TDU2 - My observations

This is my list of observations for TDU2. For the record I've been playing this for about 22 hours (not in one block, obviously), but I think from what I've experienced, I can give a pretty good nutshell review.


Controls


From the outset, TDU2 does NOT detect my 360 controller automatically. You have to tell it to detect it, even though the driver for it is within windows itself, and other games pick it up automatically just fine.
Furthermore, the keyboard controls seem to be picked out from some shitty 90's game - It doesn't even use WASD by default!
Course, you could tell it to do that but since 90% of PC games which use driving/shooting have used WASD as standard, this certainly seems a bit... late.

Once you have managed to get TDU2 to pick up your controller, you will, most likely, have to rebind a few keys, the key ones being the gear change keys and the Reverse Cam/Change View key. I swapped them over. I also attempted to swap the X and A key over (Handbrake/Flash key, respectively). This was fine until another popup required the use of the new handbreak key (A), for example, banking FRIM - It would simultaneously engage the handbrake. I fail to see why it was so hard to disable one function while xyz was happening.
The controls also conflict elsewhere. B, which is now my Back Cam key, also engages the car reset (placing you on a road).

Steering is way too sensitive and no amount of setting changing (not even in windows) corrects it. Same goes for the braking. I have lost count of the times I have been rear ended by a friend who was following me because the brakes are too damn sensitive.

Driving
I swear the speed guages have been uprated. Going along at 100 MPH feels like 60. Whether this is the case or not I do not know.

AI drivers are suprisingly good. They indicate where they're going, so you can most of the time avoid them, HOWEVER there are times when it completely derps out and they turn WITHOUT WARNING less than one second ahead of you.

Telephone poles, trees, lamp posts and signs are your worst enemy. They will not budge no matter how hard you hit them, and you WILL hit them NO MATTER WHAT!

My gearbox preference is Sequential (Manual without a clutch). The automatic can sometimes derp out and not change correctly, and it also changes a bit too early in some cases (~300rpm). With sequential, you can either choose to rev the nuts off the car, or if you wana cruise, change at a lower rate.
Be warned, if you crash while in gear 5, changing from that to reverse (on which you accelerate with the same button to go forward) takes about 3-4 seconds.

Graphics


On first start, you will be running in windowed mode. Really Atari, is it that hard to START IN FULLSCREEN?
This can be corrected with Alt+Enter. There isn't an option in graphics menu for this either.

My computer is a Core i7 running at 4G's, 6GB of ram and a GTX295 for a gpu, so imagine my surprise when I stick the settings to near high/max, and only pulling 21 FPS. I had to set shit down to medium to get a playable framerate of 37 FPS. This isn't fucking crysis! I am not alone in regards to this seemingly poor console port, much like GTA 4 was.

While in cockpit view of a car going at speed, I noticed a graphical flaw along the edge of the windows and mirrors. While driving, a crude blur effect is applied to all elements except the car itself. At certain points, it "bleeds" onto parts of the car itself.

Gameplay


I only have one bugbear about this, but it is a big one.
Every challenge in Ibiza is PISS easy. Okay, some are more difficult than others, but the races and time trials... Jeez.
I think I know why though. This being an MMO and all, people with... possibly lower confidence and self esteem levels will try the game and see it's easy, possibly acting as an ego booster.
I must say this though - Once you get to hawaii, it's a fucking pisstake. Attempting to go for your A5/4 license is imposisble - The car you use is too impossible and loses control way too easily., leading to a lot of failures.

Bugs


UPDATED: The system has a habit of shitting itself where people can't log in. This has created immense e-drama on the TDU2 forums.