The Duel: Test Drive II

Story

As in the original Test Drive game, The Duel is about driving exotic cars over dangerous highways, dodging traffic and avoiding car chases. While in the first game in the series the player simply had to race for time in a single scenario, Test Drive II improves on its predecessor by introducing varied sceneries and giving the player the option of racing against the clock or against a computer-controlled opponent. At the beginning, the player has the option to choose a car and a difficulty level, which in turn determines whether the car runs with an automatic or a manual transmission - the number of difficulty options varies depending on the game platform. Levels begin with the player's car (and computer opponent, if selected) being on a roadway. Usually, these are two- to four-lane public highways with many curves. Each level is different and contains obstacles such as bridges, cliffs and tunnels, in addition to the other cars on the road. Also, in each level there are one or more police cars along the route. The goal of each level is to reach the gas station at the end of the track in the shortest time possible. Stopping at the gas station is not mandatory and you can drive past it if you are inattentive. If you don't stop, you will run out of gas and lose a car (life). The player starts the game with 5 lives, of which he/she loses one every time he/she collides with something. If the player completes a level without crashing or running out of gas, he or she gets a bonus life. In case of a crash, the player loses not only a life, but also thirty seconds of his/her time. Cars can collide with other vehicles or obstacles like trees, they can fall off a cliff in the mountains, or they can suffer too much damage if they leave the roadway for too long in the plains. Players can also lose a life if they drive a manual transmission by revving it too high, causing the engine to rev up. A collision with a police car ends the game immediately, regardless of how many lives the player has left. Police cars appear in every level. If the player is driving faster than the speed limit when he/she encounters one of these cars, it will chase him/her. If the police car overtakes the player's car during the pursuit, the player must stop and will receive a ticket indicating the offense and the speed of the car. This does not cost the player his/her life, but it does cost valuable time. Players can avoid being chased by the police by slowing down before encountering them.