For years I played Test Drive Unlimited. With a steering wheel, clutch, and gearshift, it was truly exceptional, especially considering it was released in 2007. Driving on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu was something special. Creating your own playlist and playing it on the radio, rolling down the windows - it was indescribable.
Many praise TDU2, which was simply a complete disaster, at least for anyone who wanted to play it with a steering wheel. However, it did many other things right. Progressing through the game allowed you to buy more and more exclusive estates, as well as clothing. But they completely abandoned the driving experience. For me, that's the main reason to reinstall the first game. Especially because it offered more car brands, body shops, and dealerships. The community kept the game alive.
After so many years, Solar Crown was released. Nothing of the original Test Drive feeling remains. The lifestyle with the cars and estates is gone.
The in-game economy is very frustrating. The prices are extremely high, and everything just feels like a painful grind. Progress feels slow and tedious. The premium currency system, if you can even call it that, shouldn't exist. Progress already feels like it's in slow motion, creating an unnatural feeling.
Technically, it's improved considerably after updates. However, many people are still experiencing problems, which detracts from the fun and causes frustration.
Unfortunately, even the reasonably good graphics don't recapture the TDU feeling. The city looks beautiful at first, the districts are really great, but sadly nothing feels alive.
The AI drivers are either Sunday drivers or Max Verstappen trying to break his own record. It's very unbalanced.
The driver view and steering wheel animation have been added, and you can adjust them in the options, but they still never quite fit in the cockpit. It may be unimportant to some, but it takes away a lot of the immersion.
Even after so long, this game unfortunately struggles with numerous problems.
In conclusion, driving/cruising around feels good, but it will probably never reach the level of the old games, even with friends.
Anyone expecting a TDU or TDU2 feeling will likely be disappointed.
However, if you enjoy arcade racers, you can grab it for a few bucks during a sale.
