Nacon and KT Racing announced Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown several years ago, and now, they're finally ready to show off a chunk of gameplay footage. In a 30-minute presentation, team members and influencers join rival racing factions, the Sharps and the Streets, to battle on the roads of Hong Kong Island.
Before that, we get a gameplay trailer that shows off the varied island location, with glitzy cityscapes, beaches, muddy tracks, and more. Afterwards is the aforementioned gameplay sequence, which sees six players racing to each team's headquarters, engaging in some very tame trash talk, and showing off the open world before getting into a proper event.
This is our first time seeing the game in action, and it looks, well, very much like we expected. It's very much in the same vein as something like The Crew — you're given a large map to drive around (a 1:1 recreation of Hong Kong Island), a multitude of vehicles to toy with, and countless events to compete in. Picking the Sharps or the Streets at the start of the game will decide your HQ, and victories will help your chosen team in the overall battle for supremacy. In your downtime, you'll be able to explore your base in first person and socialise with other players, although additional activities in these locations aren't really shown here.
TDU: Solar Crown is now scheduled for release in "early 2024", but if you're curious to play it yourself, a closed beta test will be taking place very soon. You can sign up through here, and a select few will be chosen to take part in the beta, starting 24th July and lasting for three days.
What do you think of Solar Crown's gameplay showcase? Are you excited to take it for a spin? Let us know in the comments section below.
Comments 12
Why does this have an 18 rating?
Gameplay looks a little bland to me… virtually empty streets/ locations and no damage model on the cars.
I wonder if it will stay 30fps
It's a bit disingenuous to call Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown "as something like The Crew", when The Crew was a direct response to Test Drive Unlimited 2.
Test Drive was the OG of open world racing games.
@Excess Gambling/Casinos stuff like that from what I recall.
@Acurisur NFS underground 1/2 would probably be a better game to have that crown.
Looks OK, nothing screams must play and they definitely could've picked some better drivers for the first gameplay reveal. Hopefully things come together by release
Doesn't look too bad, but all it's done is remind me we need a sleeping dogs sequel
Looks pretty standard stuff but still going to be there day one, it's cars and if there's one thing I love...
Shame about that frame rate.
I struggle to see anything interesting in what was shown. Even NFS is trying to shake things up with weird effects and day/night gameplay modifications.
But in general, I'd love a good discussion about open world vs race tracks for racing games. I personally feel open world makes the racing less personal, more bland, less deliberate and induces a lack of set pieces.
While I fully acknowledge that a lot of people enjoy open world racing games, I simply can't see why...
@redd214 The drovers were definitely the worst part 🙃
Yep, let's glorify a city run by a country which has no trouble shooting and killing civilians and protesters.
@Olmaz open world ruins driving games. It really runed burnout paradise for me.
It wastes time to travel to races, it’s pointless.
But it’s just so we take longer playing the game.
@stephentailby clicked on link to sign up for closed beta but couldn't see the option to sign up?
@cashflowx we killed a fair few civilians over here with the nonsense of lockdowns. Chris Wittey has recently come out and admitted they were not driven by medial evidence or science but were politically motivated. So as bad as China is, the UK government is not above putting its own interests above the lives of civilians.
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