Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown (2025)

It feels like we've been waiting forever for Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. And now that it's here, it's a bit… disappointing.

Gameplay:

This open world racer gets quite a lot right, for sure, but technically it still feels like there's work to be done, and there are some elements of its design that just lead to frustration. Needless to say, at this point in time, it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend.

Story:

Set within a 1:1 recreation of Hong Kong Island, Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown has pretty much everything you'd expect of an open world racer. There's a wide range of real world cars you can save up credits for and then purchase, allowing you to compete in a variety of events ranging from sprint races to time attack events.

Multiplayer:

When starting an event it will always try to match you up with others whether you want it to or not. It also means you can't pause the game, so if the phone rings or someone knocks at your door, you've got a choice to make.

Graphics:

In fact, the visuals here are seriously lacking in ways. Various effects such as reflections and shadows are poor, and picture quality is soft on the whole, detracting from the attractive world that been built.

Controls:

One thing you'll notice that Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown gets right from the outset is the handling of the cars you're put in control of. This isn't an all-out arcade experience, allowing you to throw your cars into corners and drift around them with reckless abandon.

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Test Drive Unlimited: Silver Crown has a lot of qualities and definitely excels in some fields, while in others it fails epically. If you're searching for an arcade racing game that stands out from its predecessors, the series, or the genre as a whole, you won't find it here.

Gameplay:

When you buy a racing game, you want to feel adrenaline, you want to drive cars that you cannot drive in real life, and you want to speed through the virtual streets since it's undoable through the real ones. Of course, you can do all that and much more in Test Drive Unlimited: Silver Crown.

Story:

As is typical with games like this, Test Drive Unlimited: Silver Crown includes a storyline, but it's rather shallow and barely worth mentioning. Early on, you'll create your avatar, who quickly becomes the new standout in town due to their exceptional talent.

Multiplayer:

The opponents you compete against are either bots or real people, provided you have the patience to wait for them to join. At the beginning of each race, you have the opportunity to wait for online players to join your race, or you can simply skip this part and compete against bots.

Graphics:

Visually speaking, there are some instances in which Test Drive Unlimited: Silver Crown truly shines, like the car model presentation and the weather effects, while in all other aspects, the game looks like it came out ten years ago or so. The contrast between the car you're driving and everything else around you is so big that it's almost unbelievable.

Sound:

The sounds are okay, but no more than that. The car engines during races and free roam sound a bit weak, or not powerful enough, to be more precise.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown doesn't break the mold of any other generic racing simulator, which isn't inherently a bad thing. It definitely scratches the itch of purchasing cool cars, racing them, upgrading them, and customizing them.

Gameplay:

Every car handles differently, obviously, for the most part, but drifting is where I think the game can improve the most. Pressing Square to employ the handbrake often results in me spinning out, but again, this can also be a skill issue on my end.

Story:

The narrative here revolves around the Solar Crown competition, a prestigious racing event where drivers compete to prove their skills and attain elite status. It's really nothing to write home about but instead sets up the stage for why you're there to begin with.

Multiplayer:

Well if it wasn't obvious already, this is an online-only game, meaning you need Nacon's servers to be up as well as an active PlayStation Plus membership to play the game. There's more times than I can count where a server error would prevent me from joining a race or even booting up the game.

Graphics:

The immediate thing you'll probably notice is how blurry the visuals are. It doesn't look good at all, despite being a current-gen game only (sorry PlayStation 4 owners).

Sound:

For the most part, the audio design is decent, and is what you'd expect. The game features a dynamic soundtrack that adapts to the player's actions, creating an immersive and engaging experience.

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Through a lot of perseverance, I still managed to play a handful of hours, by intentionally limiting myself to features and modes that would no longer require a matchmaking session once I entered the open world. AI-only races, no new cars, I only upgraded the starter vehicle a single time when the story demanded it – but to do this single last thing, I still had to endure like half an hour of crashes.

