Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Discussion Thread

[SestoScudo]

Seriously Tdu 3 needs to look at Tdu 1's car list you have

Prototypes/Concept cars, Hypercars, Supercars, Sport Cars, Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Luxury Cars who remembers those Lexus luxurious sedans dlc, start up cars like the Alfa Romeo Gt and Audi A3 also a few cars from Nissan, Mazda was also going to be present but was cut due to licensing issues.

 

[Morbid65]

Although it may be highly unlikely, would love to see this thing return.

TDU1 was the only game to ever feature it as far as I know.

 

[PSN:And-War]

I really hope they don't mess this one up, TD:U2 was garbage it handled like a brick and only the PC versions looked good. give us a remake/remaster of TD:U and update the car roaster this would be interesting.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Not sure what linking the car list does for me. I'm well aware of what it's in the game considering it earned me a listed credit in TDU1's manual & know the majority bulk of the game is centered around sports cars of various levels.

Wait, what? Care to explain?

 

[Qotisfiya]

I had faith they will make a great return with this new TDU.

 

[MalibuClub]

Fantastic news. TDU1 was, and still is, my favourite video game ever made. I hope this is more of a sequel to TDU1 rather than TDU2, never really enjoyed TDU2, felt like they tried to cram too much into that game and none of it was done particularly well.

I have same feelings.

And I liked more visual look of TDU1. Also showroom graphics were better in TDU1, I think colours and some textures were more accurate in TDU1 than in TDU2 and I hope they notice this when making new TDU.

Blue color was more accurate in TDU1 and headlights maybe look better.

Green colour and taillights were too cartoonish in TDU2

TDU1 somehow overall looks better and textures/colour in wheels definitely is better

For some cars, I think that TDU2 had weird interior colours + missing many good ones like that beige from TDU1

What I'm saying; I hope devs pay attention to details like they did in TDU1

 

[McLaren]

Wait, what? Care to explain?

On the old Atari forums, I compiled the car list based on all the media being released. Along with 2 other forum members for their efforts (TDU1 & FordGTGuy), you can find my old username (KoenigViper) with them under "Special Thanks" in the book.

 

[SestoScudo]

I hope cops return in this game. Does not have to be like NFS.

But they should be present and if you get 3 times you lose your car.

I hope this game does not follow Horizon or the Crew. A open world without cops is also boring there has to be consequences.

 

[Doomotron]

I have same feelings.

And I liked more visual look of TDU1. Also showroom graphics were better in TDU1, I think colours and some textures were more accurate in TDU1 than in TDU2 and I hope they notice this when making new TDU.

Blue color was more accurate in TDU1 and headlights maybe look better.

Green colour and taillights were too cartoonish in TDU2

TDU1 somehow overall looks better and textures/colour in wheels definitely is better

For some cars, I think that TDU2 had weird interior colours + missing many good ones like that beige from TDU1

What I'm saying; I hope devs pay attention to details like they did in TDU1

How odd. I guess allowing the player to walk around the showrooms must have used more resources. I suppose it's the same when driving?

 

[Silver Arrows]

I hope this game does not follow Horizon or the Crew. A open world without cops is also boring there has to be consequences.

lmao you could blast by the cops in TDU2 and they wouldn't even bother to look at you. You could smash into them directly and there was a 50/50 chance they wouldn't care either. But yes, an open world without cops is boring and lacks consequences. So at that point, there is *consequences*, sure, but they are so infinitely small they basically serve as a one in a million chance.

If that is going to be the case again, then why bother putting it in to please people who are just going to say they suck and ask why bother putting it in?

 

[Doomotron]

I have only been chased once by the police in TDU2 but when they did, they appeared to have sent the entire police force after me.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

Need better physics than TDU1/2, and less fashion show/casino/mansion simulator aspects to catch my attention. Otherwise I feel like I'm at a point where these type of racing games just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

For those who have played WRC games, how does the tarmac physics feels? Seems weird to use a mainly offroad physics engine for a road racer.

Location wise, I'd love for it to be set in Asia. That part of the world is sorely lacking open world game representation. Judging by the name, it's probably somewhere in the Caribbean though.

 

[Wolfe]

For those who have played WRC games, how does the tarmac physics feels? Seems weird to use a mainly offroad physics engine for a road racer.

