Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Discussion Thread

[DAMOHTID]

Yes yes yes hyped! Forget The last of us, Cyberpunk and other big budget AAA games it's all about this for me!

TDU2 was so good such a fun game, driving around Ibiza playing trance music so cool and greet graphics. Story mode was a bit trash but it's was all about the multiplayer experience anyway.

I hope this devoloper does a good and I hope it's going to be for PS5 because I think it will die fast if its PS4. Isle of Man was very impressive other than some at times frustrating handling so I think they wil do a good job.

Next question; where's it going to be set? Everything crossed for the UK

 

[dimassa19]

TDU is the only franchise I'm interested in besides Gran Turismo...
I'm in! 👍

 

[TokoTurismo]

and I'm going to disagree with this hugely. Killing off Test Drive was unnecessary, I really don't think TDU2 (or Ferrari Legends) should've marked the end of that franchise. TDU2 only failed because of poor management from the studio plus taking a few steps back, but it still had great attributes about it. Honestly as great as the current open-world racing games are, I still feel that TDU could stand out on its own as there are things these modern racing games lack that TDU had.

At the end of the day, we have to remember this isn't the same developer that made TDU 1/2 back in the day. Why bring back a franchise when it can just remain in the past? Or better yet, reboot the franchise and go closed racing until you have a big enough budget to make an open world racing game. Why out right go for a sequel to a game that failed miserably in the past?

Yes, it may have been poor management, but that's no excuse for how TDU2 turned out. Let's be honest. All this developer is going to do is set up everyone's expectations to make the game the best it could be compared to TDU2, only to disappoint them when the game doesn't turn out how they had hoped. Better question: What is the support even going to be like? What content will it have? What features would it include? How big will the world be? All these questions will be left unanswered until we see at least see concept arts and so forth. But again, what is their budget to develop this sequel? I imagine this supposed "sequel" will be leaner at best, unless the developer has other ideas.

IMO, the franchise should just be put back to rest. It suffered enough after TDU2. It's only going to be a waste of time and money that could potentially get the studio shut down (yeah that may sound like an exaggeration, but I'm speaking my mind here). People are just getting excited over a game that long since been dead for how many years? I highly doubt this game will even have the budget these people craves it to be sadly. Not like Forza Horizon, The Crew and NFS anyways...

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

At the end of the day, we have to remember this isn't the same developer that made TDU 1/2 back in the day. Why bring back a franchise when it can just remain in the past? Or better yet, reboot the franchise and go closed racing until you have a big enough budget to make an open world racing game. Why out right go for a sequel to a game that failed miserably in the past?

I know it's not the same developer, that's why I think bringing back the franchise can be a good thing. With the right developer, a franchise can be refreshed for a new generation and turn out good. Even on a smaller budget with the right management.

Though, I wouldn't be against a closed racing game that played like the 90s games, but with way better physics.

Yes, it may have been poor management, but that's no excuse for how TDU2 turned out. Let's be honest. All this developer is doing is setting up everyone's expectations, only to disappoint them when the game doesn't turn out how they had hoped.

I wasn't excusing TDU2, just putting things into perspective. Eden mishandled development with that game, especially when Atari was dying. This new developer however could still possibly emulate some of what made TDU great in the first place. Even if it's smaller than before. I'm not hyped for this game, just happy it's being given a chance. If it doesn't work out, then oh well.

What is the support even going to be like? What content will the game have? What features would it include? How big will the world be? All these questions will be left unanswered until we see at least see concept arts and so forth. But again, what is their budget to develop this sequel?

We don't know yet and while that's true. All we can do is look at Kylotonn's history with racing games as a referrence point. https://www.kylotonn.com/en/videogame/

IMO, the franchise should just be put back to rest. It suffered enough after TDU2. It's only going to be a waste of time and money that could potentially get the studio shut down (yeah that may sound like an exaggeration, but I'm speaking my mind here). People are just getting excited over a game that long since been dead for how many years? I highly doubt this game will even have the budget these people craves it to be sadly. Not like Forza Horizon, The Crew and NFS anyways...