Gameplay:

You may remember the classic Test Drive Unlimited experiences, with some of those gameplay designs also impacting other behemoths in the genre since – Forza Horizon, recent Need For Speed games and The Crew titles in particular. Now, it's time to cash in on the favour it seems, because the open world structure and progression could be virtually lifted from just about any such game – Forza Horizon in particular.

Story:

The Solar Crown tournament from Test Drive Unlimited 2 is back, this time in Hong Kong, and we have to impress high-paying rich customers and investors in all kinds of street races, offroad events and more, amid all sorts of luxurious hotels and big cash payouts. That's about it, so far, unless the game is planning a crazy plot twist later on.

Multiplayer:

See, the review copy we received for Xbox Series X|S has had an enormous issue. After investigating a bit, I realized where the core issue lies. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is, for lack of a better term, an MMO-like racing game, at least per the developers' intentions.

Graphics:

The open world is vast and stylistically very pleasing, even though many assets feel rather outdated by today's standards. And while I criticized or questioned various aspects of the game design, don't get me wrong: Solar Crown is, for what I played, a very fun game that I intend to come back to for some time, as patches and content updates will hopefully make driving this virtual Hong Kong a real joy to play.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown could be so much more than it is. But the game feels rushed, with some poor game design choices here and there, such as locking most of the cars behind a high-level cap, meaning players will need to play hours just to drive... a Corvette...

Gameplay:

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown seems awkward between the classic open-world racer of Test Drive Unlimited 1/2 and the modern open-world racers of The Crew and Forza Horizon series. It tries to be a jack of all trades and becomes a master of none.

Story:

I'm playing a racing game, not an RPG, and I don't want to wander through the interior of buildings, meet NPCs I don't care about, and be given new quests. Like many things in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, it feels like poor game design and a little pointless.

Multiplayer:

The game tries to matchmake every time you start a race, with the developers clearly intending for you to play with players, and the AI is only a fallback if no players are found. Unfortunately, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown did not have a very good launch, and player numbers are thin, meaning you likely won't find any players to play with.

Graphics:

Visually, the game looks okay, but I can't tell you too much beyond that because Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is an unoptimized mess. Running at 1080p Medium settings, my Ryzen 5 5600G and RX 6600XT PC varied between 25 FPS and 60 FPS, depending on my area.

Sound:

The sounds are pretty decent, too. They're not as good as The Crew Motorfest sounds, but they help drive home the power of your cars.

Controls:

The car physics, for example, is a highlight for me. The cars are made to feel weighty and realistic, and it feels good to drive them.

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An open world massively multiplayer online racer with a decent handling model and an okay car list, that's hampered by dated graphics, some baffling design choices, and a clutch of technical issues. In its current state you'd be way better off with either Gran Turismo 7 or Forza Horizon 5, both of which also provide a richer solo game.

Gameplay:

When it works, and with reduced driving aids, there is fun to be had with Solar Crown, and as with any live service game, the hope is that patches, updates and reworks will improve things over time. Turn down the driving aids though, and Solar Crown's physics model feels a lot more subtle, making races trickier but more rewarding.

Story:

After a little levelling up at the beginning of the game you're recruited into one of two rival clans, with certain race events adding to your clan's influence, bringing a little extra motivation to your escapades. Importantly, it's an island that has a mix of A-roads, motorways, twisting country roads, and dirt tracks, making it well suited to a racing game that takes in a range of driving styles, and an ideal setting for Solar Crown.

Multiplayer:

Most of the time you'll be facing off against real human drivers rather than AI bots, since Solar Crown is always online – which is another feature that's brought its fair share of problems during the review period. Server outages, lengthy maintenance periods, and races that won't start as intended have been commonplace, although those glitches have lessened as launch day approaches.

Graphics:

The first of the problem is its distinctly last gen looks. Draw distance is limited, the traffic you pass on roads looks as though it was imported from a PlayStation 3 game, and cars have an eerie habit of suddenly winking out of existence in front of you.