No notable complaints about WRC8 from me, except for puddles being exaggerated, IMO. Tarmac is no worse than its offroad physics. Not so distinctly a simulator as SLRE, but night and day compared to the messy handling of Dirt 4, especially on tarmac.

This thread is making me think of picking up WRC8 again. It's a fine game, but current WRC cars are meh to me.

 

[Morbid65]

This thread is making me think of picking up WRC8 again. It's a fine game, but current WRC cars are meh to me.

I kinda agree... None of them are models or even brands really that I give a damn about, and I didn't expect to like them being so fast with higher downforce and so on. When I bought WRC7 I mainly wanted to drive the R5s as while I still don't care about any of them, they at least seemed closer to a speed I'd enjoy.

After driving them in the career in WRC7 though, I really fell in love with they way the new cars actually drive, and that warmed me up to them. They just feel so... "athletic" in how they move about, and when mixed with the stage design I feel they fall into a nicer "flow" than the R5s do when you get it right.

They are very rewarding too, there's a big sense of satisfaction in finding a sequence on a stage where you weren't really taking advantage of the downforce and can attack way harder than you were on previous passes. Some sections you can pull some real heroic stuff in the new cars that you can't get away with in the R5s.

 

[SestoScudo]

lmao you could blast by the cops in TDU2 and they wouldn't even bother to look at you. You could smash into them directly and there was a 50/50 chance they wouldn't care either. But yes, an open world without cops is boring and lacks consequences. So at that point, there is *consequences*, sure, but they are so infinitely small they basically serve as a one in a million chance.

If that is going to be the case again, then why bother putting it in to please people who are just going to say they suck and ask why bother putting it in?

I hope they can get it right if not at least make it a expansion where people can play as cops too that would be great.

 

[MagpieRacer]

Need better physics than TDU1/2, and less fashion show/casino/mansion simulator aspects to catch my attention. Otherwise I feel like I'm at a point where these type of racing games just doesn't appeal to me anymore.

For those who have played WRC games, how does the tarmac physics feels? Seems weird to use a mainly offroad physics engine for a road racer.

Location wise, I'd love for it to be set in Asia. That part of the world is sorely lacking open world game representation. Judging by the name, it's probably somewhere in the Caribbean though.

There's definitely a divide in terms of physics generally. I dont mind them but I definitely wouldn't want to play a whole game on tarmac using the tarmac physics from WRC8. So i hope there's some refinements.

 

[ALMF3512]

What I dont quite understand is the official account on twitter for this game is Test Drive not Test Drive Unlimited.Judging by what was shown in the teaser(barely anything important) they continue/reboot the series again with a more RPG game style take.However if this is really also a Test Drive series reboot then it missed the mark compared to Distinctive Softwares original 1987 Test Drive game.

 

[FT-1]

What I dont quite understand is the official account on twitter for this game is Test Drive not Test Drive Unlimited.Judging by what was shown in the teaser(barely anything important) they continue/reboot the series again with a more RPG game style take.

The Test Drive franchise had spinoffs in the past and the same could apply for the series reboot, hence why "Unlimited" is not featured on the handle. They might as well use one account to promote and discuss all future Test Drive games.

However if this is really also a Test Drive series reboot then it missed the mark compared to Distinctive Softwares original 1987 Test Drive game.

Between your posts here and in the Need For Speed section, you really have a problem with a franchise incorporating more features and attracting a wider audience, don't you? If it was up to you, racing games would be nothing more than pick an environment, pick a car, race and repeat.

 

[ALMF3512]

The Test Drive franchise had spinoffs in the past and the same could apply for the series reboot, hence why "Unlimited" is not featured on the handle. They might as well use one account to promote and discuss all future Test Drive games.



Between your posts here and in the Need For Speed section, you really have a problem with a franchise incorporating more features and attracting a wider audience, don't you? If it was up to you, racing games would be nothing more than pick an environment, pick a car, race and repeat.

