Test Drive Unlimited – Solar Crown: Everything We Know!

Here it is. Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Everything we know. Let's get started!

It's been a long 13 years since the last iteration of Test Drive Unlimited. However, good things come to those who wait, and with a launch date of September 12th, 2024, the beloved open-world racer is back. And, in a year without a new Forza Horizon, the timing of the release couldn't be better.

Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown takes everything we know and love from the franchise, bringing it to a modern-day audience. The pinnacle CaRPG experience, this is your chance to immerse yourself in your ultimate automotive fantasies.

Set in Hong Kong, and centered around the Solar Crown competition, your task is to prove yourself the best. How do you do that? You press down the pedals, drive, and drive some more!

There's a lot to explore when it comes to this open-world racer. Here's a summary of everything we know so far about this ambitious open-world CaRPG!

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Everything we know

Welcome to Hong Kong!

Set in Hong Kong, one of the new features of Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown is that its map is a one-to-one replica of the real-life city . Now, if that doesn't impress you, I don't know what will!

The culmination of years of labor, you will truly feel like you've been transported to the 'Pearl of the Orient'. Complete with bustling narrow alleyways, sprawling sky scrapers, neon lights, and surrounding rural gravel tracks, the result is realistically diverse race tracks that will be sure to keep you entertained.

Furthermore, with developers promising new features every three months, the buzz of the metropolis promises to stay fresh.

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Challenging Racing!

There's a lot to write about when it comes to Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown but first thing's first, the racing! This is an open-world racer after all.

Let's start with the good news. From all initial indicators, the driving experience looks good. Very good in fact! Described by Videogamer as 'fun, immersive, silly at times, and grounded at others', it appears to offer everything we'd expect from the franchise, and more.

That's not to say the racing isn't challenging! Especially if you're used to Forza Horizon 5 and the barriers, not to mention the rewind / undo features, neither of which are available here!

No, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is certainly more realistic in that regard, and as a result, it is more difficult. True to real life, even the weather conditions serve to add difficulty. Expect wheel spins and uncontrollable sliding if you take corners too sharply when the course is wet.    

Overall, as well as being more realistic, the KT Engine, previously used for WRC and TT Isle of Man games, is trickier to master than your average racer. Whether or not that is a good thing depends on your experience and perspective.

What we can say though, is that the speeds you can reach are pretty immense, and the satisfaction you'll get from completing a course and ranking highly, is pretty much unrivalled. Just be sure to upgrade your brakes as soon as you are able, you'll need them on some of the corners!

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: An Immersive CaRPG

One of the unique aspects of the Test Drive Unlimited games is that they are more than just driving. Rather, they represent a full-blown, CaRPG experience.

For example, in Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown, you can get out of your car, walk around, check out new cars in the dealership, and interact with those around you as you pick out your new ride.

In many ways, the role-playing elements are just as important as the racing. They certainly help provide the immersive feel of the game, making the franchise stand out amongst competitors.

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Which Clan do You Belong to?

One of the main role-playing elements of Solar Crown is the rivalry established between the two competing clans.

It will be down to you to decide to which faction you pledge your allegiance. Once you've picked your side, you'll gain entry to your respective HQ, as well as your side's progression system and custom races separate from the main track.

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: The Cars

As would be expected from the franchise, Solar Crown is all about realistic car designs. Indeed, if you want the chance to 'pimp your ride', this is the game for you.

Once you've test driven a few vehicles in your price range and settled on your car, you pick the colour, the wheels and the interior. You then go about earning cash through racing for upgrades. Once you've saved enough funds, head back over to the dealership, and get yourself a new model.

Mind you, these upgrades aren't easy to come by, which makes them extra satisfying! In the words of the developers, 'upgrading from Alfa Romeo Mito to an 8C should feel like a significant achievement'. Furthermore, you should keep a car long enough 'so you build a bond and cherish it.'

At launch, you can expect roughly 100 cars, broken down into four main categories:

Daily drivers
Off-road
Supercars
Hypercars

Given the role playing aspect of the game, and the rivalry between the clans, the luxury lines are certainly the most sought after. You'll have to race hard for them though!

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Online Multiplayer

Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown basically runs like a live-service online multiplayer. This is great in terms of emphasising the social aspects of the game and ensuring that each experience is unique.

For example, log in and you'll likely find players in a workshop modifying their cars, others freely driving around, and more loitering in hotel lobbies and nightclubs. As you drive, you're experiencing the same vibe, listening to the same music, and racing in the same weather conditions as players from around the world. We love that! The only downside occurs when you need to take a break. Basically, you can't! The race will continue whether you're in control of your vehicle or not.

Hey, that's the nature of online multiplayers, and do you really need to answer the phone every time it rings?!

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Release Date

After many teasers, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is due to launch on September 12th 2024. Continue to watch this space for any updates. This is set to be big!

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: System Requirements

The exact system requirements for Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown are yet to be announced.

We predict that as long as you have a modern graphics card, an Intel i5-2500k (4 core 3.3 GHz) or AMD Ryzen 3 1200 (4 core 3.1 GHz) processor, and a minimum of 8GB of RAM, and 50 GB of available space, you should be set. However, we will be sure to update you with the exact hardware specs as soon as they are released.

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Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown: Together We Drive

So there we have it, Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown, everything we know (so far!) We've waited over a decade for this, and from what we've seen so far, it looks worth the wait.

In fact, I'll go one further. An ambitious and challenging open-world racer with RPG elements that's permanently online; set in a Hong Kong that's mapped to scale; where, if it rains for you, it rains for everyone; Solar Crown looks set to be the driving equivalent of The Elder Scrolls online. In other words, it looks pretty momentous.

With roughly 100 cars, and a tough progression system, it's safe to say, we're expecting big things at launch. But of course, as a live-service game, launch is only the beginning of your gameplay experience.

The developers are talking about continuous support and upgrades for the game for years to come. If that's the case, there's even more reason to invest early, and to begin your journey on day 1!

Pre-Order Your Copy of Test Drive Unlimited - Solar Crown at 2Game Today!

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