Yes, I got that in your original comment and I still disagree with it being put to rest. Saying Test Drive should be put to rest because of TDU2 sounds ridiculous imo. Based on my experiences with games like RE2 Remake and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy, franchises can still make a comeback. Also yeah, it probably won't have the same budget as those games, but budget doesn't determine quality.

Of course, we just have to wait and see what happens first and as I said previously; just take a look at Kylotonn's history if you're not sure about the developer.

 

[R33GTRLM]

Eh, trying to make an open world racer from the ground up is an expensive proposition. They certainly will not have the graphics, physics,or car selection to compete with Forza Horizon and good luck trying to sway The Crew and NFS crowd. I will happily be proven wrong, but my educated guess is this game will end up dead on arrival in an oversaturated market just like the latest Grid game.

 

[Wolfe]

Why even try when you have Forza Horizon, The Crew and NFS?

Because Horizon has been an uninspiring lame effort since FH2 (and is exclusive to Xbox and extra-beefy Windows 10 PCs), The Crew 2 has been terribly mis-managed, and NFS is dog crap?

I'm still struggling to understand how FH4, TC2, and NFS make for an alleged "crowded" market. I didn't even really enjoy TDU1 that much and I did not like TDU2 at all, but I'm very hungry for something better than (or at least different from) those three games in the open world subgenre.

How about something akin to the Tokyo Xtreme Racer games, which have been out of the picture for 13 years? Settings that Forza Horizon has not yet explored, with superior map design? How about an NFS-esque game without god-damned incompetent Burnout-wannabe handling for once? Maybe a story-driven game like The Crew, except not so awfully cringy?

Who knows what exactly Kylotonn has in mind, but as far as I'm concerned there's a decent chance they could create something more engaging that the titles you've listed. All I have on PS4 is TC2, and while the planes are fun and I've gotten my money's worth, it is not what I hoped it could be.

 

[palqo]

Oh man, I so hope this works out, please let it have physics from TDU1. People here mention Forza Horizon and the Crew as a reason not to revive this franchise. However, none of those are a worthy replacement for TDU. I still think of TDU when playng FH.
It's hard to describe the nostalgia, but I think it's due to the feeling that I had when playing this game. I would say it's about the spatial dimensions, proportions, FOV, etc. In TDU, I actually had the feeling of being in the game with real sized world, while in FH, it's like something distant, out there on the screen. One road lane fits 3-4 cars no problem, the cars are quite tiny on the screen, houses look sized down, it just doesn't feel right.
The roads are all smooth, no jumping of the car on uneven surface in high speed, the map size doesn't even come close to Oahu. Remember the race around the island? 45 minutes. How much is Goliath? Sub-10 minutes? And the taxi/car delivery missions also awesome. You actually had to plan your route a few hundred meters in advance and find that gap in traffic, brake for that jump ahead, see the suspension trying to stick to the road.

I think I have to go install TDU now

 

[L_Kesan]

Dear developers possibly reading this, please please please take your time, current games available have still some years in them (from other franchises as well) do not rush it. You have a great potential, the long wait and teasing for so long means the game will sell well, If you make it crossplatform you will be stealing some gran turismo and some forza players easily. don't worry about marketing the thing will sell itself just make it as good as you can. Open the preorders already

 

[KiroKai]

There's absolutely a spot this could fill - Forza Horizon sets the standard for great physics and open world combo, but it never lets you step out of your car. The Crew 2 scaled down most unique TDU elements and bogs the "drive in paradise" experience with terrible economy, limited map detail and basic physics. NFS isn't designed to last long and driving physics are simple.

Does any one remember the Lighthouse spot? Good times. TDU literally burned out my GPU, fresh anew Radeon, on one and only PC I ever had.

TDU2 froze my PS3 a few times so badly, it rebooted to a 3 hour full file system rebuild. I still miss it

 

[SZRT Ice]

TDU2's stock settings were terrible, but if people had taken time to figure out the reversed handling settings in the Options menu, the game would have done a lot better (though I'll agree, they shouldn't have had to).

The other half to TDU2's failure wasn't the devs, but the publisher. As Atari stopped supporting the game, went bankrupt, and switched to mobile gaming exclusively. Gearclub Unlimited & The Crew are made by people from the same dev team as TDU2, and TDU2's DNA can be seen littered throughout both game series.

