Car racing games, whether on consoles or PC, are plentiful, with licenses dating back to the 90s. Any car fan will certainly be familiar with Gran Turismo, the legendary Playstation racing game. Even after more than 20 years of existence on 5 different consoles, this game is still considered the Go-To for sim-arcade/simulation-based car racing.

We also have other titles that are just as legendary, such as Need For Speed. The saga is just a staple of fun, arcade-style car racing, even if there have been a few changes of trajectory towards simulation. We all get lost on the road at some point, and NSF did the same thing with Shift and Pro Street. The latter were poorly received by critics, and especially by fans, because let’s face it: the whole point of Need For Speed is to entertain you with beautiful cars, customization and limitless urban racing. But fortunately for us, EA and the saga’s various developers, notably Criterion Software, have gone back to basics in recent years.

There are also other saga’s in the world of automotive video games, such as Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsport, Dirt Rallye, Project Gotham Racing, Burnout and so on. The list is quite long, and covers everything: fun, arcade, simulation and a mix of the three. There’s also a series that was a hit from the moment it was released: Test Drive. This saga was born in 1987, and has been declined in several opuses, notably Test Drive Unlimited 2, released in 2011. And since then, nothing. That is, until now. Yes, TDU has risen from the ashes this year! with a new title called Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

What do we know about the latest Test Drive Unlimited opus?

Since 2020, the TDU Solar Crown project has been announced, or rather made official, as its development began during 2018. A teaser appeared on the net this year, much to the delight of fans of fun, arcade-oriented car racing.

The teaser shows dozens of cars. When it comes out in September 2024, the game is expected to feature over 100 car models, including GTIs, Super Cars, Exotics and even electric cars.

As for the theater of operations, this year we’ll be visiting Hong Kong, with 1:1 scale modeling, but only on part of the city. Hong Kong, the island, is something like 2,700 ^km2, and the game will only use 50 ^km2 of it. That’s quite small compared with previous editions of the saga (20 times smaller, to be precise), but from the videos we’ve seen, notably the teaser and interviews with the developers, we’ll have a better overall immersion.

Vehicle customization is ever-present in this new TDU Solar Crow opus, with both mechanical modifications to engines, gearboxes, tires, suspension, etc., but also everything to do with the car’s design and aesthetics, such as paintwork, rims, etc.

See all the images of the new Test Drive Ulimited on the Steam page

Another interesting point to mention is the multiplayer aspect of the title. TDU Solar Crow will be a 100% online multiplayer game, whether you’re taking a leisurely solo ride, or taking on opponents from all over the world, but only on the platform you’re on.

Speaking of platforms, TDU Solar Crow will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC on September 12, 2024. However, as I mentioned above, there will be no cross-platform release. Perhaps we’ll be able to take on players from other platforms via an update. But only time will tell.

Finally, I’d like to say a few words about the different versions of the game. TDU Solar Crow will be available in standard, Silver Streets, Silver Sharps and Gold editions, all with different selling prices of course. Each edition has its own exclusive content, including cars, outfits and even early access to the game. All we have to do now is wait until mid-September 2024 to see what TDU Solar Crow is worth.