Controls:

You'll also start to get a feel for the game's handling model, its default setting proving to be fairly simple and arcade-like. You still benefit from taking the racing line and can tell when a car's rear wheel drive, especially in the rain, but cars otherwise seem a bit samey.

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Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is an absolutely phenomenal driving experience when it works. Unfortunately, a variety of technical issues hamper the experience, and the lifestyle elements and overall atmosphere of Hong Kong Island leave much to be desired.

Gameplay:

Unlike other racing games such as Forza Horizon 5 where you collect a new car every hour, Solar Crown is all about the bond you form with your rides. Every vehicle in the game feels unique to drive, so you'd better spend the time finding and then saving up for your favourite.

Story:

You step into the shoes of an upcoming racer, plucked off the streets and dropped into a spacious suite at the Solar Crown hotel. Your goal is clear: make a name for yourself on the streets of Hong Kong Island by racing and showing off in the Solar Crown competition.

Multiplayer:

During the review period and even now into the early access window, Solar Crown has been plagued by technical issues. Logging in isn't guaranteed, and most races need to be started several times before you'll actually get into one, and even when you do, you may have to restart it if the server doesn't save your progress.

Graphics:

There's also lots of building pop-in once they cross the render distance threshold — but otherwise everything, especially the cars, looks great. Unfortunately, the iconic skyline of Kowloon is almost entirely hidden, nothing more than a mere silhouette obscured by the game's shockingly low render distance.

Sound:

Cantonese music is also absent; Hong Kong Island has a vibrant and diverse nightlife, but you wouldn't know it based on the in-game radio. The feedback of each type of terrain is brilliantly delivered by the DualSense's haptics, with full rumble occurring along all of the controller, and the L2 paddle jittering rapidly if you brake too intensely before a tight corner.

Controls:

The feedback of each type of terrain is brilliantly delivered by the DualSense's haptics, with full rumble occurring along all of the controller, and the L2 paddle jittering rapidly if you brake too intensely before a tight corner. It makes it seem like you're truly behind the wheel of each car, feeling the road beneath you.

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After years and years of waiting, Test Drive Unlimited is back. Kind of. Solar Crown is an open world racer for gamers who don't need constant gratification, but can be patient and work toward a key unlock and crowning car.

Gameplay:

Racing is generally fun, and some events can be really rather challenging and rewarding if you're in the car performance sweet spot – cars do feel nicely distinct too, even if we're a good bit short of a simcade experience. However, things do suffer when you're low on grip.

Story:

Built around the impossible invitational road racing competition of the Solar Crown – so powerful and lucrative that it can clear the Hong Kong streets for its sanctioned races, and can hand you an AI-powered contact lens as you step out of the quadcopter – you aim to gradually build up your car collection, and to work your way up through the ranks of one of the two racing clans: the Streets and the Sharps.

Multiplayer:

Is always online play truly necessary? It certainly speaks to the game's ethos, but I can't say I've really missed out only playing against CPU drivers and occasionally one other player.

Graphics:

There's also some image quality oddities and clear compromises to get things performing well enough on console. There's a persistent shimmering white reflection (for want of a better term) from the rear bumper of your car and tyres in third person view, and in the cockpit view the edges around your windows are distractingly untinted.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown carries the weight of its heritage but has yet to deliver the whole experience expected of a modern racing title. While it is evident that the developers have a clear vision for the game, the execution leaves much to be desired.

Gameplay:

Thankfully, Solar Crown does capture the essence of open-world exploration that Test Drive is known for. It allows players to traverse the island at their own pace, which is excellent.

Story:

Solar Crown grapples with an identity crisis between nostalgia for its roots and the necessity to innovate. For the title to realize its potential and capture the hearts of new players and longtime fans, Kylotonn must prioritize refining existing mechanics, deepening content, and providing a visual overhaul that demands players to explore.

Graphics:

One of the most underwhelming aspects of Solar Crown is its visual design. While a few areas are rendered with impressive fidelity, others lack the polish players expect from a modern racing title.

