Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown mixes arcade racing, open-world exploration, and virtual tourism. All of it started with the series’s previous game and this new one continues that trend. It’s been a long time since the release of a new Test Drive game. Now after more than 13 years since the last game in the series, it is coming back with Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. The game has to do a lot of things better if it wants to have a future.
There have been some major racing games that can put the series on ice permanently. Games like Forza Horizon, The Crew, and Need For Speed have been dominating the racing games while Test was out. These games have delivered the same experience that the series is known for. Especially in Forza Horizon which worked on the same formula yet delivered a good experience. So the game has to do a lot of things better to stand out. All this brings us to the question Is Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown worth it? Let’s find out.
As A Racing Game
The game delivers a decent enough experience even if it stumbles at some elements both mechanically, technically, and balance-wise. All of these factors combine to stop the game from hitting the highs its competitors have reached in the past few years. Despite that, it is a good racing experience. Its well-designed open-world map is fun to explore even when you are not racing.
The setting is the biggest strength of Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. The developer explains it as the recreation of the Hong Kong island. The open world is a major part of any racing game which transports players to the location of the game. These locations can either be real-life locations or inspired by real-life locations. Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown does a good job of integrating the locations on the map with the game. The concrete jungle of the city, jungles surrounding it, rolling hills, big highways, beaches, and more locations show that the game is full of amazing locations to see where you can drive and sink in the view.
Despite having good locations, the game fails to capture a lively feeling making the city feel hollow. It does not capture the vibe the way Forza Horizon 5 did with Mexico. However, it does a good job of taking players to the neon-lit city.
There are two different clans in the city known as Street and Sharps which add to the aesthetics of the game. Each of these clans has its own style, something that the game emphasizes. It creates a unique identity for the game.
Driving
Even though the game’s map is good, its driving can be frustrating at times. For the most of it, driving cars feels good but there are some rough parts. These rough parts stack up which can result in an uneven experience. One such thing is a collision with a destructible object which can have a major impact on the speed even if you collide with a small object. The decrease in speed will be the same regardless of the size of the object.
Handing is also pretty stiff with a lot of different cars in Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown which needs some time to get used to. It can be frustrating in races, especially with the races that have lots of sharp turns.
General Gameplay
Its online-only nature is also another ditherer that can keep players at bay. It also means that some of the features that are present in normal racing games are not present. Simple features such as pause and rewind, so the only way to continue the race is to restart it. The thing is that there is no option for restart so you have to abandon the race and then start again. The only time the restart option pops up is towards the end of the race. It’s a racing MMO so it requires a consistent internet connection but unlike Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown, other games have the option to solo.
One of the things Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown does better is the events available to play. The events range from regular races to time attack events to speed traps and stuff. Meet spots let you meet other players. There are activities that let you unlock classic cars. Workshops and Dealerships that let you upgrade and purchase cars respectively. Domination races are especially good which focus on passing by as many checkpoints as possible before competitors. Each checkpoint will give you points depending on your position. The one with the highest points at the finisher will be the winner.
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown also features a Solar hotel, a skyscraper that acts as a central hub for Solar Crown competition. It lets players walk around in first person outside of their cars and the case is no different for dealerships and workshops. There is a lot of stuff to do in the game with a lot of being quite enjoyable.
Progression
Most of the things in the game are done well enough in terms of progression. XP acts as a reputation. As your reputation increases, you will rank up which unlocks new races and parts to purchase. It is simple with not too many complications. It is good enough to keep player engaged and increase their reputation.
As you upgrade cars and buy new ones, you can feel the improvement in the way they are handled. It means that rewards for your reputation are clearly visible. Progression is slow in Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. The open-world racing game lets you approach and play the game at your own pace. Due to slow progression, you won’t have enough points for the next upgrades which results in replaying the old races again. Replaying races can give you XP which helps in increasing the ranking. It is a major issue in the beginning when there are fewer races.
Verdict (Is Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown Worth It?)
There are some major questions regarding the game. It is a revival of a series that has been out of the limelight for quite some time. One of the major challenges that the game has to deal with is a revival of the series and competing against other racing games at the same time. It revives the game but how successful it is remains to be seen.
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is a solid game. It might not be as good as other racing games which might feel like we are expecting too much from the game. It was not made to be the Forza killer or The Crew killer and developers know that limitation. For fans of racing games who are looking for an open-world experience, there is stuff to like about this game. The game is good on its own however how successful it is in justifying 13 year wait is up for debate.
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