Atari’s open world driving simulator Test Drive Unlimited 2 has been given a release date of September 21 for North America. A European release date hasn’t been stated yet but hopefully it won’t be long after.

The sequel to the original Xbox 360 hit is shaping up to be a fantastic game come September, and Atari have added news features and completely reworked the game engine.

“We’re blending technology that’s closer to MMO engines than most triple-A games,” explains Atari studio head David Nadal. “And the physics in the first one were effectively a sequel to those of the V-Rally games, so we decided to rewrite them from the ground up. Even if you have the experience, that’s not an easy route to take.”

The night and day cycle alone has meant “reworking the entire engine,” he says.

New additions to the follow-up also include weather effects, vehicle damage, new race types, vehicle classes, environmental challenges “and much more”.