Driving sim that lacks thrills
The long running Test Drive series is one of the best known names in the driving scene but has never received the kind of acclaim that others franchises like Need For Speed have. The games are all arcade-style racers, focussing on high speed thrills and action rather than all-out realism and are generally of a reasonable standard but nothing spectacular, thanks largely to dull and uninspired gameplay. Road and Car is an add-on for Test Drive 3, a distinctly average entry in the series which features the usual array of high end cars but which adds in a more open-ended style of racing, where players can pretty much drive wherever they want (including off road). As ever, players also have to watch out for cops which can result in some amusing hi-jinks as they seek to get away at high speed. As an add-on, Road and Car brings a few new elements to the table, notably two new cars over the original's three, the Acura NSX and Dodge Stealth RT Turbo as well as some fairly lush and pretty New England scenery to race against. Unfortunately, that's about it though, so unless you are a die-hard Test Drive 3 fan, there isn't much to interest you here. The game is pretty dated now, with unimpressive visuals that are lacking in detail and appeal, while the racing ticks along at a fairly slow pace, making it somewhat less than exciting. The cars are well implemented, with reasonable physics and handling, while the routes to race around are quite fun but again don't really display anything spectacular which would help the game out. It's not a disaster, but there are far more enjoyable racers out there which provide more thrills and excitement.
