Ibiza’s Electrifying Comeback: Power Unlimited Faces Off Against Solar Crown’s Disruption
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown Season 2 has arrived, bringing back Ibiza; the iconic locale from 2011’s Test Drive Unlimited 2. While this is a scaled-down version of the party island compared to its Xbox 360 edition, Ibiza remains a remarkably enjoyable addition to the game – it’s simply unfortunate that the core features of Solar Crown are still not fully refined.
After the Season 2 maintenance details were resolved, we jumped straight into the fresh landscape to see what’s available. Keep in mind that you need to reach Reputation Level 12 to access Ibiza in Solar Crown – luckily, we had already surpassed that milestone upon launch and were able to kick off the festivities immediately.
Upon arriving at Ibiza, the celebration is indeed in full swing, and KT Racing’s new terrain expansion truly captures the essence of its Mediterranean setting. The new hub area here possesses miles more character than the towering hotel structure you’re situated in on the original map – making it feel much more TDU compared to Hong Kong island. So, excellent job there.
Driving around Ibiza is just plain enjoyable as well. This Solar Crown version seems to have more off-road tracks per square mile (which still feels a bit peculiar to drive on, physics-wise), but there are still plenty of high-speed asphalt paths to navigate. The map is less visually cluttered than Hong Kong island, which is somewhat expected, yet fortunately, the team has managed to pack in a wide variety of side roads and racing options across this more compact area.
Sadly, they haven’t included quite as many significant activities to pursue. Just like the original game, Ibiza struggles to provide much meaningful content apart from simply cruising and exploring the area. You have numerous time trials to participate in (some of which require higher-level vehicles) and a small selection of side activities to engage in like race challenges and such, but this game is still missing some crucial TDU elements. Ibiza could have been a fantastic opportunity to reintroduce features such as car delivery missions, hitchhiker pickups, and maybe even the fans’ beloved Casino mode, yet we’re still waiting for those additions here.
But it’s not just about races, either. TDU2’s iconic cover car — the Ferrari California — is present and looking splendid in Solar Crown’s Ibiza… but it’s locked behind Level 60. We invested significant time in the previous game for evaluation, and only just surpassed level 20 – to be honest, we ran out of activities to pursue on Hong Kong island aside from seeking more roads. There is a variety of other new level-gated vehicles featured in Ibiza as well, so yes, Solar Crown’s progression mechanics are still in effect.