Though the eye-searing sheen of Microsoft’s Forza Horizon games might convince more contemporary players that the whole open-world racing shtick was pioneered by The House of Xbox, that whole template was actually conceived much earlier by the Test Drive Unlimited titles way back in the dark mists of 2006. Now with some thirteen years on the clock since the last entry in the series, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is here in a bid to not only return the series to its past glory but also to meaningfully evolve it beyond what the series has accomplished to date.
The Pearl Of The Orient Provides An Evocative, Peerlessly Glossy Playground For Petrolheads
Arguably any open-world racer is only really as good as the world in which you find yourself motoring around in and right away Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown makes a bold statement in that regard. Taking place in current-day Hong Kong Island that has been fully recreated to a 1:1 scale, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown makes the most of that city’s synergy of man-made and natural beauty, inviting players to speed beneath the fixed gaze of toweringly glossy skyscrapers in the Fortress Hill financial district, tear around the tree-lined streets leading up to Victoria Peak, or just lazily cruise past the iconic, though slowly moving, Peak Tram.
The boldness of this open-world choice is underscored by the fact that despite its alluring spectacle, Hong Kong as a videogame setting has been woefully underused and so feels resolutely fresh as a result. Certainly, outside of the street-level grittiness and compelling urban intimacy previously glimpsed in the excellent Sleeping Dogs, it’s fair to say that the Pearl of the Orient still has a whole heap of untapped potential as a videogame setting, to say the least.
An Extreme Attention To Car Detail Like Never Before
As much as Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown exercises a very high amount of detail in its recreation of Hong Kong Island as a sprawling explorable landmass, so too has developer KT Racing also gone the extra mile (and then some) with its visual showcasing of the cars that will be zipping around the island. Boasting extreme attention to vehicular detail, every car in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is an opulent approximation of the real-life article. From the slightly depressed, though ultra-sleek lines of the Bugatti Chiron through to the robust, yet low-key attractive everyday design of the 2010 Audi Q7, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown absolutely makes screen-stealing superstars out of its vehicular cast in a way that few other games successfully manage.
Beyond just the visual side of things, every one of the rides that you can hop into in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is fully functional and featured to boot. Encompassing everything from fully interactive windows, togglable sunroofs and completely functional engines, KT Racing’s loving fixation on its broad spread of motor vehicles is far more than just skin deep.
Clan Warfare Gives Meaning To Your Open World Odyssey
Though Hong Kong Island is undeniably an attractive realm filled with all manner of different events in which you can take part, developer KT Racing has provided a real foundation for wanting to do all of it by virtue of its clan warfare system which serves as the basis of its progression systems. Much more than just some rote open-world playground filled with icons, every race or event that is successfully tackled you are awarded with varying amounts of money and reputation, with the former being used to (you guessed it) purchase shiny new cars, while the latter plays directly into the clan warfare system that sits at the heart of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.
Essentially, when you earn enough reputation in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown you will gain the attention of the two ruling clans of Hong Kong Island – the elitist Sharps and the rebellious Streets – who will approach you separately to do special missions and events exclusively for them. Naturally, choosing one over the other doesn’t just exclude you from a whole heap of events (naturally encouraging replayability as a result), but it also results in different cars being made available to you as well.
Progression And Discovery Are King
Though winning races to make some towering stacks and reputation is great and all that, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown won’t just throw these events into your lap. Instead, wannabe street racers are encouraged to very much wander off the beaten path to find the best that Hong Kong Island has to offer beyond just what the in-game map tells you.
When you’re not taking part in special missions, guarding truck convoys filled with expensive goods, transporting eye-wateringly expensive hypercars from one location to another or progressing with one faction or the other to unlock new races, schedules and locations, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is ostensibly about embracing the spirit of progression and discovery and in both cases, KT Racing’s latest effort looks to offer a bounty of riches and then some.
Immersing Players Into The Identity Of A Full-Time Online Street Racer
Taking advantage of the numerous leaps and bounds that have occurred in online multiplayer technology and connectivity that have happened since Test Drive Unlimited 2 raced onto the scene in 2011, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is very much about forging an entirely separate online identity that solely revolves around cars, street races and the Hong Kong competitive racing scene as a whole.
Very much geared towards fostering a social space with your entirely customisable avatar and car collection, whether you’re in the glittering Solar Hotel or in one of the many car dealerships or meeting places, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is as much about meeting new folks and expressing your passion for car racing and collecting as it is about the actual racing itself. And let’s be honest, if I was minted enough to own a Bugatti Chiron, I’d probably be spouting off about it to like-minded folks too.
Ready to live out your petrolhead fantasy? Then be sure to secure your copy of Test Drive Unlimited over on the Green Man Gaming store. You never know, you might save yourself some cash and will certainly gain a reputation as a smart, savvy shopper!