I just hope they bring back some of the main draws thatmade TDU2 great, as there's a big chance we will simply be getting a new take on open world racing with the 'TDU' badge branded on top simply for marketing purposes (which could be both a good and a bad thing). NFS Most Wanted 2012 comes to mind when thinking of people's expectations vs reality, but that was simply a NFS branded Burnout game imo, so the baclash was to be expected. However, judging from the maps in WRC & V-Rally 4, the next TDU should be more on the nose w/ people's expectations; layout & physics wise (hopefully, we'll get race tracks littered throughout the map as well). But as far as avatar creation/customization, vehicle customization*, properties + customization, livery editor, club racing, landmarks, custom profiles, etc. & other game modes exclusive to TDU, my fingers are crossed for their implementation/evolution.

 

[TokoTurismo]

Eh, trying to make an open world racer from the ground up is an expensive proposition. They certainly will not have the graphics, physics,or car selection to compete with Forza Horizon and good luck trying to sway The Crew and NFS crowd. I will happily be proven wrong, but my educated guess is this game will end up dead on arrival in an oversaturated market just like the latest Grid game.

It's going to take A LOT to make this "sequel" great. Having less content isn't going to cut it, having mediocre graphics won't convince today's crowd, and most importantly, customization.

All three games have pretty much set the standard for open world racing games: Forza Horizon - the physics and content, The Crew - the world and vehicle variety, and NFS - the customization and action. Heck, even Driveclub set the standard for arcade racing games, especially in graphics.

This game however, will need something to differentiate itself from all the rest, but let's be honest, it's going to be pretty difficult to top all three in those departments.

I'll wait and see if the developer can pull it off, but I'm not going to be following the hype train like everybody else. Instead, stay out of it to avoid being disappointed.

End of.

 

[Jay84]

Hmmmm I wouldn't get your hopes up, KTG are VERY hit and miss. They did Flatout4 and that's passable. They are good at sims and TDU is no way a sim.

 

[Wolfe]

...I would say it's about the spatial dimensions, proportions, FOV, etc. In TDU, I actually had the feeling of being in the game with real sized world, while in FH, it's like something distant, out there on the screen. One road lane fits 3-4 cars no problem, the cars are quite tiny on the screen, houses look sized down, it just doesn't feel right.
The roads are all smooth, no jumping of the car on uneven surface in high speed, the map size doesn't even come close to Oahu.

In my opinion the first Forza Horizon actually had somewhat-hardcore roads that were sometimes more reasonably narrow, with more barriers and bumps & crests to keep you on your toes. Plus more dynamic handling to add to the challenge, all making for a engaging experience that kept my attention long after I had completed the game. What a shame those qualities didn't last.

This game however, will need something to differentiate itself from all the rest...

I have an idea: a decently-sized map (somewhere between FH and TC), with competent handling (arcade or sim), available for Playstation, without requiring an internet connection to play. Nothing ticks all those fairly basic boxes. Sure, Kylotonn will probably still need some kind of hook to find mainstream success, but that still seems like a wide-open window to me.

And just to clarify, I'm not hyped, just open-minded after years of no healthy competition in this subgenre.

 

[DDastardly00]

I goofed, but it doesn't make the situation better by any means. SimBin have been discussing who knows what with their partners and have been trying to narrow down an agreed upon release date since Gamescom...last friggin' August.

Their Twitter hasn't been updated since last October either. So we're due for something in June.

That is based on nothing at all. I repeat: nothing at all.

It may be based on nothing at all but I think you're right. I expect some sort of announcement in June. If they give a date at all then I expect that date to be delayed a few times due to the size and scope of this game. I mean, they were still hiring 3D modelers and landscape folks, like 4-5 months ago. That tells me at the very least that there is no way it's coming this year or maybe even next.

