Despite heaps of ambition and a decent slate of content, things haven’t been easy for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown since it launched a few months ago. However, the arrival of Season 2 could be the turning point for the racing game, as it adds several new cars, quality of life improvements, and a second open-world location to race in – and fans of the Test Drive series will recognize it immediately.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 2 has now landed in the MMO-style racing game, and the headline attraction is a ticket from Hong Kong to Ibiza. While one of Solar Crown’s biggest strengths is its huge recreation of Hong Kong Island, it has been quick to introduce another destination. Players can now cruise around and race across the streets of Ibiza, which was the main location in Solar Crown’s widely-loved predecessor, Test Drive Unlimited 2. Maybe it’s playing the nostalgia card a little too early in its life cycle here, but nevertheless, two massive open-world areas to explore within just a few months of release is very welcome.
If the return to the Spanish island isn’t enough to revitalize TDU Solar Crown, then maybe a long list of bug fixes and quality of life improvements is. It’s no secret that the game’s technical performance, particularly in its first couple of weeks, has been subpar – its servers alone have caused such a headache that some players are being compensated due to the amount of downtime. Season 2 takes another big step towards making things more stable and polished.
For those that love to race in first-person there is improved steering wheel animations, proximity chat has been added, and multiple compatibility issues for those using some of the best PC steering wheels have been patched up.
Then the icing on the cake is a lineup of new cars. I can’t lie, I was hoping to see more, but new additions to your garage are never to be sniffed at. There’s a mixture of totally new models, such as the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ and the Ferrari California, and “Selene” variants of existing models like the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider and the Corvette C1. These Selene cars also come with their own quests to obtain.
The new cars arriving in TDU Solar Crown Season 2 are:
- Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+
- Ferrari California
- Lamborghini Diablo VT
- Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Xago Edition
- Abarth 500 – Selene Edition
- Alpine A110 Berlinette – Selene Edition
- Chevrolet Corvette C1 – Selene Edition
- Alfa Romeo 4C Spider – Selene Edition
- W Motors Fenyr SuperSport – Selene Edition
Season 2 of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is live right now as a free update to all players. To see the full patch notes, head on over here.
There’s no denying it’s had some serious issues (and still suffers from some today) but Solar Crown is definitely a better racing game than its pretty dismal Steam reviews let on. Would I recommend it over some of its genre rivals? Probably not. Can it still provide some enjoyable racing and car collecting? For sure. Hopefully Season 2 injects some new life into it and it can kick off a bit of a redemption arc.
If exploring beautiful locations is your bag, then make sure you take a look at our expert recommendations for the best open-world games. Alternatively, our best multiplayer games list is full of competitive, social titles you may also enjoy.
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