TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed

TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed
Developer(s)	Pitbull Syndicate
Publisher(s)	Infogrames (Under the Atari Brand Name)
Series	Test Drive
Platform(s)	PlayStation 2, Xbox, Microsoft Windows
Release	PlayStation 2 NA: 28 May 2002 EU: 5 July 2002 Xbox NA: 11 June 2002 EU: 5 July 2002 Microsoft Windows NA: 10 December 2002
Genre(s)	Racing
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed (Known in the United States as Test Drive) is the seventh installment in the Test Drive series, developed by Pitbull Syndicate and published by Infogrames for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Microsoft Windows.

Gameplay

The game features various modes including Quick Race, Single Race and Underground, the game's main and story mode. Single Race mode includes Linear, Circuit, Cop Chase, Drag Race, and Navigation Challenge. The cars do not suffer damage and they can be painted pre-set or custom colors. There are 26 cars in total and 12 of the cars have police variations. The game has a rock, rap and techno soundtrack consisting of 10 artists and 17 songs; some are played in races and all are played on menus. The game also includes Atari's Pong as a minigame, which can be played while races are loading. One can play against the computer, or against the second player (during multi-player mode).

Plot

The 'Underground' story mode begins in San Francisco, California, where Dennis Black, an American illegal drag racer, speaks with an English man named Donald Clarke, who informs Black that he needs a substitute driver while he recovers from an injury caused by crashing into a tree during a race. Dennis agrees to race for Clarke while he recovers. Dennis then races a time-trial race to prove to Clarke that he is a capable driver. The following night Black has his first race against opponents, Reese Weston (American older man), Kurt Jackson (Irish hippie), Marie Ling (American middle-aged woman) and Nells von Stadt (German playboy). After being successful in the first race, Dennis Black meets Lisa Lux. After a couple more races, Clarke lets Black drive his Shelby Cobra. After earning the Cobra, Dennis participates in a new race mode which is a drag race. Nearing the end of the San Francisco races, Black unlocks a first generation Ford Mustang. By this point in the game, Kurt and Marie are becoming increasingly frustrated by Black's success. Reese, who up till this point had been a good friend, challenges Dennis for his Mustang which he apparently really wants. After defeating Reese in a sprint race Dennis unlocks his customized Chevrolet Camaro and Reese begins driving a Shelby Series 1. After one more race, Black unlocks four cars as a reward for completing the San Francisco races. Dennis receives a Chevrolet Corvette L-88, Jaguar XK-R, Lotus Esprit and Lotus Elise.

The underground races then move across the Pacific Ocean to Tokyo, Japan. In Japan, Black meets some new competition, Morlock Aday (American gambler), Rei Ozawa (Japanese woman) and Hamada Tojo (Japanese gambler). After a couple of races, Morlock announces that he has defeated Hamada and taken his Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec. Hamada claimed that his friend had loaned him his vehicle. Through conversations with other competitors, it becomes evident that not many people like Clarke. In desperation, Hamada challenges Dennis Black one-on-one for his vehicle. However, after Hamada loses, Black refuses to take his car. After completing the races in Tokyo, Black unlocks four more cars; Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec, Dodge Charger, Subaru Imprezza and Shelby Series 1.

The races then move to London, England for the third leg of the journey. Lisa Lux makes her return to the circuit after not participating in the Tokyo races. After a couple more victories in London, Clarke informs Black that he must leave the city for a couple of weeks. While Clarke is away, the rest of the racers try to get rid of Dennis by having him race one versus one against a new opponent named Skeeter Grimshaw. After that, Black defeats Skeeter and takes his Chevrolet Chevelle. Lisa Lux is in deep financial trouble and must win the next race to stay in the competition. After she loses the next race, Black wins her Dodge Viper. Clarke gives Lisa's Viper to Dennis as a gift. The Viper had originally been Clarke's before Lisa conned it off him. Black learns of a man named Vasily, whom Clarke was unable to defeat. Kurt and Nells warn Black of Clarke's possible motives of supporting him. Clarke informs Dennis that there will be tougher competition in the next venue, most notably, a Russian man named Vasily Raskolnikov. Upon completion of the London races, Dennis Black unlocks two more cars; the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 and the Pontiac GTO.

The final location for the races is in Monte Carlo. There are many new characters in Monte Carlo. Black meets five of them in his first race; Hail Knoxville (former car thief), Big T (African-American rap artist), Francois Lafayette (Frenchman), Nina Fettigrew (American red-haired woman), and Miguel de la Cruz (Latin European). After only a couple of races, Black meets Vasily. Big T and Francois explain how Clarke's crash and injury are a result of Vasily intentionally taking him out. Since Vasily is the leader of the whole underworld racing league, he decides that Black and Hail will play for second in ladder while the loser is exiled permanently. Hail is subsequently defeated and has to give up his Jaguar XJ220 to Black and Clarke. In the final four races, Black must beat Vasily in every race, regardless of placing in the top 3. After defeating Vasily in four consecutive matches, Black has earned his chance to play Vasily one-on-one. This concludes the Monte Carlo circuit, with so Dennis Black unlocks four more cars; Aston Martin DB7 Vanquish, Chevrolet Corvette Z06, TVR Cerbera Speed 12 and the Ford Mustang SVT Cobra.

Clarke informs Black that he will face Vasily one-on-one in 4 races in each of the four international cities previously. Vasily races using his prized red Dodge Concept Viper GTS-R. After defeating Vasily in San Francisco, Tokyo, London, and Monte Carlo, Vasily gives up his Concept Viper GTS-R, and Black unlocks the Ford GT40. Clarke immediately possesses the Viper from Black and informs Black that he has been healthy since they arrived in Monte Carlo. Infuriated, Black demands a one on one with Clarke for the Concept Viper. Clarke agrees on the terms that they race in all four location like with Vasily, but only this time, they agreed to do it in the opposite directions and order of cities, and that if Black loses, he must give everything back to Clarke and leave forever. Dennis Black has to race the final four races with the Ford GT40 against Clarke's new Dodge Concept Viper GTS-R. After Black defeats Clarke on all four races, the game cuts to a cinematic which shows Clarke rolling down the Vipers window and tossing the Viper's keys to Black.

After the credits, Clarke calls Hail to steal back the Viper, which ends the game on a cliffhanger.

Reception

TD Overdrive: The Brotherhood of Speed received mostly positive reviews from critics.