The Duel: Test Drive II
1989
- racing
- simulator
- arcade
- action
- non-fiction
- single player
The story
The Duel: Test Drive II is a cross-platform racing game developed by Distinctive Software and published by Accolade in 1989. It is the second entry in the Test Drive series of video games.
What it’s like
Pseudo-3D highways scroll toward the horizon in bright, flat palettes, with stylised roadside trees, distant hills and a sky that shifts toward dusk as the miles pile up. The view sits low and behind the car, so the road rushes up through the windscreen and the tachometer needle does most of the talking. The engine note is a steady, slightly thin drone that climbs with each gear change, and the soundtrack is sparse enough that the hum of the tyres and the rhythm of the shifts carry the mood. Head-to-head play against a rival car makes each stretch feel like a short, tense exchange rather than a sprint. The pace is measured and absorbing: long stretches of quiet, concentrated driving broken by overtakes and the odd close call with oncoming traffic. Its emotional register is calm, competitive and a little wistful, the sort of unhurried focus that suits a rainy afternoon, a late evening alone, or anyone who likes the pleasure of getting a machine up to speed. There is no violence, gore or cruelty; the only danger is the risk of crashing, which costs time rather than anything grim. It suits players who enjoy driving for its own sake, retro-curious enthusiasts of old-school car simulators, and anyone drawn to the era's clean, chunky vision of open road and sports cars.
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