Check Drive Limitless Photo voltaic Crown made one other look on this 12 months’s Nacon Join, with developer KT Racing speaking about what they’re creating for the aspirational open world racing sport and releasing some in-engine environmental pictures, however there’s valuable little for followers eagerly awaiting the sequence’ revival to actually sink their tooth into. No gameplay, no launch date. All we all know is that Check Drive Limitless is presently anticipated to launch in 2023 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Collection X|S and PC. A beta take a look at can also be deliberate earlier than then.
From the encompassing developer chat, we all know that one factor KT Racing is focussed on is teamwork amidst the 2 rival gangs. The Sharp and Avenue clans will vie for supremacy on the streets, with Sharp focussed extra on the luxurious automobiles and Avenue clan being into the nightclub scene.
The 2 sides can have their very own HQ that any participant can entry, however solely aligned gamers will be capable to enter the VIP space. This can all sit beside the Photo voltaic Crown PvP competitors which provides the sport its identify, a event that may sprawl throughout the entire metropolis.
This new Check Drive Limitless will happen in a full recreation of Hong Kong and, on the very least, KT Racing did present some new screenshots that present the environmental work that they’ve been placing in. It ranges from the internal metropolis to the virtually untamed wilderness, and we’re eager to see the way it all comes collectively… however that must wait for an additional time, as a result of not even a sniff of gameplay has been revealed.
The shortage of gameplay at this level is getting a bit tiresome, and leans into one of many worst developments inside the video games business: asserting a sport or undertaking far too early. It’s now been two years for the reason that first teaser trailer and announcement for Check Drive Limitless Photo voltaic Crown in 2020 with KT Racing returning in 2021 with a moody face to face’ video, after which a location reveal for the Hong Kong setting, however no gameplay, even with a 2022 launch date nonetheless anticipated.
It wasn’t till Might of this 12 months that they confirmed that the sport has been delayed till 2023, and that KT Racing cancelled the discharge for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. This could hopefully assist them whereas sprucing the sport and optimising for the vastly extra highly effective newer technology of consoles.
I get that Check Drive Limitless is geared to be a grand revival for a as soon as very talked-about and pioneering racing sport sequence, however I don’t suppose it actually helps construct any sort of anticipation for the sport to maintain trotting it out and don’t have anything consultant to indicate. Higher to attend till there’s one thing significant to indicate, even when it means you possibly can’t function a tentpole launch in your summer time showcase.
Wanting again on the final sport within the sequence, the 2011 title Check Drive Limitless 2, we didn’t pin a rating on it, however Alex did share some ideas on the sport:
“There are moments in Check Drive Limitless 2 when every part snaps collectively completely and also you get an all too uncommon, blissful, zen-like rush of pure pleasure. If it’s the proper time of day with the solar setting on the horizon forward, an open street at 150mph and Paul Van Dyke blasting via the in-car radio like Kevin and Perry going massive, it’s a dreamy, unworldly sensation that might solely be captured with all of the variables firmly in place. TDU2, when it really works, is breathtaking.”
In fact, the subsequent line was, “However when it doesn’t, it’s a wreck.”
Right here’s hoping Photo voltaic Crown is the previous and never the latter.