The Duel: Test Drive II

Story

As in the original Test Drive game, The Duel is all about driving exotic cars on dangerous highways, dodging traffic and escaping the police. While in the first game in the series the player simply had to race against the clock in a single scenario, Test Drive II improves on its predecessor by introducing varied landscapes and giving the player the option of racing against the clock or against a computer-controlled opponent. At the start, the player has the option to select a car and a difficulty level, which in turn determines whether the car drives with an automatic or manual transmission - the number of difficulty options varies depending on the game platform. The levels begin with the player's car (and the computer opponent's car, if selected) on a roadway. As a rule, these are two to four-lane public highways with lots of bends. Each level is different and contains obstacles such as bridges, cliffs and tunnels in addition to the other cars on the road. In each level, there are also one or more police cars along the route. The aim of each level is to reach the petrol station at the end of the route in as little time as possible. Stopping at the petrol station is not mandatory and you can drive past it if you are not paying attention. 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 each time he/she collides with something. If the player completes a level without crashing or running out of gas, he or she receives a bonus life. In the event of an accident, the player not only loses a life, but also loses thirty seconds of time. Cars can collide with other vehicles or obstacles such as trees, they can fall off a cliff in the mountains or suffer too much damage if they leave the road for too long on the plains. Players can also lose a life if they drive with a manual gearbox by setting the revs too high and causing the engine to rev. 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 pursue him/her. If the police car overtakes the player's car during the pursuit, the player must stop and receives a ticket stating the offense and the speed of the vehicle. This does not cost the player their life, but it does cost valuable time. Players can avoid being chased by the police by slowing down before encountering them.