Atari and Eden Games have just released the second entry into the Test Drive Unlimited series which offers players the ability to drive some of the most luxurious cars in the world and experience the lifestyle that goes with them. Giving players full access to the island of Ibiza to start and eventually on to Oahu, you’re free to explore every nook and cranny of the environments as you’re put into races, earn money and can customize the experience as you see fit. So with all the pieces in place, how does Test Drive Unlimited 2 come together as a full product?

When you first step onto Ibiza in the game, you’re pulled from your job as a lowly parking valet and given the shot at racing on a reality TV show competition called the Solar Crown. Along with seven other contestants, including the show’s producers and hosts, you’ll be put through a series of races and challenges to prove your mettle and earn cash. In order to compete in various events you need to earn driving licenses for various classes in the game’s asphalt, classic and off-road categories. Now the game’s story toes the line of over-the-top cheesy from start to finish. Every character delivers their lines with enough gusto to be a gainfully employed sportscaster. From minor conversations to driving instructions you’ll be bombarded with overly positive chatter from everyone acting as though they’re your best friend. And once you’re freely driving around the island, cell phone calls chime in suggesting you visit one location or another, often one after the other. But for time’s sake, luckily you can turn them down and go about your business.

The game features a leveling progression in which you’ll unlock items available for purchase and discounts at shops around the game world. As you earn points in the four categories of competition, discovery, collection and social you’ll eventually build up towards the level cap of 60. In order to earn points you need to buy cars and clothes, make friends in the game with other online players, win races, and map out the islands thousands of miles of road.

Now before even digging into the cars and driving aspect of the game, the developers built an enormous layer of content dedicated to the lifestyle surrounding the luxurious vehicles available. You pick one of six starting avatars for you character who you can later augment all you want with plastic surgery. And by discovering stores scattered around the island you’ll be able to buy clothes and accessories to create the look for your character that you want. You’ll also be able to buy houses which you can decorate with different accessories to your heart’s content and invite other players into your abode to check out your digs. There’s a lot of care put into designing the lifestyle elements of the world, but at the same time all of the buildings feel empty. If you go into a real estate office or a driving school, you’re in a big empty room where the only interactive option is to talk to the person at the desk. And for that matter the driving schools in Ibiza and Hawaii are literally copy and paste versions of each other down to the parking lots and interiors.

You’ll bump into other online players at some of these locations and the on-screen indicators will show you where other players are on the island while you’re driving around. The game has an emote system that allows you to communicate with other players as well as chat over headset. For players who love to customize their own spaces in an online world, the game provides an immense palette for that. You can also create drivings clubs that are similar to other online title’s clans or guilds. Within clubs you can gain access to new cars and challenges that you wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

When you first get pulled from your valet job into the racing circuit, you have almost thirty thousand dollars in the bank and get to buy your first classic car. You’ll nab either a Ford, Lancia or Lotus to get yourself started in racing and earning money. While the game offers three levels of driving assistance to help players depending on their skills, the game tends towards arcade racing rather than the more realistic physics you’d find in more simulation-style games. The differences between full driving assistance on and the hardcore all-off modes are slim. Most racing novices would still feel in control driving hardcore from the getgo. While the description of hardcore claims it aims for a more sim-type feel, it’s definitely more Burnout than anything resembling Forza.

The game also gives you a combo system to earn money from early on where by dodging cars, jumping and drifting you’ll earn cash. But if you bump into anything along the way you’ll lose your combo and your money. As you work up through the 10 levels of combos, you can bank funds at any stage for a limited period of time before the meter reaches for its next point. This system is helpful early on as you don’t have as much money, but after winning a few championship races the system’s maximum of $ 4,000 just doesn’t seem worth the stress of banking up 10 levels of combo.