Screenshots & trailers
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 55 | 86 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 37% | 43 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 43 | 65 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 58% | 58 | 436 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 29, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 436 total reviews in window · weighted 89.7 up / 65.9 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (65)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 50
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is unfortunately not a successful return to the Test Drive series. Poor technical condition, huge grind and lack of innovation are the main elements of the “ big” return of this series. The only thing that saves Solar Crown from total failure is the pleasant driving model and the very well replicated map of Hong Kong. However, I am feeling hopeful that KT Racing will take matters into their own hands and start fixing the game as soon as possible, because to experience such problems with the Day One patch is no excuse.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown today looks not just like a greeting from the past, but inferior to its predecessors.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“A bog standard racing game that borrowed a lot from its competitors and offered nothing new. And it's always-online, too. Not a complete wreck, but we expected something much better.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown represents a missed opportunity to revitalize a beloved franchise. While more than a year of updates has expanded the available content and addressed some of the most severe launch issues, the game still suffers from misguided design decisions and questionable technical execution. The island of Hong Kong offers an interesting playground for exploration, and there are genuinely fun moments when driving along its roads, but these positive experiences are frequently interrupted by unsatisfying gameplay, repetitive content, and persistent technical problems. For veterans hoping for the triumphant return of the Unlimited series, Solar Crown is a disappointment that fails to capture the magic that made the original games so special.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is a game whose ambitions apparently exceeded the developers’ capabilities. Anyone hoping for an alternative to the blockbuster Forza Horizon is bound to be bitterly disappointed. The racing itself is actually fun, despite numerous issues and some strange design choices. How we’ll look back on Solar Crown in the future will likely depend on how much care the developers continue to devote to it. If they tone down the grinding and fix the AI, we’ll end up with a decent racing game. I’ll definitely be more inclined to recommend the game if an offline mode is introduced as soon as possible. Otherwise, the sword of Damocles, in the form of the server shutdown button, will constantly hang over it.”
read full review ↗ - 35
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a disappointing mess, unworthy of a once great and unique racing franchise. It has great potential to become a fun driving game, but with its nonfunctional online-only campaign, lack of content and cars, and completely outdated visuals, it is really hard to recommend to anyone.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“The two most important features of TDU: Solar Crown, namely the driving and the open world, are very well done. And the flaws? They are very serious, without question. However, probably all the shortcomings can be eliminated with updates. Not in a week, not in a month, maybe not even in a year - but it can be done.”
read full review ↗ - 35
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown marks the return of the series, aiming to revive its old charm, but ultimately leaves an impression of incompleteness. While the game offers a rich selection of cars, intriguing concepts like clans, and a sprawling Hong Kong map, many elements feel outdated or technically unfinished. The graphics, while impressive in showroom settings, lose their luster on the open roads, and the races are too arcadey and short to sustain long-term interest. For die-hard fans of the series, the game might deliver a solid experience, but for those seeking more from an open-world racing game, Solar Crown could end up being more frustrating than fun.”
read full review ↗ - 50
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a really tough game to sum up in its current state. The game's vast open world and asphalt driving physics give the title a solid base to launch from, and we definitely think this series still has something to offer that differs from the likes of Forza Horizon and The Crew. However, Solar Crown's issues run deeper than launch-week server load, and the game needs quite a bit of tweaking to feel properly finished. Nacon and KT Racing are intending for this to be an ongoing live service game, and as long as the teams stick with it, we definitely think this new Test Drive game will be hugely improved months down the line. We can't recommend Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown right now, but if you're into your big open world racers, we definitely think this one is worth keeping an eye on as it gets fixed up and improved - you should be able to get it on discount that way as well.Solar Crown is yet another rocky launch for the franchise after similar issues plagued TDU2 back in the day - but that game did go on to become a bit of a cult hit, so there's hope for this Test Drive Unlimited title yet. It just needs a bit more time and attention for its solar crown to start to shine.”
read full review ↗ - 73
“Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is a game that clearly needs a good polish, even though it has potential.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown is an absolutely phenomenal driving experience when it works. Each car is unique and you spend so much time with them that you form a real bond with your machines. Races are hard-fought and the neon streets of Hong Kong Island fun enough to explore in free roam. Unfortunately, a variety of technical issues hamper the experience, and the lifestyle elements and overall atmosphere of Hong Kong Island leave much to be desired. This is an ongoing, live service game with many seasons planned, so hopefully a lot of these issues can be ironed out. Until then, though, it’s still a pleasure to drive around in your favourite car, just soaking up the road.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“To summarize, it can be said that Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown makes a big promise in many respects, but it cannot keep it. The atmosphere is disappointingly empty, the story is irrelevant and the balancing is sometimes so poorly thought out that it completely spoils the fun of racing. The graphics, although beautiful to look at, suffer from a high performance hunger and the server problems make the multiplayer practically unplayable. Only the driving experience and the sound are convincing, but are not enough to compensate for the numerous shortcomings. If the developers manage to fix the numerous technical problems, the game could at least become an average racing game.”
read full review ↗
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Patch history
- Solar Club Letter: May 2026May 29, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Season 6 Update 1 Patch NotesMay 6, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: April 2026Apr 30, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Season 6 Patch NotesMar 25, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: March.4 - Season 6 & Future OutlookMar 21, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: February 2026Feb 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Season 5 Update 2 Patch NotesFeb 10, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: January 2026Jan 30, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Important Season 5 Update 1 DetailsJan 14, 2026
- Season 5 Update 1 - Patch NotesJan 13, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: December 2025Dec 25, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: November 2025Nov 28, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 5 Patch 1 - Hotfix NotesNov 10, 2025
- Solar Club Letter: October 2025 - Everything To Know About Season 5Oct 28, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 5 Patch NotesOct 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 5 Feature Showcase Livestream & QnAOct 23, 2025
- Solar Club Letter: September 2025Sep 30, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 4 Mid-Season Patch NotesSep 9, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: August 2025Aug 29, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 4: All You Need To KnowJul 23, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 4 Patch NotesJul 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: Season 4 & Year 2 Reveal RecapJul 21, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Watch Our Season 4 and Year 2 Roadmap Reveal Tomorrow!Jul 20, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 4 and Year 2 Developer Documentary Date Announcement!Jul 11, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: June 2025Jun 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter: May 2025May 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 3 Mid-Season Patch NotesApr 22, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 3: All You Need To KnowMar 19, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 3 Patch NotesMar 18, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 3 Preview DetailsMar 6, 2025
- Latest update patch noteJan 29, 2025
- New patch & leaderboards resetJan 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Season 2 is out now!Dec 11, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch #2, Compensation & Next StepsNov 4, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Season 1 is out!Oct 2, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- First major patchSep 29, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter #7 - Winter UpdateFeb 29, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Solar Club Letter #4 - Summer UpdateAug 31, 2023significant · resets scoring window
…and 1 earlier patch announcements.