After the runaway success of the first Test Drive Unlimited game, which saw over one million players creating online accounts, Atari has today announced Test Drive Unlimited 2 for the PS3. Test Drive Unlimited 2 expands on the traditional racing experience with its Massively Open Online Racing (M.O.O.R) environment, enabling players to compete, team up, and share their achievements and creations online. TDU2 blends the open-world experience with realistic vehicles and performance dynamics, and for the first time features vehicle damage, weather effects, day and night cycles and a new island location to explore.

As with the first game in the series, TDU2 aims to seamlessly blend the single and multiplayer experiences. The game is “always live”, with automatic updates and online/offline integration. A revamped single-player narrative mode can be played offline or as part of the multiplayer narrative, and this latest game in the series also introduces all-new race types, vehicle classes, environmental challenges and locations.

The stunning limited-edition vehicles of TDU2 are flawlessly replicated with developer Eden Games’ finely tuned driving technology. Players get to define their online persona by customizing their vehicles and collecting property, clothing and much more. Here’s Jeff Lapin, CEO of Atari, SA, talking about the game:

“After the highly successful Test Drive Unlimited which redefined the genre with massively open online racing, Test Drive Unlimited 2 will be an innovative evolution in racing games, expanding its unparalleled multiplayer experience and immersing players in a world full of new online content and lifestyle customisation.”

Test Drive Unlimited 2 is due to be released on PS3 this autumn.