Sound:

Vehicles also sound excellent. Solar Crown's greatest triumph undoubtedly is its ability to mimic the sound of a roaring engine or a screeching tire.

Controls:

I'm aware that I may be in the minority here, but I've been enjoying its arcade-style driving system. Cornering, hitting high speeds, and outmaneuvering opponents with clean racing are all entertaining.

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Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown does a great job of giving you plenty to do and a fair amount of direction along the way to get stuck in and explore the open road. The goal is like any racing game whereby your goal is to become the best racer out there.

Gameplay:

You're never short of something to do, and when you can join a clan, be it the Sharps or Streets, you're given some tougher races that reward you greatly for coming first. Different race types make challenges more enjoyable, whether it's a one-on-one with an opponent or a full-on race with others.

Story:

Your goal is to earn reputation through various means, win races to earn money to spend on upgrading your car parts or buy new vehicles, and earn bragging rights on your way to the top. There's a bit of a grind at first, but when you unlock the ability to join a clan, that's when things pick up significantly.

Multiplayer:

Being an online game, there's a great social element to Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown. You'll be able to flash your lights at passing players to signify you want to race them, meet up with other players in the various workshops if clan HQs, and generally make friends or show off.

Graphics:

The world is beautifully designed, with skyscrapers and dense cities, sunny beaches and shorelines, and forests, but there's a distinct lack of people wandering around that makes the world feel rather lifeless. It's not the worst thing in the world, but it would be cool to see crowds gather and interact as you race for gold.

Sound:

You can open the sunroof or the flick the headlights on, switch radio stations, or lower your windows, and if you're ever stationary the engine turns off so you have to press the right trigger to turn it on. These little details sets it apart from other racing titles, and while these nice touches are cool features, it's the racing that makes it enjoyable.

Controls:

The DualSense feels superb as you wrestle with the speed and control, feeling the tension in accelerating and breaking, making you fight for superiority rather than handing it to you on a silver platter. There's a wide range of options for how your car runs and works, immersing you in the control of your car.

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What a huge disappointment. A pointless always online requirement, underwhelming car variety, and terrible progression system hinder what could have otherwise been a decent open-world racing game.

Gameplay:

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown might be a deeply flawed game, but its controls and physics are still great. It's not Forza Horizon levels of good, but it's better than, say, Gran Turismo 7.

Story:

Nothing original, but you can blast through speed cameras and look for wrecked classic cars hidden throughout the map. I actually liked the fact that these wrecks aren't unlocked one at a time; you can explore the map and look for them right away.

Multiplayer:

Every single event is open to other racers, and if they have a connection issue, the entire event goes kaput. More than once I got kicked out from a session, out of nowhere, because of some unspecified server or connection issue.

Graphics:

There were Forza Horizon titles on the Xbox 360 which looked as detailed as this game. Still, there were moments when the framerate would tank to the mid-20s for no reason.

Sound:

Whilst every single sound effect related to a car ended up being passable, the voice acting sounded like it had been created from an AI prompt. And sadly, there's too much voice acting.

Controls:

The gameplay itself is good, and the controls are actually decent. There is a foundation for something great in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a welcome return to the Test Drive series, and it's been a long time coming. With a roadmap for the next year already revealed, only time will tell what the new improvements and features will do for the game, but as it stands, Solar Crown may not start in pole position, but it's certainly well on its way to stepping onto the podium in the near future.

Gameplay:

The way you earn cars is slightly more rewarding in Solar Crown, and you're encouraged to keep tuning a handful of vehicles rather than amassing a huge collection to suit any situation. Outside of racing, there's a decent amount of activities in the open world to keep players busy.

Story:

After creating a character — which, despite having a decent amount of customisation, still looked a little off — and the opening scene showing off some of the game's flashier cars and exotic locations, it was time to race! You've also got the option to join a clan, either the Sharps or Streets.