 

[RandomCarGuy17]

While I think Forza Horizon 4 is excellent and I really enjoy NFS Heat and The Crew 2. However, there's a few things that TDU had that I miss such as the ability to buy houses. FH4 has this, but they're just backdrops. Meaning that there was no incentive to really buy them other than having another fast travel spot or a few rewards. In TDU, the houses functioned as part of your progression as a way to increase your garage space, like in real life. I liked that in TDU2, you could even interact with the houses.

This is a small thing, but I liked the car delivery missions where you could try earning a huge amount of money, but had to try driving normally. There was also other missions that involved balancing driving fast with driving carefully with the part delivery missions for instance.

Another thing I kinda miss is being able to explore different car dealerships to buy cars versus just having one universal dealership. Sure, one dealer makes things more convenient and arguably less tedious. However, it might have made things too easy; I had a bit of fun exploring the map in TDU1 trying to find the dealerships myself and see what they had each. Kinda like walking into a real-life car dealership where you pick out the interior and exterior.

I suppose those ideas could be placed in future games from the 3 other franchises, but there's no guarantee of that. So, no. Not everything was improved or expanded upon. A universal car dealership isn't exactly expanded upon.

EDIT: I thought of another small thing, the avatar customization in TDU2 was a bit more detailed than in any of the current racing games. FH4 and NFS Heat just have set avatars plus changing clothes.

I just wanted to add a few things to this post of mine. With Kylotonn having experience developing Rally games such as WRC 8 and V-Rally 4, I think this gives them some some good background to do an open-world arcade game on. They could take the Forza Horizon approach and make TDU3 an arcade game with sim-like driving physics. With rally games under their belt, they already have experience developing racing games where cars have to go on multiple surfaces; which could be applied to TDU3's map.

Another thing that gives me hope about the map is Kylotonn modelling the Isle of Man race track in the past plus some medium to long lengthed race tracks for one game. Which means they could probably model a decent size racing map potentially.

Once again, I'm not fully certain that they can do it, but I'm keeping an open mind as Kylatonn's past leaves potential here.

 

[Doomotron]

With Test Drive coming back, I wonder how long it'll be until the developers of RealFarm or Dovetail games (Train Simulator) buy the Burnout license?

Spoiler

I know it's a joke, but I really want Burnout to come back as well.

 

[SZRT Ice]

I just wanted to add a few things to this post of mine. With Kylotonn having experience developing Rally games such as WRC 8 and V-Rally 4, I think this gives them some some good background to do an open-world arcade game on. They could take the Forza Horizon approach and make TDU3 an arcade game with sim-like driving physics. With rally games under their belt, they already have experience developing racing games where cars have to go on multiple surfaces; which could be applied to TDU3's map.

Another thing that gives me hope about the map is Kylotonn modelling the Isle of Man race track in the past plus some medium to long lengthed race tracks for one game. Which means they could probably model a decent size racing map potentially.

Once again, I'm not fully certain that they can do it, but I'm keeping an open mind as Kylatonn's past leaves potential here.

Agreed. V-Rally 4 also has randomly generated rally courses that uses what are essentially open world locals, and randomly places a start & finish line i each local to do their races. So they already have a bit of experience creating open world environments with racing in mind. Exploration & casual/scenic locations on the other hand, may be an issue.

I've always felt this about The Crew, Horizon, & NFS, but They should definitely re-implement TDU2's "Car Meet x Race Lobbies". People meet at a scenic location to choosing their vehicles at the start of an event, being able to walk around & look at the rides of others, take pictures, etc., & many times, we went to a location just to chat and admire the rides/liveries of others in a makeshift car meet. And instead of racing, we'd cruise to a race, switch theme (muscle, bikes, luxury, performance, exotic, rally, SUV, hyper, etc.), and go back to cruising the map. It would of been even better if the vehicles were positioned & spread out photogenically instead of side by side in the middle of the road.

 

[Arkseven]

TDU was, and still is, one of the most unique racing games.

I will never forget how much fun i had in Oʻahu. The first Mustang, the interior view, the little color options, the club challenges.... IT'S FUN DO DRIVE.

Gods, i miss this game.

"at the next intersection, turn left. TURN LEFT!"

i could drive for hours and hours. It was so simple, but so damn fun!