Yes a racing game should remain simply about racing/driving and nothing more.Old NFS games and Test Drive games are just like that,pick a track and car then race the opponent.Simple racing games sold well back in the day,why change something not wrong or inconvenient

 

[FT-1]

Yes a racing game should remain simply about racing/driving and nothing more.Old NFS games and Test Drive games are just like that,pick a track and car then race the opponent.Simple racing games sold well back in the day,why change something not wrong or inconvenient

That's the problem with your mindset. Just because a game sold well back in the day, doesn't mean it would be a hit if it was relaunched today. If every installment of Test Drive followed the same formula of the original but only the car roster and graphics were updated, I can guarantee the series would have crashed and burned long ago.

The main thrill of purchasing a new game for many people is being able to experience something new in terms of gameplay. You are going to have a hard time convincing your average consumer to part with £50+ to play a game which is fundamentally the same as the last installment, just with content updates and slightly better graphics - especially in the racing game sector.

 

[Northstar]

Yes a racing game should remain simply about racing/driving and nothing more.Old NFS games and Test Drive games are just like that,pick a track and car then race the opponent.

Those games were very simple because the entire game could only be a few megabytes in size.

Simple racing games sold well back in the day,

As did the Model T.

Whatever technology is current will sell well because it's the best available. Everything for sale technology wise will be obsolete to some degree in a matter of years though and will eventually be looked at by people wondering how we managed to use something so primitive.

why change something not wrong or inconvenient

Because that's how technology works, it improves on things that can be made better.

 

[McLaren]

I don't think the core gameplay of just picking a car and track, and racing works anymore unless you're either A) recreating real world series (DIRT/WRC, GRID, NASCAR, etc.) or B) diving into the simulation genre (Project Cars, GT, FMotorsport, etc.). Anything else that revolves around racing production cars these days seems, to be adopting the base of staying in 1 large, open world location b/c that's what Horizon, The Crew, & NFS have basically cemented as the current standard (I think 1 big map has basically become the go-to for multiple genres, come to think of it). The last games I can think of that were very much like the old Test Drive/NFS games were Hot Pursuit 2010, Driveclub & Project Gotham Racing. Hot Pursuit brought back the idea of racing exotics against each other with police, but its tracks were still just part of a larger, single world composed of multiple biomes (there was NFS Heat that was more linear tmk, but I don't think it did well at all). Driveclub has a following, but I believe it was sadly dropped by Sony (& according to Wiki, it was criticized for "lack of gameplay variety"). And PGR is sadly, long, long gone. Sim/Simcade & Open World are basically the backbone of the racing genre now. If there were ever to be new racing games like the old NFS & Test Drive games, they'd probably end up being those games, but remastered.

 

[Wolfe]

Like other genres, "traditional" racing games have been resurrected and nurtured by indies and smaller devs, from Horizon Chase Turbo to Wreckfest and many more. I'm looking forward to Hotshot Racing this summer.

 

[RodSk8Dude]

The more I think of it, the more I remember things that TDU had that Forza doesn't which are very nice.

I don't like how the horns in Forza are not unique to each car, you just pick one for all of your cars. The horn adds some personality to the car. I wanted to give that Ferrari/Lambo sounding horn to my Ferrari 360, but not to every other car. I would prefer each car have it's own horn but you can't change it over you choosing only one for every car.

Working convertible roofs, entering/walking around your houses and car showrooms, customizing your houses, cops.

I don't remember who said that TDU would have to do a lot to compete with Forza Horizon, but I think it has a good chance of doing something different enough to be interesting.

 

[LeGeNd-1]

I don't think the core gameplay of just picking a car and track, and racing works anymore unless you're either A) recreating real world series (DIRT/WRC, GRID, NASCAR, etc.) or B) diving into the simulation genre (Project Cars, GT, FMotorsport, etc.). Anything else that revolves around racing production cars these days seems, to be adopting the base of staying in 1 large, open world location b/c that's what Horizon, The Crew, & NFS have basically cemented as the current standard (I think 1 big map has basically become the go-to for multiple genres, come to think of it). The last games I can think of that were very much like the old Test Drive/NFS games were Hot Pursuit 2010, Driveclub & Project Gotham Racing. Hot Pursuit brought back the idea of racing exotics against each other with police, but its tracks were still just part of a larger, single world composed of multiple biomes (there was NFS Heat that was more linear tmk, but I don't think it did well at all). Driveclub has a following, but I believe it was sadly dropped by Sony (& according to Wiki, it was criticized for "lack of gameplay variety"). And PGR is sadly, long, long gone. Sim/Simcade & Open World are basically the backbone of the racing genre now. If there were ever to be new racing games like the old NFS & Test Drive games, they'd probably end up being those games, but remastered.