Multiplayer:

Then there are daily challenges, online events, and seasons, but as this was a review version, these weren't fully available during my time with the game. It doesn't feel quite as populated with things to do as something like The Crew Motorfest, but having these optional tasks at all makes driving around the map a bit more entertaining than driving from one race to the next.

Graphics:

Although Solar Crown never reaches the incredibly impressive graphical heights of a Forza Horizon, it's not a complete eyesore by any means. Having said that, it certainly looks better in some places than others.

Sound:

As far as audio goes, the cars all sound authentic, with the guttural roar of American muscle cars to the more 'sophisticated' purr of an Italian hypercar. Smaller details, like the engine being slightly muffled when in first-person and putting the car's windows up, are really impressive, and it's very telling that those who worked on Solar Crown care about the authenticity of the vehicles.

Controls:

Whilst most cars do handle differently from one another in a way that the actual models would be, controls are — for the most part — quite responsive. Drifting around corners gave me the most trouble, as getting the angle to smoothly glide around a turn was rather tricky, and often left me having to quickly readjust to get back in the race.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a perfectly good racing game that grew on me the more I played it. Unlocking more parts of the map, buying more vehicles, and participating in various races made me want to engage with the Solar Crown world more and more.

Gameplay:

The races themselves aren't anything out of the ordinary. No matter what you do, you have to finish in the top three spots to get more cash, unlock more cars, engage in more races, and so on.

Story:

Then, a Charlize Theron-looking lady starts talking about this or that. These moments were meant to dazzle, but that wasn't it, in my opinion.

Multiplayer:

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is meant to be played solo or, preferably, with or against other players. There's even in-game PvP betting, which can make you richer or poorer, depending on how much you trust your skills.

Graphics:

The game has good graphics, but it's still no Driveclub, and it's lacking in the car reflection department. Visually, I found Motorfest and even the 3-year-old Forza Horizon 5 better looking.

Controls:

One interesting gimmick the game has is the cabin controls. You can fiddle with features like turn signals, windows, windshield wipers, headlights, hazard lights, and even the roof or spoiler when appropriate.

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Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is a frustrating mess of conflicting, grindy systems made worse by a dull open world and unexceptional racing. It's a game of frustration and inconvenience, and while hurtling down a highway at almost 300kph is fun for a few fleeting moments, it doesn't make up for the fact it feels stitched together at the last minute with incompatible parts.

Gameplay:

Progression as a whole is weak, as the grind is unnecessarily long, and the rewards feel negligible. This results in a feeling of stagnation, and since new cars are so expensive, you're often left repeating races you've already completed to earn the game's sole currency, Solar Coins.

Story:

You're an up-and-coming driver handpicked by the 'Solar Crown', an Illuminati-esque collection of elites on Hong Kong Island. It's entirely superficial though, as while your choice to aid one clan over the other contributes to the ongoing tug-of-war between every player, it has next to no impact on the story.

Multiplayer:

You can challenge other clan members to duels, which are essentially just head-to-head races. Your choice to aid one clan over the other contributes to the ongoing tug-of-war between every player.

Graphics:

Compare that to the gold standard for open-world racing games, Forza Horizon, with its breathtakingly gorgeous environments, wide variety of missions, and countless unique locales to discover throughout the world, and I'm left wondering why you'd ever play Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown in the first place. Not to mention the lack of people on the streets; the only NPCs you'll find are inside the clan hideouts and car dealerships, or every now and then you'll see a huge group standing down an alleyway repeating basic animations.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is far and away the most ambitious driving game that developer KT Racing has ever put together, but it's plagued with problems. Forced online requirements that feel needlessly punitive towards solo players, inconsistent and non-adjustable AI difficulty levels, a stale car list, and chore-like progression all conspire to undermine an otherwise robust driving model and eye-catching open world.

Gameplay:

At its best, on Solar Crown's most well-plotted race routes, the racing is… fine. At its worst, however, it's tedious and unsatisfying.

