High Speed Achievements

Xbox Live® means different things to different people. For some, it is a perpetually raging battlefield where the world's toughest cyber soldiers can test their reflexes in tournaments, matches, and events. For others, Xbox Live Marketplace is where it's at for music, videos, and game demo downloads.

Regardless of your leanings, there is one facet of the premier online gaming service that can be used and enjoyed by all. That feature is the achievements system.

This sweet ride can be all yours.

Every title published for Xbox 360™ has its own unique set of achievements laid out by the game's creators. Depending on the type of game, you can unlock and earn up to 1000 points through various feats of mastery. These accomplishments can vary greatly between genres.

Some of the more common ways to unlock an achievement are:

• Finish the single-player story mode
• Complete the game on the hardest difficulty level
• Play X amount of games, online or off
• Perform feats of mastery (three-pointers in basketball, headshots in first-person shooters, etc.)
• Find every collectible or secret
• Finish every optional side mission or quest

You want it don't you? You can admit it.

Ultimately, it's up to the developer to break down the total number of gamerscore points and assign them to different achievements for that game. As you pass each in-game milestone and accrue more points, you may unlock secret achievements that are only revealed to you when a certain action is performed.

This element of mystery rewards players of a persistent and adventurous nature and encourages them to explore every nook and cranny laid out before them.

Join us as we take a look at some spoiler-free in-game achievements and explore the many gameplay possibilities ahead of you.

Test Drive Unlimited Gold Cups
The heart of Test Drive® Unlimited is the racing. No matter whether your opponent is yourself, the clock, an A.I. driver, or another player via co-op or online multiplayer, your job is to go as fast as you can without trashing your car. The majority of the achievements in Test Drive Unlimited reflect this focus.

Your wheels aren't the only proof of success.

You can choose from a wide variety of challenges that all test your driving skills. In single-player mode, you enter local street races for prize money. If you take first place in at least five of these events, you get an achievement. The more gold cups you win, the more achievements you can earn, and each comes with its own gamer point value.

Win 20 cups and you earn 20 gamerpoints. Win all of them, and you get 60 more gamerpoints. Remember getting an achievement for winning five cups? Along the way you can also pick up achievements for getting 10, 20, 40 cups. Thus, the total amount that you can get for winning every gold cups add up to 195 gamer points.

It doesn't pay to just speed through this game. Sure,
go fast, but not at the expense of missing out on
the rewards waiting for a careful driver.

Try and Try Again
Many of the other types of races also have achievements at various intervals that add up to a greater sum than what you get for simply winning. If you complete three missions (often a race against the clock), you earn an achievement. You also get more achievements after successfully completing 15 and 40 missions. When you manage to complete them all, you get an additional fourth achievement.

Remember that you don't have to pull it off on the first try. It's the truly rare driver who will accomplish that feat. Half the fun of the game is making a come-back and conquering that one race you haven't been able to beat.

You can't own just one.

Collector Dedication
Many of the achievements in Test Drive Unlimited relate to the items you can collect. If you're just playing through the game, chances are you'll accomplish many of the achievements that simply require winning a race. Other achievements, however, will require you to pursue them specifically. These achievements focus on which items, including cars, you own.

You can earn an achievement for owning at least three different Ferraris. In order to get this achievement, you'll obviously have to spend a bit of money. Other brands that offer collectors' achievements include Aston Martin, Chevrolet, Ford, Lamborghini, and Mercedes-Benz. You can also earn achievements for collecting motorcycles or items from specific manufacturers such as Ben Sherman or *ecko unltd.

Gamerpoints add up quickly when you're paying attention to how to best earn achievements. It doesn't pay to just speed through this game. Drive as fast as you want, but hurrying through the game means you might miss out on the rewards that await a careful driver.

Article by Angel Leigh McCoy