Adios Atari.... A lengthy review of TDU

[DJ_on_a_Hill]

I am fed up with all these glitches and bugs in TDU.

-E-trade
-Speedometers not working
-Enzo's rev lights
-Digital guages not working
-G-meter in Hardcore mode backwards
-MS Steering wheel not working properly with TDU

When this game hadn't been released, it was the only game I could think of. On the day of release I borught it home and the first thing I noticed was the fact that some guages didn't work properly. I shoved that to the back of my head thinking 'This is the game you've wanted for months, don't let some guages ruin it for you.' Well it turned into a lot more than the guages. First E-Trade went down. I was sitting at 45 out of 46 achievements for months. Finally after several months it was fixed and I was able to get the achievement. Then I noticed the Enzo's rev lights were not functional, along with other things such as the Ford Mustang GT-R's digital guages. Again I pushed this into the back of my head.

If I recall, Atari said they's release one car pack every month. This is not what has happened. We've had three in six months! I know there was speculation about the first one being free to compensate for the glitches and I think that would have been great, but I fully understand that Atari really just can't give something like that away because they need to pay for licensing and Microsoft fees, so I won't complain about that.

The last point of my argument is the hardcore mode. Atari stated that if and only if you purchased the December car pack would you be able to get the Hardcore mode. I believe they said it would be free, but I don't want all of you guys to read this and tell me my whole argument is rubbish because of that statement, so correct me if I'm wrong. If you decide to correct me, I'd like to see some proof. (No offense if taken to any of you guys) When I saw that the Hardcore mode was 160msp, I became very annoyed. But, with the thought of how cool TDU would be with realistic physics, if forked forth the 160msp. When I started playing with it on in TDU, I was able to find the controls pretty easy with the gamepad, but I was eager to get a MS wheel to try it on. When I brought the wheel home, I found that it included the force feedback edition of PGR3, and I became hooked on that for a couple weeks. I can tell you from playing that that my force feedback works properly. When I tried plaing with the wheel in TDU, it seems that the force feedback is backwards. When I turn right, the feedback pushes the wheel right and I have to counter that by turning left, which the steering wheel then assists the left turn and this happens until I'm out of control.

I used to own a Lotus Esprit. I've taken the Esprit to the track numorous times, and I know this is not how a real car feels. Also, in Hardcore Mode, the longitudal G-Meter is reversed.

To be completely honest, I ignored the red flags that this game was going to be a dud in hopes that Atari was going to be able to fix them. Atari, you have lost a customer. I wont by TDU2, 3, 4, 5 or any other Atari game or product for as long as I live. If anyone out there is reading this and trying to decide whether or not to get the game, I wouldn't. I would prefer not to be bashed for this review. I'm not some twelve year old who wrote a sentence on why the game sucks.

Just to cover a few last little things, I do have the steering wheel enabled from the options menu and I have tried numorous other things to fix the problem, but they all failed. Also, I am setting the steering wheel on my lap, but I did try the game with it mounted and I got the same zig-zagging result.

-DJ on a Hill

[Sebringmgb]

Im with you DJ!

I havent played TDU for weeks. Play PGR3 for my racing fix now. I wish it wasnt so.... It WAS a great game (and still is I guess...) And PGR is good, but nowhere near as groundbreaking as TDU (and there is hardly anything to DO in PGR... likely it will only hold my interest long enough to get Forza 2 in my console.) But the delayed car packs, hardcore and FF fiasco, numerous glitches, bugs, broken promises, delays, lack of communication (I especially like how Atari feeds information through The_Mole and mods to us, then when either group is queried, they get hostile for asking them, being non-Atari employees, and tell us to contact CS) Its all too frusterating, and took a serious dent out of the enjoyment of the game... And then there is the whole people quitting out of races bit... Wouldnt be such an issue of you still got points after, but i digress. there are a number of other issues, but im sure they will be covered by subsequent posts... and anyone actually interested in my opinion has already heard me bring up other issues in other threads. Im pretty much just here to show my support, before the riff-raff comes along and tries to tear you apart DJ. Im not quite as polarized as you however... I will keep checking here to see if any major changes are made that might bring back some hope for TDU... yada yada yada. but the TDU thrill has definitly left me. Im also not so soured that i wont consider buying a sequel, as the concept is excelent, ill just be monitoring the TDU2 forums before i go spend money on it, so i can avoid the frusterations of this title, if that is the case. Yes, we may be 2 sniveling babies stomping our feet and throwing our toys because we didnt get what we want... But regardless, Atari's handling (or lack there of) of the situation has had the effect it had on me, and obviously DJ as well... and I cant force myself to enjoy the game as i once did. So... as i said before, im not selling TDU, and perhaps ill see some of my old friends when i pop TDU in for "old times sake" but more than likely, ill see you all on FM2!

Oh yeh, to ad to the list of delays.... I never did get that model Lexus i won in the Lexus challenge... hardly surprised...

[DJ_on_a_Hill]

Thanks for the support Sebring. I probably won't sell TDU, but I might not get TDU2... I definately won't preorder it, but if what people say on the forums is ok, I could end up getting it... On a bit of a lighter note, I'm looking forward to Forza 2. Have it preordered... just waiting... waiting...