The NACON and KT Racing teams behind the upcoming Test Drive title released an update on Wednesday (18th May) via their Steam blog announcing that Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will be pushed back from later this year to 2023.
Originally slated for a September 2022 release, the developers feel that the game needs more time for it to be the best game it could possibly be on release. A more precise date was not announced, just that it will now be next year.
Furthermore, the game will no longer release on the previous generation of consoles as development has ceased for both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game.
XBOX ONE, PLAYSTATION 4 EDITIONS CANCELLED
While the delay is unfortunate, this could prove to bring a better game to the forefront when it finally does release. Unfortunately, if you don’t have a latest generation gaming console from Sony or Microsoft, you’ll likely need a high end PC now to enjoy it with the PS4 and Xbox One cancellations.
The reasoning behind the delay in general, per the blog post, is that the team aims to “make it the most polished gaming experience in the franchise by spending more time on its development.”
From what it sounds like, it seems to be a tall order to make a 1-to-1 scale replication of Hong Kong Island, which may be part of the reason behind the decision to stop producing on the older generation consoles.
We’ve seen many titles produce on both the older and the newer generations of consoles. Heck, Grand Theft Auto V has been on three different generations now. With that in mind, solely focusing on the latest technology means that Test Drive will release at a maximum capacity that doesn’t have to be hindered by keeping older technology’s shortcomings in the back of their mind.
PLANNED BETA SCHEDULE COMING
With the game taking longer to produce, there will now be some planned closed beta tests coming before next year’s release. While that schedule has not yet been determined, the developers say they’ll keep in better contact with their fans as more information becomes available.
The closed betas will aim to help with the finalization of the game, which is a common ideology that most developers will employ from time to time. As it says, the more impatient ones will get that chance, so keep your eyes peeled for further details to drop.
GAMEPLAY UPDATES
In the blog post, the developers talked about some of the features that are being worked on to add to the game. Car dealerships, radio stations, convertible cars, working turn signals and the ability to roll down the windows are all the small details that are intended to be included as the game is considered a lifestyle type game.
The blog post also shared some details on the battle between the rival factions, the Streets and the Sharps. The Streets are more of a nightclub scene while the Sharps are more luxurious. Each clan has their own HQ, and any player can access either HQ no matter who they align with. However, each HQ has a VIP area where only aligned members can access.
TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED SOLAR CROWN RELEASE DATE
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown will be released in 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
Images thanks to Test Drive Unlimited