 

[Ant78]

This is the perfect opportunity for a developer to really take the market by storm, and create the first open world driving game in VR for console for the upcoming PS5!

Imagine a TDU game in VR, with 2020 graphics and physics.

Microsoft don't seem interested in VR although Forza Horizon would be a great fit, so these guys could do it!

A TDU style game is most welcome, but with additional VR, it would be a game changer!

 

[Doomotron]

This is the perfect opportunity for a developer to really take the market by storm, and create the first open world driving game in VR for console for the upcoming PS5!

Imagine a TDU game in VR, with 2020 graphics and physics.

Microsoft don't seem interested in VR although Forza Horizon would be a great fit, so these guys could do it!

A TDU style game is most welcome, but with additional VR, it would be a game changer!

I wish them luck. They'll need it.

 

[palqo]

Meanwhile, as so much nostalgia made me install it again (this being my first legally bought PC game, it's literally staring me in the face on my desk ), a little tip for anyone else feeling the same while waiting for the next TDU Use the TDU Platinum MOD.
It's not going to do much magic with graphics, but it's better then original (plus new music, updated physics) and I was literally shocked by the amount of added cars (which are graphically perfect) with latest one being the Bugatti Divo (an upgrade from Chiron) and many body kit upgrades and conversions, like Enzo to FXX, Bugatti EB110 to Edonis or an insane 1000+ HP Audi R8 (that thing is crazy!!!) .
It's even more fun then the original And as the game's economics is not really made for so many cars, if you don't want to grind till the next one comes out, a little hex editing will do the trick

 

[fikridroid]

Supposed leak I found on reddit by u/masterorange11online, take it with a grain of salt

Spoiler: Project Sunrise aka TDU3 leak

(Sorry if my english isn't that good)

I'm a french developer and has been in the industry for a couple of years. I mainly worked on mobile games. Currently working at Ubisoft Paris. And have many friends from different french companies since i have worked at several studios.

I have some information about the next TDU3

*NOTE - It's always good to take a leak with a pinch of salt so dont think that this is 100% true. It's information from friends i have from different studios who claims they know things in the french side of game development. The only thing that makes me believe that this is legit is that the people who told me this also told me that Bigben had bought TDU a few days before it was announced to the public.*

Published by Bigben Games

Developed by KT Racing

Map: Just like TDU1 and 2 TDU3 will feature another exotic map. This time South America. I cant say which location exactly because i wasnt told that. But i think Brazil is the next map. Map will be a little bigger than The Crew. They wanted to make it around same size at Fuel but that will not happen.

Cars: There should be around 90 cars at launch but i think that number has dropped down due to some licensing issues. TDU3 will feature old sports cars, modern sports car, electrics, hybrids and more.

Gameplay: Gameplay is jjust like previous TDU games. There are no limits. You'll start off just like in TDU2 where you have 3 cars to choose from. I believe your choices are Renault Clio RS, Mitsubishi Evo (dont know which one) and Polo GTi. Houses are also in the game and there are alot of houses in this game. I dont have exact number but its more than TDU1 and 2 combined. Physics system same as WRC 8 and much more improved visuals since they are rebuilding some of the KT Engine.

MP: Multiplayer will be a big aspect of the game. Kinda like GTA Online the devs will mainly focus on multiplayer. Simgleplayer will obviously have updates but online will have more frequent and bigger updates than singleplayer such as new exciting game modes and etc.

The developers are currently aiming for a late 2020 (which i dont think they will be able to do looking at the current state of the game) release which means the game will be released for PS5 and Xbox Series X. PS4 and Xbox one verisons could happen. The game will be an Epic Store exclusive for a year and then it will be available for Steam and Google Stadia.

I think i can squeeze some more info. So if you have any questions about the game feel free to ask but i might not be able answer all of it.

 

[palqo]

Oh no, please not another Epic exclusive

 

[RodSk8Dude]

[...]Forza Horizon 3, 4 (and absolutely) 5 have been, and will now continue to be, on PC for the foreseeable future? This isn't the 'advantage' you think that is, especially since everybody and their mother who has a capable gaming PC (or at least, a computer good enough to run FH) has Windows 10, or 7, or whatever[...]

