Microsoft’s expansive Xbox Live system has left time-crunched Xbox 360 game developers torn between focusing on offline versus online gameplay. In the case of Rare’s Kameo: Elements of Power, Xbox Live cooperative play was shelved in favor of focusing on the core single player campaign. On the other end of the spectrum is Bizarre’s Project Gotham Racing 3. While it features the most innovative Xbox Live features to date, the single-player offline experience is a real snoozer. Until developers are blessed with longer development timeframes, the disparity between on and offline gameplay will persist – and maybe even grow.
Taking an Xbox Live cue from Bizarre, Atari is focusing their Test Drive Unlimited efforts on the online component by shooting for innovations previously not offered in the racing genre. Instead of trolls and fairies running around in a massively open environment, they’re going to allow cars the same freedom via the new catch phrase of the day: Massively Open Online Racing (M.O.O.R.). The way I understand it, you’ll have the ability to cruise around roughly 1000 miles of Hawaiian roads with “thousands” of other gamers. At any time you’ll be able to hook up with up to 8 other drivers for various races and challenges and, should you like your opponents, create private racing clubs.
The innovations don’t stop there. The challenges are created by you based on 50 available rules offline, then uploaded to Xbox Live for use by all. We don’t know to what extent these rules stretch i.e. if they allow altering courses, but with so many options one has to assume a good deal of flexibility. I’m thankful the challenges aren’t created right before a race because there’s no way I’d have the patience to wait for some clown to pick through 50 options.
More than 125 licensed vehicles from exclusive manufacturers including Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes, Saleen, Shelby and Jaguar. Cars will be purchasable over Xbox Live as well as licensed and aftermarket parts, homes, garabes, clothes and apparel. No, that’s not a typo. You have to look fly behind the wheel.
What will the offline campaign offer? Honestly, at this point we just don’t know but suspect a watered down version of the M.O.O.R. In the meantime, check out the mix of old and new screenshots, then head over to the game info page for a more rubust list of features.
