Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown: New Off-road Gameplay, But Release Date Absent

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown - New Offroad Gameplay, But Release Date Absent RD.jpg
There’s new gameplay footage for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, with three players working together to find collectables off-road – but, no release window. Yet.

First teased way back in 2020, Solar Crown has had seemingly more delays than Duke Nukem Forever, but 2024 is the year it should be released.

During a Nacon Connect presentation, fresh footage of collaborative off-road exploring was showcased, picking up credits and finding an abandoned Beetle.

The environment looks dense in comparison to earlier images and footage released, although these are all features previously discussed for the, as Nacon calls it MOOR, “Massively Open Online Racing” game.


The KT Engine technology is not known for replicating engine sounds particularly well, but at least the Lancia Delta here sounds distinct, and the gravel tracks look to be extensive.

The boxy hatchback is joined by the electric Porsche Taycan Turbo S Cross Turismo and brawny Ford F-150 Raptor and what looks to be a photo mode is showcased.

Nearly 300 items (collectables) are said to be scattered around the 1:1 Hong Kong Island recreation. Dust and water-splash particle effects are missing, but the development team is “still working on integrating and optimizing these.”

Development Update​


Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Ford F1-50 Offroad


The Kylotonn, or KT Racing, development team has explained that creating the environment alone has taken over three years and each car model between three and four months.

A main focus for the title, which is expected to be a live platform, at this stage is said to be “mitigate risks associated with technical problems” when the expected “hundreds of thousands of players” arrive.

Missing release date​

In July last year, developers KT Racing said that it would “hope to see you in early 2024,”, but it is now nearly March and there’s no news.

In a developer letter to fans, the team is keen to stress it would prefer to wait for it to be “as smooth, stable and fun as can be” before pegging an exact date.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Porsche Taycan Off-raod


“Many of you have already pointed this out to us: take the time to release a game that matches your expectations” reads the statement.

“That’s why we’re working flat out on several aspects, including the stability of the server infrastructure and optimizing the game’s performance.

“When we feel like these two areas are stable, we’ll be delighted to share the long-awaited launch date with you, then cross the finish line and start our long adventure together.

A third closed playtest is expected imminently.

It begs the question, which will be released first: Solar Crown or Endurance Motorsport Series? Let us know in the comments below.
About author
Thomas Harrison-Lord
A freelance sim racing, motorsport and automotive journalist. Credits include Autosport Magazine, Motorsport.com, RaceDepartment, Overtake, Traxion and TheSixthAxis.

Comments

The Integrale has a very low poly 3D model with plenty inaccurancies. The sounds are bad, i gues made with synthesisers.
phyics is crap, all car moves like they have no suspension at all

I hope this game will never ever be released because now it already looks very outdated and cheap.
 
D
each car model between three and four months
:confused: That's 3 models per year, how many cars this game has?
 
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Premium
If they go back to their TDU roots, they won't have to compete with FH

TDU is supposed to be a different kind of game, a car life simulator, not a car adventure game
That's a good point.

It seems an odd choice to position themselves directly against Horizon when they already have their own point-of-difference in the market.
 
That trailer helped put me to sleep.

MAYBE if it was in VR with a nice sim rig setup, it might be ok to chill out and drive around and explore a bit, but it looked boring as hell. With a controller, sitting back on the couch or on a chair, I think I'd end up putting down the controller after 10 minutes and going to do something else.
 
Already the first screenshots and the creepy play reveal was aweful and a sign/confirmation that this dev studio is not able to bring a proper game. The attempt with this TDU will fail. Of course there will be some lost souls which will buy that crap coz they have hope :)
This trailer is even the next proof that this could be maybe great in year 2010 but not in 2024.

I loved TDU 1 even when the game was not perfect. The franchise itself has a big potential but probably after this release it can be burried.
Its a shame.

It would be cool to get at least something like AC driving feeling (an attempt to be serious instead jumping off cliffs and so on..) + no fancy festival and avatar crap + proper sounds + big areal to drive around + meeting points + fuel stations and cars with fuel consumption + wash stations + tuning/individualization shops + poi´s + interesting tasks + proper graphics and hardware utilization + simracing hardware compatibility + VR of course (tripple screen support so everybody can play according to own preferences)
This is my definition of "new" TDU.
But my hope was burried already after TDU2 :)
 
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If this game is a only online game I'm not interested, if it has a offline history mode with an independent online mode then I'm OK with it. The online only games are the kind of games that once the company shuts down the servers the game is killed dead forever with no chance to play it ever again.
 
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Premium
It would be cool to get at least something like AC driving feeling (an attempt to be serious instead jumping off cliffs and so on..) + no fancy festival and avatar crap + proper sounds + big areal to drive around + meeting points + fuel stations and cars with fuel consumption + wash stations + tuning/individualization shops + poi´s + interesting tasks + proper graphics and hardware utilization + simracing hardware compatibility + VR of course (tripple screen support so everybody can play according to own preferences)
This is my definition of "new" TDU.
But my hope was burried already after TDU2 :)
SIGN

Unfortunately those fancy festival crap, jumping from cliffs, social media overload, quick reword, arcadic style stuff has much better sales figures and player numbers than serious games, which we (some of us?) would like to have :(

Even all my buddy´s (no sim-racers, but gamers) always tells "My life is serous enough, i just want too have some fun :O_o: And i hate these statements sooooo much :devilish:
 
Staff
Premium
If this game is a only online game I'm not interested, if it has a offline history mode with an independent online mode then I'm OK with it. The online only games are the kind of games that once the company shuts down the servers the game is killed dead forever with no chance to play it ever again.
As it stands right now, this is an always-online MMO for cars.
 
Premium
this game wont sell well. is it trying to compete with Forza Horizon? the physics look like something from 1999. the Test Drive name was okish in the old days, why bring it back unless you make something great.
 
Because with the franchise name TDU they want to lock potential customers.
Thats all. Unfortunately they are ultra confident about their "great product" but i see nothing what could bring me to try that.
 
Hoky-poky textured off-roader with a big secret under the hood: it's another acrader for the kiddies of all ages, skill-levels, button-mashing techniques and minimal baby-sitter handholding.
It's too bad we didn't get this kind of dynamic foliage and detailed scenery in EA WRC 24, but we got a great dev team that isn't giving up and a physics model that I have no complaints about.
I give this game a ka-put. not going on my Wishlist anytime soonage.
 
"A main focus for the title, which is expected to be a live platform"
Does this mean Game As A Service? then im out...
i dont want to hire my games (Gamepass or others ), i want to own my games.
They can take down their servers and remove the game from any digital store at any moment the want.
they can at least make it playable offline against AI "racers"...
 
Thanks for the trailer, seems terrible enough to avoid... It doesn't even look appealing for an arcade racer!? That lancia looks pathetic (0:58 at video) and engine sounds is even worse, and it's glued to the road, my guy takes corner full speed on sand like nothing (1:30 at video) yet there's not a single dust or particle on air... And for what purpose are they wandering around in an island?! They need another decade to polish this, ehm, game...
 
:confused: That's 3 models per year, how many cars this game has?
Think a few seconds. These are relative to working hours. How to you develop a car for a game? 3D modeling, implementation in the engine sound design, skins, physics, UI implementation, testing, feedback, asjustments, retesting... how many departments and people do you think are involved? Between 5 and 10 persons, maybe more, and there isn't only one person in each department, you understand that? Do you think they wait for each other one doing his part before starting theirs? Put together these are 4 months of cumulated working hours, not 4 months in linear time for one individual. It's around 700 hours of work for each car. That's not an insane figure at all.
 
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