The Story of Test Drive Unlimited
At the end of 2006, a new open-world racing game developed by Eden Games was introduced. Test Drive Unlimited, published by Atari, is a racing game set in Hawaii where players can drive the world's most beautiful cars. Created on a real scale, the map features 1600 km of open roads, which is a first for a racing game. In this game, you can not only drive beautiful cars but also customize your avatar and buy garages to store your cars. The goal is to travel across the map and discover races, timed challenges, and many other activities that will earn you money and allow you to buy increasingly powerful cars
Then, in 2011, the second Test Drive was announced, this time with the same principle, the same development studio, and the same publisher, but in another city, which is Ibiza. In addition to its predecessor, TDU2 offers dynamic gameplay with weather effects, day and night cycles, car damage, and adds more realism to turn signal and headlight management. In addition to these visual and functional additions, TDU adds online challenges, which will also make the game more competitive. In addition to these dynamic additions, you will have the opportunity to travel through different environments such as the countryside, cities...
Following TDU2, an announcement for another Test Drive Unlimited came in July 2020 with the arrival of Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, developed this time by Kylotonn and published by Nacon. From what we know so far, TDU Solar Crown is an open-world racing game with gameplay that is geared towards multiplayer. TDUSC is a racing game set on Hong Kong Island with added dynamism featuring weather conditions, terrain relief, extraordinary lighting, and advanced graphics
Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown
Dealerships
In Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown, buying a car is not a trivial choice; it's the reward for the journey you've taken and the money earned through your won races, successful challenges, and completed tasks that have allowed you to have enough money to buy your first car. But it's not a choice made so easily. Indeed, the goal of TDU is not to have hundreds of cars in your garage that only serve to tire you of one car to drive another, but rather to have a few cars that match your favorites and suit your style of play and personality. Which will be yours? The one that will help you win races with its speed, the one with excellent handling, the one with which you will win beauty contests thanks to tuning, or even the one with which you can climb the highest mountain in the world
Getting your first car in TDU isn't just about going to dealerships and clicking 'buy this model,' but rather going to one of the dealerships on the map, test driving the car you dream of buying, examining its technical specifications compared to others of the same type, deciding whether to buy it or not, customizing it to your taste or personality, and finally indulging yourself by traveling throughout the map of Hong Kong, exploring all the possible environments on the map
Whether you decide on a car you love in real life or on a whim in the game, in TDU you'll have plenty of choices of different types of cars for various environments thanks to the 14 dealerships available in the game. You'll be able to buy American, Italian, or German cars, off-road or GT vehicles, daily drivers or supercars; you'll be able to find THE car that suits you best. You'll also have the opportunity to discover or rather rediscover two brands that have left their mark on the world of TDU: Lamborghini and Ferrari will both have a dealership tailored to their image and brand with a wide selection of car models
The Workshops of Solar Crown
After purchasing your first car, you have the opportunity to tailor it to your style. You can customize it to your liking thanks to the workshops located throughout the city. Need more power, grip, or adjustments to drift better? In the workshops of TDU Solar Crown, you can technically customize your car by changing the engine, suspensions, nitrous... or if you also want to change its appearance, you can showcase your preferences to everyone through wrapping and colors specially made for your car. In total, 13 parts of your vehicle for combustion engines and 12 for electric ones can be changed to give you the winning edge
At the beginning of your adventure in Solar Crown, you won't have the ability to change your vehicle as you wish because you won't have unlocked everything yet. Indeed, you need to earn reputation levels to obtain all the modifications for it. Additionally, in your adventure, you'll have the opportunity to be associated with either the street or the sharp. It's up to you to choose; you'll have rewards and elements to unlock according to your reputations
The island of Hong Kong for all types of driving
Faithfully reproduced and to scale, the island of Hong Kong is the ideal place to experience varied and intense experiences. The island offers you different landscapes thanks to city roads, wide highways, and even off-road trails, each terrain having its own specificity. For each type of terrain, TDU gives you the choice of the most suitable car for the road you take
In addition to the various types of roads you will travel, the island has a dynamic weather system at different times of the day. From sunny daytime strolls to rainy weather, to stormy nights, the weather has a real impact on the driving of your vehicles. Reduced grip when it rains means you'll just have to be cautious until the sun returns
A very dense map
In addition to the various races you'll have the chance to participate in, Test Drive Unlimited offers you the opportunity to drive into the unknown by exploring the map and its surprises. With 14 districts to explore, activities, events, items to find and collect, and for the big fans of the previous TDU installments, car wrecks make their return with parts to find on the island. Thus, by collecting a large number of parts, you'll have the opportunity to access legendary cars
Many challenges will be available in the game, such as speed contests at specific locations on the speed traps. In these challenges, your vehicles may risk damage, but don't worry, the gas stations will be there to repair them