Multiplayer:

While special edition Solar Crown buyers have been playing since last week, I'm really not encountering anybody. Only once have I started a race and been grouped with someone else apparently starting the same race a few seconds later.

Graphics:

The world is particularly handsome at night in the neon bathed streets, but there are sections that suffer reproducible pop-in, or objects cars can clip through. There's an eye-catching level of complexity to Solar Crown's on- and off-ramps, and I really love the look of the many underground, polished-concrete parking garages that lurk everywhere under the city – complete with working boom gates.

Sound:

There's been some impressively granular work done regarding car sound. The hiss of wet asphalt or the bark of your exhaust note changing tone and volume as you wind down the window during the rain or in a tunnel is particularly lovely stuff.

Controls:

Crucially, it boasts a predictable and approachable handling model that's easy to get to grips with. It's arguably a little understeery, and the drastic speed reduction from hitting roadside destructables feels too heavy-handed for an arcade racer, but it drives quite well and is definitely a step up from the divisive feel of Test Drive Unlimited 2.

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If you were looking for the next big open-world racing game juggernaut, you'll be sorely disappointed by Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. Much of Solar Crown feels like a throwback to racing games at the start of the eighth generation, rather than a current force on current-gen hardware.

Gameplay:

As an open-world racer, Solar Crown does very little to stand apart from its competition. The aforementioned roaring past speed traps has been done to an obsequious degree by many other racing games, the sprint and circuit races are bog-standard, and the track design appears to favour a lot of bunching up of cars without giving drivers the ability to breathe comfortably.

Story:

You play as a generic-but-customizable nobody who doesn't speak a word, but who listens obediently to Vivian, a suavely dressed business lady who introduces you to what the Solar Crown is all about and sets you up with a comfy abode and an introductory car to settle you in nicely. There is a classy feel to Test Drive Unlimited, but it's undermined by the absence of character and personality.

Multiplayer:

Joining a clan is a case of representing yourself as a dominant force, so that opposing clans can quake in their racing shoes. You'll be jousting with your opponents and aiming to accrue all the spoils and leaving your adversaries rasping and choking on your exhaust fumes, relieving them of all their cheddar too if you're lucky enough.

Graphics:

Visuals and performance are underwhelming too. Framerate drops during races are noticeable and distracting, and character models lack detail and are generally flat and po-faced.

Controls:

Handling is smooth and maneuverable, managing to caress the arcade edge without feeling uncomfortably loose or rock hard to steer. Drifting seems like an afterthought though because while there is a dedicated button for drifting, the event types don't cater to it as much, and it's a wonder why drifting is featured at all if it feels largely disregarded.

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Solar Crown has the DNA of what made Test Drive Unlimited so revered, but it doesn't quite have the same heart yet. With the first year of updates already planned and shown, there's sure to be some cool additions for Solar Crown... eventually, but with the iconic Casino not even arriving until Summer 2025, you'll need to embrace the grind to tide you over between Seasons.

Gameplay:

Keeping its tradition of being a massively online racing game, Solar Crown gives you a massive playground to drive and compete in with plenty to do as you wish. Massive might be an understatement, as its set in Hong Kong on an island recreated at near 1:1 scale with plenty of secrets to find along the way.

Story:

You're met by the owner/runner of the Solar Crown, a prestigious event where only the best drivers get to compete. After a brief tutorial and outing with a sleek Lamborghini to prove you have what it takes to take part, you're then flown off to Hong Kong Island where the rest of the game takes place.

Multiplayer:

Due to the always online requirement given this is a MOOR (massively open online racer), you better hope you don't get interrupted during gameplay, as there's no pausing the game. As you pass by other players, you can instantly challenge them to a race by flashing your headlights with the D-Pad.

Graphics:

Solar Crown funny enough shines brightest when it's in the middle of the night and raining. Here you'll see the slick wet roads and the neon lights from nearby buildings as you speed by.

