can put a bunch of cars in an area and have them race and destroy each other. Crash fans are going to have a field day.
Career mode allows the player to start off with a junker compact car inherited from his grandma and work his way up through the ranks. Do I even have to mention that all the redneck stereotypes are in full use in this mode? They are. I’m sure Monster Games meant no offense. Along the way gamers will accumulate more cars and take on ever-tougher opponents for ever-higher stakes. There are a couple dozen main events in career mode as well as side events. It takes a bit to see it all.
Action mode lets players get right into the action without having to wade through the trappings of the career mode. Pick a car, pick a track, choose an event and get in there and bash ‘em. Not everything is open for the player though. The nice thing is the extra goodies aren’t only unlocked by playing the career mode, like so many other games make you do. Earning reputation points in the Action mode will unlock things too.
Action mode also includes the multiplayer element of the game. Sadly, multiplayer is only a split-screen driving affair. No link or online play facility is included. Could you imagine an open arena demolition derby with about 30 human players on Xbox Live? That would have been awesome!
The game offers a fair selection of cars and even more off-the-wall vehicles like school buses and hearses. All are rendered fairly well by the graphics engine and take damage passably. The sound effects that accompany the game aren’t great – but are serviceable. The tracks and other environments look fairly good, though a little sparse.
More serious deduction of points begins in the actual gameplay of Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction. The career mode is just not a lot of fun. Damn good thing they let players open up things with points earned in Action mode, it is going to get the most play. There is little sense of speed while playing TD:EOD and the cars feel a little bit floaty in the way they handle. The worst offense of all for a game like this; the graphics, sound and rumble feature just don’t add up to really make the player feel the impact.
So, while Test Drive: Eve Of Destruction has an almost absurd number of car crashing event variations and lots of vehicles to use, it is not going to be a cross-over hit with players that are not already predisposed to liking demolition derby driving games. For true fans of this “sport” I think you can pick this game up with no doubts that you will enjoy it immensely. It is probably the best demolition derby game ever made. I wish saying that meant a little more.
© 2004 GameShark.com
