Test Drive 4

Test Drive 4
Developer(s) Pitbull Syndicate
Publisher(s) Accolade
Electronic Arts Victor (Japan)
Series Test Drive
Platform(s) PlayStation
PC CD-ROM
Release PlayStation
  • NA: September 30, 1997
  • EU: November 1997
  • JP: April 2, 1998
PC CD-ROM
  • NA: September 30, 1997
Genre(s) Racing
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Test Drive 4 is a racing video game developed by Pitbull Syndicate and released by Accolade for the PlayStation console in 1997. The PC version was released in parallel a year earlier. It is the fourth entry in the Test Drive series. Around the time of the game's release, its franchise was at the height of its popularity, outshining its arguably better-known competitor, Need for Speed, which it managed to outdo both technically and financially.[1] In 1998 it was re-released as a PlayStation ‘Greatest Hits’ title.

Gameplay

The game follows the same path as its predecessors by taking the player on a quest to win new tracks and vehicles. This installment has the added twist of going international, with the challenge now spanning locales around the world. Test Drive 4 features 14 modern and classic street-legal vehicles, covering a wide range of makes and styles. Only a few vehicles are available to the player from the outset, with the rest needing to be won or purchased as the game progresses. There are six tracks with locations in five different countries.[2] The Sony PlayStation version of the game supported its System Link feature, which allowed two-player multiplayer racing without using splitscreen through the use of a proprietary cable connecting two consoles. This allowed each player to have their own display, and required two copies of the game, as well as the consoles and cable.

Reception

Test Drive 4
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game RevolutionB[3]
GameSpot5.5/10
IGN7/10
OPM (US)3.5/5
PSM4/5

The game was generally well received by critics and fans. Prior to its release, Test Drive 4 was awarded the Official Electronic Entertainment Expo Best of Show Award for the "Best Racing Game of 1997." The PlayStation version was re-released in North America in 1998 as part of Sony's Greatest Hits program.*

See also

  • Gran Turismo was in development around the time TD4 was released, and has a more realistic approach.
  • Need For Speed II, Test Drive 4's main competitor.

References

  1. ↑ "Test Drive 4". IGN Entertainment, Inc. November 3, 1997. Archived from the original on October 15, 2002.
  2. ↑ Rubenstein, Glenn (December 9, 1997). "Test Drive 4 Review". GameSpot.
  3. ↑ Tony V. (February 1998). "Beauty vs. the Beast". Net Revolution Inc. Archived from the original on March 8, 2005.
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