In a previous world forza horizon has pretty much set the standard for what always-online open-world driving games can be, already Unlimited driving test on Xbox 360. TDU recreated the entire Hawaiian island of Oahu on a one-on-one scale — an astonishing feat, even after 17 years. Currently TDU is preparing for a comeback, set on a very different floating rock: Hong Kong. And we got a glimpse of it this week in developer Kylotonn’s latest fan newsletter.
Like Oahu’s first performance, Solar crown Hong Kong Island is also built to scale. Of course, HKI is much smaller than Big Island, so don’t expect any hour-long ride from start to finish. That said, it also seems to offer significantly more variety than TDU Oahu did, from the cliffside setting to the neon-lit skyscrapers.
Not every road on the island is faithfully recreated, because 1) that’s not feasible and 2) even if it were, it doesn’t guarantee enjoyable gameplay. Creative Director Alain Jarniou provided a bit of insight in the newsletter on how the team has managed to recreate the spirit of Hong Kong Island, albeit with 370-mile trails better suited for the race. Through reddit:
Recreating Hong Kong Island with all its diversity and small details is a considerable challenge. In an open world game like TDU, we needed to provide a seamless and enjoyable driving experience and encourage exploration, which is an important part of the experience. To enhance the experience and bring players to a new country, we also wanted to make HKI very real, that’s why we recreated it in 1:1 scale. It’s a challenge technically as well as gameplay. Thanks to our experience developing many racing games (WRC series) and motor games (TT series), we have considerable expertise in creating realistic environments at scale. But TDU is a different kind of experience and more challenging. Hong Kong Island is a great playground that offers incredible diversity and each environment has been given special attention to make them even more enjoyable for the players. To emphasize smooth and fast driving, for example, HKI’s very dense urban network needs some minor tweaking since certain lanes are (too?) narrow. In contrast, some slight redesigns have been made to the main roads to make them more interesting and suitable for very fast cars, while respecting the identity of Hong Kong Island. To increase exploration options, we’ve used our expertise from WRC games to turn some of the boardwalks and hikes into mini mountain trails that cars can use. use.
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Solar Crown’s map is comprised of 14 districts of vastly ranging biomes, with a good number of local landmarks peppered in, as Lead Artist Stéphane Cambier explains:
You can cruise through downtown Wan Chai, the financial district with huge buildings like the Hopewell Centre and Convention Centre, then pass through the Central District under the Bank of China Tower and the twin towers of the Lippo Centre, an iconic skyscraper on HKI. The East docks area is the perfect playground for the Streets. Their HQ, an underground industrial nightclub, can be found here. But if you prefer a calmer and more residential atmosphere, the Repulse Bay district with its luxury dealerships is there on the south side of the island. The Peak, the island’s highest point, is perfect for an off-road experience and to admire the city as the sun goes down. Are you an inveterate explorer at heart? Set off to find small fishing villages at the foot of Tai Tam Tuk Reservoir, which can only be reached by small paths; then take the Dragon’s Back to reach Shek O for unforgettable gaming moments that can only be found in TDUSC.
Solar Crown’s been somewhat missing in action until recent weeks, when publisher Nacon began sharing in-engine screenshots. All video footage of the game has been CGI, so we still don’t really have a sense of how the first open-world Test Drive experience in over a decade will look during gameplay, nor do we even know when it’s launching. The development studio responsible, Kylotonn, is known for its officially-licensed World Rally Championship and Isle of Man TT games. The WRC series is a consistent modelbut building an open world racer is a completely different challenge than creating a stage or lap based car.
Personally, I’m tempering my expectations. The studio has no proven track record with a game of this caliber. More, Solar crown narratives of pitting each other between rival gangs of children with trust funds (in principle, they are called “Streets” and “Sharps”) has the potential to get reality annoying, really fast. But as long as physics has enough power and the world is interesting enough, it can only be a diversion from forza horizon And need for speed what this genre needs.
