Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown handles well but fails to reclaim the open-world racer throne

With more delays than a Christopher Walken monologue, it was always going to be fascinating to see what kind of shape Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown would be in when it was eventually released.

Originally scheduled for release in September 2022, publisher Nacon kicked the can down the road numerous times, first to 2023, then to early 2024, then to a vague general “2024” – but now, here we are, two whole years after its original release date, and it’s finally ready.

Was it worth the wait? Well, yes and no. Solar Crown is a perfectly enjoyable racing game but it suffers from numerous polish and performance issues that make us wonder if even delaying it by two years might still have been rushing things a bit.

Named after the competition in the last Test Drive Unlimited game (which was released a whole 13 years ago), Solar Crown’s plot revolves around the return of the titular championship. Set this time in Hong Kong Island, the player – via their own created avatar – has to take part in various races and other events in an attempt to build recognition and eventually win the Solar Crown itself.

The plot is a little on the light side, but what’s there is ridiculous. After landing on the Solar Crown’s huge skyscraper hotel in a massive drone, you meet the competition’s organiser Vivian Hughes, who’s wearing a comically futuristic shiny silver outfit.

This futuristic vibe continues to the cars themselves, as you’re soon told that every car you drive in the game has been fitted with the latest technology, including an AI assistant (you’re going to want to turn her voice off pronto, which you thankfully can).

One particularly quirky design choice is the way the game justifies the HUD – rather than just displaying your position, timer, map and the other usual racing game elements without any explanation (like every other racing game), you’re instead shown your racer putting in a special contact lens with augmented reality features built in. It’s all very silly but sure, why not.