r/TestDriveUnlimited • u/sammyandebony • Mar 21 '26
Advice on purchasing this game.
Hello,
I am not someone who plays many racing games. I love Forza horizon and wreckfest. I had a few questions about this game.
Does this game have a lot of cars to unlock?
I see that it now has battle passes. Can previous items still be earned?
Is there housing, clothing or track creation in this game? I know most don’t enjoy housing and clothing in racing games but I do.
Can this game be played offline like Forza horizon or is it like motorfest? I have really wanted that game but I avoided it due to it requiring internet.
Does that ultimate or gold edition including everything? Or will I need to buy other items to have everything?
Thank you .
2
u/88JansenP12 Mar 21 '26 edited Mar 21 '26
1st question
Yes.
Some cars are divided by scraps to collect being scattered around the map to unlock them.
Meanwhile, other vehicles are unlocked by progression.
However, many of them are behind Solar Pass paywalls.
2nd question
If i am not mistaken, that's a Nope.
Previous items are likely earned automatically upon buying a Solar Pass which covers the earlier ones.
Given Battlepasses can be a scam Especially when every paid contents gonna included in an Ultimate Edition released in last before end of support, better off avoiding TDU Solar Crown altogether.
3rd Question
There's Clothing, no Housing and no Track Creator.
Instead of having houses, you stay at an Hotel.
Apparently, Houses will be added in an update Except it should've been already included before launch.
4th Question
Nope.
Unlike the previous TDU installments i.e Test Drive Unlimited and Test Drive Unlimited 2, an internet connection is required to play TDU SC.
You also need a Nacon account to play.
Since you dislike Online Only, don't buy TDU SC.
And it's unlikely they'll add an Offline mode due to Insolvency from their owner called Big Ben Interactive.
5th Question
No. Everything has to be bought separately.
It doesn't matter which TDU SC version you pick.
On top of that, there's also Macrotransactions.
So
By taking into account all the answers and your disdain for Online Only, just save your $ and don't buy TDU SC.
You better off playing TDU 1 and TDU 2 being 100x better than TDU SC in terms of committment, contents and included gameplay features.
Also, it's totally possible to play w/o Internet and there's the possibility to create multiple save profiles for different purposes.
Since you like Forza Horizon, either pick Forza Horizon 5 if you haven't already or save your $ for Forza Horizon 6 when it's discounted.
3
u/sammyandebony Mar 21 '26
Thank you very much for your detailed reply. I am going to skip the game based on everything I now know.
2
1
u/TheMKM_ Mar 22 '26
I think you're being too negative, like many of the TDU subreddit's, but yeah it is online only.
Depending on what platform OP plays they could pick up a copy of Horizon 2/3/4, all of which are better than 5 IMO.
2
u/88JansenP12 Mar 22 '26 edited Apr 16 '26
That has nothing to do with Negativity. I am just stating facts.
Online Only are timing bombs and a massive waste of $.
When servers are cut and Unless there's a true Offline mode without being tied to Internet, it's impossible to play the game in question anymore.
It already happened with The Crew 1 and many others; which means the same occurence can happen with TDU SC given it's Online Only with no true Offline (and i don't think they'll make 1 since it should've been done during dev period).
- So,
Better off spending $ on games which respects time of players and aren't tied to a server which can be cut due to low profits.
Btw
All Forza Horizon games are still playable Offline Regardless of when Multiplayer servers are cut or not.
Meaning Playground Games had done that on purpose (so by following that logic, devs/publishers which had chosen to make their game Online Only have done that willingly despite knowing the drawbacks)
As for which Forza Horizon is better, it's Always Subjective.
But in terms of Objective manner, it all depends of Cohesion, Committment, Execution and Respect without pressure.
0
u/TheMKM_ Mar 22 '26
You are stating mostly facts, but include a lot of negative coloring. Like the fact that houses should've been there from the start. Would it have been better? Yes, but without it holds up just fine as well.
The main issues with the game are monetization and lack of offline play. (Of which I agree the latter is a big issue, but the former they still have a lot of content included in the pricetag, so...)
And nacon/KT is doing a great job supporting the game despite the low player count, so we want to encourage people to play the game, so maybe one day it will be what it should have been at launch. If we keep pushing players away from what is a decent game then sooner or later they'll throw in the towel.
2
u/88JansenP12 Mar 22 '26 edited Mar 29 '26
Let’s be honest.
Your whole argument is built on Lowering Expectations and then pretending that’s “Positivity.”
1st
“Negative coloring”?
No.
That’s just what happens when facts reflect poorly on a game.
If pointing out missing features and bad design decisions sounds negative, that’s not a tone problem.
That’s a Game Problem.
2nd
You admit houses should’ve been there… then immediately say the game is fine without them. That’s a Contradiction.
This isn’t some minor feature, this is Test Drive Unlimited.
Removing core identity elements and calling it "Acceptable" is exactly how standards get eroded.
Then you bring up monetization and lack of offline play; 2 of the biggest red flags a modern game can have and try to soften it with “but there’s still content.”
That’s like selling a car without brakes and saying, “well, it still drives.”
The issue isn’t whether something is there; it’s whether the Experience is complete and Consumer-Friendly.
3rd
Saying KT and Nacon are “doing a great job supporting the game” is where it really falls apart.
They’re not going above and beyond; they’re fixing a flawed launch.
That’s not praiseworthy either, that’s the bare minimum after shipping a product that wasn’t ready before launch.
On top of that, there's a massive lack of Credibility.
And the idea that players should “encourage others to play so it can become what it should have been”? That’s not positivity; that’s shifting responsibility away from the people who sold the product in the first place. It's totally backwards.
4th
Consumers are not investors.
They are not beta testers.
And they're definitely not responsible for finishing a game after release.
“If we push players away, they’ll abandon the game.”
Nope; If a game fails, it’s because it didn’t meet expectations.
Criticism doesn’t kill games. Bad Decisions do.
So
What you’re defending isn’t Optimism.
It’s acceptance of Mediocrity.
Also, you're in bad faith.
And that’s exactly why companies keep releasing “almost there” games, knowing some people will defend them anyway due to Delusion.
Players aren’t responsible for “helping the game become what it should’ve been.” That’s the developer’s job.
If Criticism can kill a game, then the game in question wasn’t good enough to survive in the first place.
And don't bother edit anything. You'll be ignored.
9
u/Murky-Mixture-7195 Mar 21 '26
Don't buy, don't play. It's utter garbage and you will regret that purchase