8/10
"TDU is finally back and it is great - emh almost."
https://steamproxy.net/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3326164828
After this essential config lets get to the actual review. I won't go into pre-release (advanced beta access) details and corporate marketing strategies, as this is about the game. So sit tight put on your seatbelt and believe it or not, TDU: Solar Crown is an absolute worthy and immersive arcade racer. And KT Racing really deserves some credits for this successor! Sure, you can feel TDU:SC was released kinda early, but I did not run in many, but also pretty obvious and partly nerve costing, bugs/unbalances. Nevertheless besides some needed gameplay tweaking (QA) the game feels almost finished (~90%). And the most important aspect, the car handling is great (* when setup) as it is authentic and yes as an arcade racing game! But what I don't get is, why are SUV-like Jeeps "racing" through wide off-road tracks - when KT Racing can do much better "off-road" - WRC: Generations send its regards!? Another downer is the small map size for a TDU game, besides its immersive streets and alleys (map-comparison link). And also the amount of cars is pretty low, although it is enough for me but hopefully they add some more in the future. On the other hand, in TDU you must earn a car as it is something rewarding. Regarding the overall challenge, the AI is tough (especially at first till you get used to) and aggressive, but is also pretty static in its behaviour and not unbeatable! The visuals are kinda the biggest downer for me, as it only looks mediocore. And hopefully the devs add real shadows(!) and add/tweak lots of other visual featuers. Playing in a resolution of 5120x2133 compensates that, but especially not everyone got a 4090. Positively worth mentioning is that I had no rubber-banding yet and teh overall multiplayer seems very smooth, and this is the first online open-world title for the developer. Plz do not listen to all those frustrated "Gold-Edition-Early-Access" owner In the end Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown delivers a really solid, immersive and especially authentic arcade racing 'platform' which will (hopefully) get more content over time (maps, houses, bikes). And although it has its flaws, the longer I play TDU: SC the more I love and enjoy it - even in its current state - as it simply makes more joy than NFS, CarX or FH5. Maybe because it is authentic and e.g. also not made by EA.
Verdict: This could've been the perfect Early Access start for finalizing and tweaking features/content, until Ibizia arrives in Dec!?!

What separates TDU: Solar Crown positively from NFS, CarX:Street, The Crew, FH5:
:) car handling
:) drift like back in ~2010
:) authenticity & immersion
:) more grown-up presentation
:) real streets (size and shape)
:) no cringy horizon participation
:) surface-types make a difference
:) authentic - not sim - car handling
:) you need to actually earn your car(s)
:) Hitting a car/tree does make a difference
:) Car controls (window, indicator, wiper, eninge on/off,...)
:) Walking around (in specific areas) simply adds immerison
:) You can drive in any side street, there are no invisible walls

What separates TDU: Solar Crown from NFS, CarX:Street, The Crew, FH5:
:/ no drift tracks, yet?!
:/ way less cars
:/ very few RIMS
:/ no car design sharing
:/ suddenly vanishing traffic
:/ overall visuals incl. fake shadows
:/ radio stations are mediocore at best
:/ overall less car customizations (which can also be a good thing)

Wishes:
! be able to sell a car
! more rims (and cars)
! more enlivened world
? Honolulu (TDU1 map)
? COPS (while free roaming)
? Refueling at the gas stations
? Button pressing directly in the cockpit
? more cockpit interactions and car features
? more traffic variation (cars & trucks & trailers)
? the destruction model of BeamNG.drive :D
? be able to drive out of your personal garage into the world

6.5/10
"Don't judge a tennisgame by its visuals."
TopSpin 2K25 looks, feels and plays very well for the first few hours and is in many areas an improvement over the 13 year old predecessor. Although it is massively missing out on the player roster, especially for its hefty NBA-2K alike price tag. But therefore not on the monetized content-related clothing part of this tennis game. Which could be okay as an addition, but when the only updates for the game are not focusing on gameplay or bugs but only on this monetized cloth-related content, something is far off (classical 2K btw). But moreover TS2k25 is lacking in gameplay depth, a lot. And that is simply a no-go for me.
Verdict: Check out Machete Gaming's Review!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOrvHkEvApY
PS: I highly recommend giving TE4 a chance!
https://steamproxy.net/steamstore/app/760640/Tennis_Elbow_4/