I’m a sucker for an open-world racing game, which is why I’m excited and intrigued by Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown. Ahead of its release in just a few days time, developer KT Racing has unveiled its post-launch plans for Solar Crown, and while its three-monthly seasonal structure is pretty predictable, the actual content really took me by surprise. That’s because we’ll be leaving Hong Kong Island in its first major update to go somewhere TDU fans will know well: Ibiza.
For racing game enjoyers, the launch of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown has been one of the most highly-anticipated moments of the year – and it’s not far away now either. Test Drive Unlimited has been on a big old break, and while Solar Crown has had some wobbles and delays prior to launch, there’s hope it can achieve the same kind of cult status as its two predecessors. Well, its reveal of its post-release seasonal content has done a lot to convince me that it’s going to resonate well with series fans.
While Season 1 will only introduce a handful of new features and dish out a complimentary Solar Pass full of unlockable cosmetics, the remaining three seasons of Solar Crown Year 1 are pretty impressive.
In Season 2, which will arrive in December, we are getting a whole new location to explore – I didn’t expect that. We’re going back to Test Drive Unlimited 2’s main locale of Ibiza, and the Spanish island – or at least, a section of it, judging by the stylized map that was shown during the reveal video – is being faithfully recreated. The fact we’re getting a fresh location so soon after the grand introduction of Hong Kong Island is a bit odd, but I’m not complaining.
In Season 3, the theme will be a clan war between the two main factions of the Solar Crown event – the Streets and the Sharps.
Then in Season 4, another massive hit of TDU2 nostalgia is coming with the addition of a casino. For the unaware, a DLC for Test Drive Unlimited 2 added in a casino where you could wager your in-game cash on games like poker and roulette and have the chance to win exclusive cars in the process. While there have been casino-related teases in past trailers, it’s still surprising to see KT actually committing to bringing it back.
Alongside all of this, each season will introduce a new Solar Pass, new events, and add more cars to the game. Some will be completely fresh additions, while other will be tuned and modified versions of existing models. Motorbikes are also planned to be added at some stage as well.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown launches on Thursday, September 12, while those that pre-order the Gold Edition of the game will be let into Hong Kong Island a whole week earlier.
For some similarly vast and beautiful locations, check out our best open-world games list. If Solar Crown’s MMO approach also intrigues you, these are some of the best MMOs out there right now.
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