NFS Heat is also a standard affair open world game. The last NFS that isn't set in a free roam world (not counting Shift series) was The Run, which I also feel was the last NFS game with real innovative gameplay. Outrun style story mode, no single track is repeated twice, crazy set pieces (remember the avalanche section?), and a constant position counter from start to finish (100-1). Yes it's short but if you think of it as an interactive movie it's a totally fresh take of what a racing game could be.

Apart from that, the only real innovation in the racing game segment in recent years that I could remember are Blur and Split/Second. Yes powerup racing has been done before, but the art style and execution of both are pretty fresh. Sadly, both tanked as well along with their studios.

Driveclub, which I love to bits, I feel is a final swansong to the old racing game era of pick a car, track in exotic locale and just drive. It takes exponentially more resources to create multiple locales with only a few tracks each than a single large open world, and the current generation seems to prefer the freedom of messing around in an open world more so I can't see any studio gambling with the classic arcade racer style. It's sad but the reality is racing games aren't as popular as they used to be in the PS1/2 era, and developers just won't take any more risk than necessary as development costs keep rising with each generation. Same reason why we see endless sequels in movies and every mainstream music sounds the same nowadays.

 

[McLaren]

NFS Heat is also a standard affair open world game. The last NFS that isn't set in a free roam world (not counting Shift series) was The Run, which I also feel was the last NFS game with real innovative gameplay. Outrun style story mode, no single track is repeated twice, crazy set pieces (remember the avalanche section?), and a constant position counter from start to finish (100-1). Yes it's short but if you think of it as an interactive movie it's a totally fresh take of what a racing game could be.

Apart from that, the only real innovation in the racing game segment in recent years that I could remember are Blur and Split/Second. Yes powerup racing has been done before, but the art style and execution of both are pretty fresh. Sadly, both tanked as well along with their studios.

Driveclub, which I love to bits, I feel is a final swansong to the old racing game era of pick a car, track in exotic locale and just drive. It takes exponentially more resources to create multiple locales with only a few tracks each than a single large open world, and the current generation seems to prefer the freedom of messing around in an open world more so I can't see any studio gambling with the classic arcade racer style. It's sad but the reality is racing games aren't as popular as they used to be in the PS1/2 era, and developers just won't take any more risk than necessary as development costs keep rising with each generation. Same reason why we see endless sequels in movies and every mainstream music sounds the same nowadays.

The Run, that was it. I remember there being a NFS where the plot traveled cross country.

 

[RodSk8Dude]

[...]The last NFS that isn't set in a free roam world (not counting Shift series) was The Run, which I also feel was the last NFS game with real innovative gameplay. Outrun style story mode, no single track is repeated twice, crazy set pieces (remember the avalanche section?), and a constant position counter from start to finish (100-1). Yes it's short but if you think of it as an interactive movie it's a totally fresh take of what a racing game could be.[...]

I think The Run was really good, but it lacked one simple feature that kind of ruined it for me: A Free Mode. Similar to what you said about Driveclub: Pick a track and car, and drive. Select whether you want opponents, cops, traffic, select time of day and weather. It would have had so much more replayability.

I don't know why both NFS' and Burnout's (Revenge) potential best game lacked this option to just drive on a track and car combo of your choosing, without opponents and time limits.

 

[bluemoon_19]

I really hated "the Run" I don't know if it was because they used the frostbite engine but when ever I messed up and wanted to restart it took what seemed a very long time to restart instead of most game that can restart a level in seconds.

 

[StigBelcherStyl]

There’s some cool feature breakdowns in this video and cool Car brand requests including my favourite Spyker

 

[Qotisfiya]

KT Racing has a big challenge ahead of them.

TDU 2 has been MIA for a decade. If they’re really making this like the original TDU, they’re going to be making this game for quite a while. Anything under 300 cars is a disappointment. A 1:1 scale map on next-generation my be small compared to the original islands in TDU. Can they pull this off ? Yes.

not before 2021 though.