As a reviewer I often get game codes a few weeks before launch. This gives time to really get to grips with it, and give myself some runway in popping out a timely and thorough review. But, sometimes, what I play pre-launch can be very different from what I play post-launch. In the case of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, that was very much the situation.

I had a good week of playing the game and racing across Hong Kong before launch. All this time I was making a name for myself and getting behind evermore powerful machines.

Southbound and Back

Things, however, started going south days before launch as all progress was reset. The progress being reset is not a huge issue. Getting things pre-launch comes with this possibility and it’s a fair thing for the developers to do with these types of games. But, it was the servers after this, and at launch, that really crippled the game.

Hong Kong street racing in games TDU:SC KT Racing Nacon

So much so that our review of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown has been held back till now. Held back until we felt the game was closer to finished. It was a hell of a bumpy ride the first few months, due to the game’s online connection.

But credit to Nacon and KT Racing, by hook or by crook, they dragged it kicking and screaming back to where it was that week before launch. And this is was what I reviewed the game on. However, it must be noted that the launch product fell short of that until that fix was completed.

Testing the Tarmac

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a racer that takes aim at Forza Horizon and The Crew in ways, as it gives you endless digital tarmac to race on and an eye watering garage to do so with, while also adding in elements of digital tourism and lifestyle management too.

On that front, it does a hell of a job recreating the island of Hong Kong and its interesting mix of biospheres. You’ll be ripping through neon-lit streets one second, only to be darting across its coastline sands the next.

That said, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown never truly captures the feeling of a festival of speed like the Horizon series does.

Rivals

The two rival clans (the Streets and the Shapers) add some flare and style to things. They also lend the game an underground racing tone over the standard bombastic firework affair of Horizon.

This however it’s all just set dressing, as it’s the core driving that will see you putting hours and weeks into this one. And, to be honest, it’s an interesting model KT Racing have used.

The driving physics aims more at the sim side of things at times, despite the arcade-style framework.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown maps gas stations

If you have played any of the studios past driving titles, especially their WRC series, this won’t be a surprise. Here, even the slightest collision with a wall or barrier will see you losing a tonne more speed than you would expect. The overall handling is also much heavier than your average arcade racer.

Online Only Issues

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is always online. Beyond the obvious issues, simple quality of life features are also missing because of its always online nature. Stuff like pausing a race or a rewind function. If the doorbell rings or things go sideways, your only option is restart the races from scratch.

Turnpike tolls in video games racing open-world

When behind the wheel, there is a number of things to do beyond just flat out racing. A lot of these are staples open-world racing paradise – time trials, speed cameras, hidden wrecks, and meet-up spots to find your friends – but they are done well. What variety could be wrung from the side content has been wrung.

There are also a number of car dealers dotted around the world. You can buy something new and shiny if you have the credits, with 100 cars from over 30 famous manufacturers to save for in Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown.

Porsche, Bugatti, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Koenigsegg and Aston Martin to name a few, the game offers a suitable roster of desirables.

Towering Hub

The Solar Tower acts as your base or hub. You can kick the tyres of your collection, or get your hands dirty adding few modifications. Part of the fun, as with all games of its type, is squeezing that few extra horsepower from each machine.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Hub Towering home

Surprisingly though, these modifications do really have an impact on the car beyond top speed and acceleration. The appreciable handling, grip, and braking changes that arise from tweaking under the hood make this a joy rather than an afterthought or chore.

One thing you may notice is that progression can and often is a bit on the slow side and borderline a grind at times. As you can be a few points from the next level and have to replay past races to earn the rep need to unlock the next races, upgrades and cars.

Lacking Polish

As mentioned at the start, the launch window was a bit of a riot. However, the game also has a few more issues worth flagging.

Off-road 4x4 gaming driving PlayStation Xbox

For example, the draw distance and pop-in are suspect in places. And, even in 60FPS mode, you’ll spot frames dropping a little too often.

Digital Tourism

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown creates a perfect slice of driving tourism where you get a vast area to explore and race around, that has timed it quite well with the likes of Forza Horizon 5 entering its twilight phase.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown handling model upgrades

There is a lot to really like with Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, but also one or two little issues that hold it back. These issues ultimately stop the game from being on the same level as other top-tier open-world racers out there.

I have to acknowledge that KT Racing put in a solid shift get Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown to its present state, and the game shows potential in its blend of more demanding sim-lite physics in an arcade world.