Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown wants to be your racing obsession
By Brian Allen
The Test Drive franchise has been gone for a decade, but it is poised to return with a vengeance. Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is releasing Sept. 12. Game Director Guillaume Guinet turned heads in an interview with Videogamer when he said they see Test Drive as a competitor for not just racing games such as Forza, but Grand Theft Auto 6 as well.
Test Drive dates all the way back to 1987, and has had a few developers and publishers since that time. The latest pairing to hit the road is publisher Nacon and developer KT Racing. You might remember KT Racing from the WRC games. EA opened its gigantic wallet and snapped up those rights in 2023.
KT Racing was able to get Creative Director Alain Jarniou, who worked on the beloved Test Drive Unlimited. So the pedigree is there, and Test Drive has always had a passionate fanbase. A recently revealed roadmap shows KT Racing is feeding them with some nostalgia that will hopefully hit the mark.
Its Year 1 roadmap reveals four seasons of content, the first starting at its Sept. 12 release. Season 1 includes 60 player levels, a free 25 level Solar Pass featuring cosmetics, an exclusive car and other rewards. There are 50 Sharps/Streets progression levels.
The Sharps and the Streets are two rival racing clans that propel the game's story. The Sharps are wealthy and apparently don't mind flaunting it. The Streets are described as provocative and extreme.
Season 2 launches Dec. 24 (your family didn't need to see you anyway) and brings back a fan favorite location: Ibiza, which was represented as Eivissa in Test Drive Unlimited 2. This blast from the past features 20 new levels, a Solar Pass, new rewards and cars including five car models from the series' past.
Season 3 will feature the debut of Clan War, a new game mode Test Drive describes as constantly evolving. It will feature 30 clan progression levels and seasonal content additions.
In Season 4, well, everybody who thinks video games are starting to have too much in common with gambling can just look away now. Season 4 features the return of an in-game casino, another feature from Test Drive Unlimited 2. Players will be able to wager virtual currency through activities such as poker and slot machines. Cars, cosmetics, and rewards are available to win too.