Sound:

As for the audio, each vehicle sounds unique from one another. Driving my Audi TT sounded different from my Mercedes, and my Ford F-150 sounded nothing like the others.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown's technical issues, both online and in performance terms, do a disservice to a novel, detailed game world. With daunting competition like that, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown's only hope is that it can keep its technical niggles at bay and that its novel, lovingly crafted recreation of Hong Kong Island is enough to claw its way to cult favourite status among genre fans and digital tourists.

Gameplay:

At least the meat and potatoes of racing is fairly entertaining. The game has a curious handling model, generating huge amounts of understeer when you're braking for corners, but dishing out armfuls of oversteer when you lift off in medium and high speed turns.

Story:

Solar Crown's plot is some by-the-numbers nonsense about elite street racing, delivered by a host of forgettable, dead-eyed marionettes. It's endemic of a general sense that the game has had a personality bypass, something that's evident in the events and activities you'll be participating in as you build a reputation with one of the two clans in the game.

Multiplayer:

Even with only the relatively modest population of Gold Edition purchasers, the servers crumbled faster than a dunked Digestive. Often, you'd be held at the login screen, unable to start the game at all.

Graphics:

Unfortunately, while the map has a pleasing attention to detail, the game engine simply can't keep pace. This is either a game that is extremely poorly optimised or an engine that fundamentally isn't equipped to deliver what's being asked of it.

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Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown offers up a lot of fun both on the track and in its simulated world. Unfortunately, the online-only component of things complicates far more of the experience than it benefits and causes odd problems to occur that makes it tough to fully recommend Solar Crown.

Gameplay:

The racing action is the best the series has seen yet, with handling that feels natural across the board and a better sense of speed too. Now, handling for things like time trials that require more precision feels just as nice as regular races -- where you have more flexibility in making mistakes or using your rivals to your advantage.

Story:

TDU: Solar Crown continues on with the Solar Crown competition in TDU 2 and a luxury vibe throughout the entire experience. The in-world exploration of places like showrooms and hotels adds a layer of reality to things that aren't normally seen in racing games.

Multiplayer:

One downside to this being an online-only racer is that there's no rewind function or any in-game pausing feature. If the servers are down for any reason, then the game itself is completely unplayable beyond just a basic main menu.

Graphics:

Visually, TDU SC is a looker in the areas that matter most to a large-scale racing game. The environments all have an impressive level of detail, with things like store signage being visible and helping make the world seem a more real on a superficial level.

Sound:

Solar Crown delivers the goods more often than not when it comes to audio. The dance and pop-infused soundtrack also has rap in the mix and a fair amount of diversity, so while there's nothing as defining to it as CHVRCHES was for the early Forza Horizon games, there's a solid in-game playlist to enjoy.

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Ultimately, a dozen years on from Test Drive Unlimited 2, and nearly half a decade from initial announcement, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown launches with problems. But if you can look past the glitches, the bugs, the low-quality cutscenes, slow lifestyle elements and the numerous server issues, you'll find a wonderful driving experience.

Gameplay:

Races are plentiful, coming in a variety of event types. You've got standard circuit racing, point to point events, time trials, and more.

Story:

Set in a 1:1 replica of Hong Kong Island you are recruited by the organisers of the Solar Crown. This is a futuristic corporation who oversee all street racing, settling on the roads of Hong Kong to allow for such, with Alyss, your AI companion, helping you navigate the great map.

Multiplayer:

And those races will see you going up against AI racers, as well as those who populate your world. While online racers predictably cause chaos at the first corner, the AI needs some work.

Graphics:

It must be said that those roads occasionally slow Solar Crown down to a crawl too, especially as things are overpowered by high-rise buildings which cause the game to stutter and tear. Thankfully, away from that, Solar Crown runs nicely.

Sound:

Cutscenes and character models are extremely low rate, whilst any voice acting feels faked and dialled in. Some car models are poor too, although mostly those are of any NPC taxis that are found trundling around Hong Kong in free roam.

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