Preview After more than 10 years, this series of racing video games wants to surpass the competition with this promising new episode!

Test Drive Unlimited. For those who only feel free by being fully on the asphalt or by being intoxicated by the smell of tire rubber or a brand new leather interior, these three associated words “ Test”, “Drive” and “Unlimited” stick them straight to the back of their seats. And for good reason, the license has always given off a special aura for fans of car racing and realistic driving. For more than ten long years, the license was safe in his garage. No, it wasn’t rusting like an old abandoned jalopy. She was, in reality, refining the smallest details of her new little car, subtitled Solar Crown. On closer inspection, this name has everything of a symbol: the “Solar” because a new day is dawning for the license, under the leadership of the Kylotonn studio and the publisher Nacon, and the “Crown » because he fully intends to leave the workshop to win the crown. For our part, we had the chance to sit in the driver’s seat to take a first trip.

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A playground adapted to all behaviors and desires

Before turning on the engine, you must still be aware of the wait generated by the return of the license Test Drive Unlimited. At the time of writing these lines, fans have been waiting for more than thirteen years, their hands clad in driving gloves, for the return of the license. Yes, the least we can say is that this new opus has been a long time coming. Announced in July 2020, this has seen multiple postponements but, as revealed a few days ago, September 12, 2024, it’s the right one! Soon, the streets of Hong Kong Island, located in the Wanshan archipelago, will no longer hold any secrets for anyone, particularly due to its faithful reproduction on a 1:1 scale.. When we were inside the cabin of our Alpine, we did not shy away from our pleasure of walking the streets, even though they were rather empty. We reassure you, there was a good reason for that.

More than the bias of an open world automotive experience, the Kylotonn development studio, whose passion for the automotive world can be felt when its developers talk about this opus, has chosen to focus on a multiplayer experience in the form of an MMO. There is no doubt that at the launch of this new Test Drive Unlimited, the alleys of Hong Kong Island will seem much livelier. Otherwise, we must say that this test of a few minutes had the merit of offering us a sufficiently substantial foretaste so that we can perceive the promises of Solar Crown. In this case, there are different points of interest leading to multiple activities, such as standard races (subject to restrictions, linked to the vehicle), tracks to be completed in a time trial, additional objectives (radars , places, workshops, stations…) and many other things. To be the most experienced pilot in the archipelago, you will have to prove it by the sweat of your brow but above all by the squealing of your tires. But be careful, if driving talent is important, so is style.

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Driving, yes, but above all with style

Yes, knowing the hundred vehicles like the back of your hand is only part of the goal. Maintaining your reputation will also involve showing style. From driving, of course, to the way in which you give importance to the “lifestyle” side of your avatar, which you can compose from A to Z thanks to multiple customization tools. It is in the Solar Tower that you can shape your image before taking the elevator to your garage where your most beautiful cars await you. If we were able to start the adventure by having enough money to choose between three cars, the developers of Solar Crown told us, almost even hammered home, like a symbol: each new automobile is worth it. What they wanted to reproduce is this authenticity with which we take the time to choose the car that accompanies us in our daily life. Unlike other licenses which, sometimes, make us drown in rewards and fill our garage in the snap of a finger, progression in Solar Crown wants to be a reflection of your investment.

In summary: a car is worth it! This choice is all the more judicious since it will allow players to generate a certain attachment to each car. Thus, the purchase of a vehicle is done with more pressure and reflection. And then, this is only the first step: buying does not mean taming ! During your visits to the dealership, you will have the opportunity, as in a showroom, to take the time to walk around your potential future acquisition, to study it from every angle and even to try it out during a test. conduct. We’re not going to lie, it’s quite practical and it avoids signing a very large check a little too early. Which is a good point for Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crownis to notice, at the first noises and accelerations, that each automobile has a unique side. Who says unique, says different driving. Obviously, the game, in its progression, allows you to improve your cars, according to multiple categories, but what will also need to be developed is your way of understanding their respective driving. Add to this other factors that can alter driving (the chosen improvements, the weather conditions, etc.) and you get a more demanding game than it seems.

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Alone at the wheel, several behind the engine

In fact, the objective with Solar Crownit’s a bit of bringing together two automotive worlds : those who have a more nervous and urban behavior, coming from the impulses that we were able to develop with licenses like Need for Speed, or those who enjoy simulation or like to take their time and savor the driving, here, realistic. This distinction is found, for example, in the two clans of the game – the Streets and the Sharps – but also among the players themselves. We referred to it previously: Solar Crown is also and above all an MMO-type experience with a strong social component. In this case, upon its release, this new Test Drive Unlimited will take the form of a service game which will be powered by new seasons. According to the developers themselves, the rhythm will be one additional season every three months. By opting for this choice, the Kylotonn teams highlight the importance of regular monitoring for Test Drive Unlimited but also of a link with the community.

For them, it is important to listen, which is also why, for example, Solar Crown will inaugurate a physical garage system in which players will be able to highlight their most beautiful pieces. However, by making the decision to orient the experience towards the MMO, the teams hope that the support will not only be one-way, from the developers to the players. Creating Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown and forcing the player to get involved in obtaining vehicles and upgrading them correctly, the KT teams also want the MMO component to promote mutual aid, for there to be permanent exchanges between players, in particular via voice chat and certain places which act as hubs. This is also why they want to avoid instant copy/paste of liveries to reproduce vehicle diagrams in the snap of their fingers. What matters is the driving, the passion for cars and the emulation around this sport.

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