Test Drive 5

PlayStation console exclusive

Hear the roar of engines and smell the burnt rubber as you step up to take the challenge of Test Drive 5. Race on 18 different tracks in locations such as Moscow, Honolulu, Tokyo and the winding streets of San Francisco.

Released: 30 September 1998
Platforms: PlayStation Windows
Genres: Racing
Developers: Midway Studios – Newcastle
Publishers: Accolade
Series: Test Drive
Modes: Multiplayer Single-player
Perspective: Third person
Country: United Kingdom
Age ratings: ESRB E

About

Test Drive 5 is a racing game developed by Pitbull Syndicate and published by Accolade for PlayStation and Windows in 1998, and by Capcom in Japan in 1999.

Keywords

sequel
greatest hits

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Development

Accolade spent $3 million on a television advertising campaign for Test Drive 5 and Test Drive Off-Road 2.

Reception

Test Drive 5 received "mixed" reviews on both platforms according to the review aggregation website GameRankings. In Japan, where the PlayStation version was ported and published by Capcom on 25 March 1999, Famitsu gave it a score of 26 out of 40.

James Mielke of GameSpot said of the PS version: "In the end, when you think of all the other games that Test Drive 5 tries to emulate, you're thinking of at least three other racing games that you should purchase before you go for this one. While not a dismal failure by any means, the cheap AI and unbalanced gameplay ensure that Test Drive 5 remains rental material at best." Michael E. Ryan, also of GameSpot, criticized various aspects of the PC version, writing, "while the game is a decent arcade racer with great graphics, plenty of cars, and a ton of tracks, it simply falls short of its number one competitor - EA's Need for Speed III - in almost every conceivable way."