My videocard is on the very minimum requirements for the games, the game REQUIRES Windows 10, so it's NOT on Windows 7, and I'm not even sure it will run on my PC because although I have Windows 10, I don't "HAVE" it. The install was made from an "alternative" copy, and it doesn't update (you NEED to update as well to play the game).
A new TDU wouldn't run on my GPU, but would on my brother's base PS4, so there! I CANNOT play Forza, but would be able to play TDU 3 more easily.

Eh, trying to make an open world racer from the ground up is an expensive proposition. They certainly will not have the graphics, physics,or car selection to compete with Forza Horizon and good luck trying to sway The Crew and NFS crowd. I will happily be proven wrong, but my educated guess is this game will end up dead on arrival in an oversaturated market just like the latest Grid game.

It's not always-online, not exclusive to XBOX or Windows 10, and it's not E̵҉̩͇Ĺ̡̤̝͚̠̰̹̜͈́E̶̝̜̱͇̭̦C̡̡̣̤̱͈͎T̶̼̳̬͈̞͈̱͚͢R̢̟̠̟͚̥̰Ǫ̫͟N̵͇͓͇͜Í̜́͡C͏̤̮̜ ̡̘̬̀A̶̢̻̮̰͈͜ͅR̢̝̗̩ͅT̞̜͢͞S̻͖̪͈̝͖, so I'm swayed. I wasn't even on the other side to begin with.

 

[TomBrady]

Honestly I see no chance of them making something as good as the original TDU 1 but I'll be happy if they at least top the Crew. Judging by Gear Club, it's definitely a good thing that Eden Games aren't making it but frankly Kylotton doesn't inspire a ton of confidence either. More than the crews dev though.

 

[Dave A]

They need to create an immersive game environment and have enjoyable physics. The Crew 2 has a large enviroment but most of it feels like filler becuase there is nothing to do in it so a large environment alone isn't enough. Forza will more often than not win in the car count stakes but I found Horizon 4 boring, the format and the way the game progressed just felt boring, the same with Forza Motorport 7 though to be honest.

 

[DDastardly00]

I wish them luck. They'll need it.

If they make a game that caters to TDU fans and it's casual enough to bring in new customers while being immersive enough to retain those customers, then I think they'll have a winner on their hands. It's a giant mistake to think this game NEEDS to compete with Horizon to win some sort of imaginary prize. No it doesn't. The entire history of the Test drive Franchise has been niche and they've found success in releasing games that are just that, niche. All we really need is TDU with better Handling, modern graphics, a new island to drive on, the same level of avatar customization TDU2 had (sorry but Horizion games all suck in this regard including #4) and a good vehicle list. If they can do that much, then I will be very happy, but luck will absolutely nothing to do with it.

 

[bluemoon_19]

Was starting to look good till the epic exclusive bit. At least they won't get a free promotion and support page on steam since steam updated its terms.

Does sound a bit ambitious, a map bigger than the crew. It could be a big map but will there be enough to do to make it worth being that big?

 

[McLaren]

Supposed leak I found on reddit by u/masterorange11online, take it with a grain of salt
(Sorry if my english isn't that good)

Interesting. Had no idea TDU1's guys were behind The Crew.

Because Horizon has been an uninspiring lame effort since FH2 (and is exclusive to Xbox and extra-beefy Windows 10 PCs), The Crew 2 has been terribly mis-managed, and NFS is dog crap?

This.

There's something about The Crew & NFS that hasn't completely sold me on them. And as much as I love the Forza franchise, I passed on 4. I loved 1, liked 2, really enjoyed 3, but I felt the formula was going to be the same. I applaud them for the things they continue to do like Seasons & what not, but I'm sort of waiting to see if they take another step towards TDU's vision, where the aspect of car ownership is expanded upon; TDU's dealerships & picking out options, in-depth homes with 3-10 car garages that add PGR's walk-around. But, that's just my view & doesn't mean I think they're doing anything wrong. For now though, the Motorsport side continues to interest me more.

 

[er185es]

Possibly the game will be called Test Drive Solar Crown.
https://euipo.europa.eu/eSearch/#details/trademarks/018224192