by Wyatt "JOEDOG" Elliott
The next installment in the long running Test Drive series is here. Its the sixth installment in the series, the third on the Playstation, and the first on the Sega Dreamcast. The series has gone through some changes, including this edition, but still remains a solid racer.
Test Drive 6 unfortunately wants to mimic Gran Turismo. So you'll find they make you earn money in the game to buy additional cars. Test Drive 6 is a great game, but its far from Gran Turismo class, so this feature only hurts it. Forget two player competition, unless you play this game for hours before hand the lack of car selection kills any long term entertainment that can be had.
Additionally the graphics fall a bit short this time out. The car selection screen really lacks detail and the pop up seems to have doubled. The graphics are ten times as good on the Dreamcast. However, They are not Dreamcast's best either. Sega Dreamcast has the power to make a Test Drive game a revolutionary title. Instead we have just a Playstation port over with enhanced graphics.
Test Drive 6 has an awesome sound track, however the Dreamcast version of lacks any real sound effects. All the car engines sound the same and weak at that. The Playstation sounds better, but not great.
Due to the cross traffic, Test Drive 6 features collisions that can categorize this game as fantasy. Your car can plow through a traffic jam not only completely unharmed, but sending your victims flying hundreds of feet through the air. Its an awesome sight to see, but if you've driven America's roads lately, one has to wonder how many people take these games literally. The Dreamcast controller doesn't handle as well as the Playstation. Playing enough of this game becomes a real pain in the fingers. The Playstation's dual analog controller handles perfectly, with the exception of weak dual shock compatibility.
The Dreamcast Test Drive 6 is the superior console edition. The game looks better, plays faster, but don't expect any additional features not found in the Playstation. All in all, Test Drive 6 is an enjoyable racing title for both Playstation and Dreamcast, With a few minor flaws.
PUBLISHER: INFOGRAMES
SYSTEMS: PLAYSTATION / DREAMCAST
GRAPHICS: 7 / 8.5
SOUND & MUSIC: 8 / 6
CONTROL: 9 / 7
SECRETS: 9 / 9
ORIGINALITY: 6 / 7
FUN & REPLAY: 10 / 10
OVERALL: 7 / 8