We had the opportunity to play the Closed Beta of The Crew Motorfest, the new open-world racing game from Ubisoft Ivory Tower to PC and consoles PS4, PS5, Xbox One e Xbox Series X/S and we'll detail our first impressions of the game.
The first game in the franchise The Crew of Ubisoft was born in 2014 with great promise, one of which was to be a great racing MMORPG where you could traverse the entire map of the United States.
In this case, the first game in the franchise failed to do either. Its map is indeed very large, but it wasn't really the entire United States in scale, let alone an MMORPG game, since there were only a few players in the session.
The Crew 2 was a turning point, but there was still a lot to achieve
After the many criticisms The Crew ended up suffering, the second game came to try and redeem itself and be what the previous one wasn't. This time, they were a little more down-to-earth in their promises, aiming to keep them.
The second game was a major turning point compared to the first, where in addition to improving the much-criticized gameplay (although still not ideal) and reduce the size of the map (previously criticized for lacking content) new modes have also been added to the game (such as boats and planes).
But still, The Crew 2 was not what gamers had imagined. The open world still wasn't as enjoyable as it should have been (although it has some interesting additions)The connection with unknown players was still criticized. You could rarely find another player wandering the streets.
What's more, there was a big comparison. Of course, this comparison was with him, Forza Horizon. The Crew 2 2018 has arrived, the peak year for Forza Horizon, which was Forza Horizon 4. Of course, comparisons were inevitable. And, well, they ended up damaging the game even more.
The Crew Motorfest is the pinnacle of the franchise, and possibly the best of its kind
This phrase may be a little controversial, but 2023 is perhaps the best year for racing games. The reason? we'll have two Forza in the same year. Forza Motorsport, e Forza Horizon.
Jokes aside, in fact The Crew Motorfest seems to have drunk heavily from the source of its exclusive competitor from Xbox. But honestly? even though I'm a big fan of the franchise Forzahaving played all the HorizonI think The Crew Motorfest achieved the unimaginable. To surpass it.
The improvements compared to the previous game are clear. The gameplay is now at its best. Each vehicle is treated differently, not only in practice but also in theory. Where, for example, old cars don't have GPS or nitro, the same goes for Formula 1 cars.
You also get the feeling that the old cars don't have power steering, let alone ABS brakes, and that they can easily "samba" on the track. Something a Lamborghini won't do for the world.
Playlists are here to bring feelings
In The Crew Motorfest you have several playlists. They are more or less like the different locations where you set up the festival in Forza Horizon. In HorizonYou'll go to a new location where you'll have races focusing on Drift, Drag Race, Off-Road and so on.
As for playlists, it works more or less the same way. But, for example, when you're in a vintage car playlist, you notice a more yellowish color palette. The cars are themed to the era, even the ones driving down the street. Not to mention the soundtrack, which is in keeping with the era.
New types of race are also found in the playlists, where in the vintage car one, for example, you have a mode where, because the car doesn't have GPS, you have to find your route using some Polaroid photos. In fact, it was very original and fun, and it's something that I feel is lacking today in Forza Horizon 5.
Another modality worth highlighting (and that there's probably a playlist for it, but I haven't gotten to it yet) is Formula 1. In it, the city streets are closed off and transformed into Formula 1 race tracks. Not only that, the game puts you in cars that are stable on the track and have worn tires, requiring you to make pit stops (there's even a tire-changing cutscene).
Everything also indicates that each playlist will have a narrative in the background, to immerse the player even more and give them a real reason to beat their rivals in each race. It's also worth noting that, as well as themed playlists such as vintage cars, Formula 1 and Japan, there are also some focused on brands, such as Porsche and Lamborghini.
Menu navigation is finally intuitive
Something that always tires me about The Crew 2 was the navigation between the menus. It was a bit slow to navigate through the options there, and sometimes even to find what I wanted.
In The Crew MotorfestThis is very different. The map is completely 3D and in real time, so you can zoom out to see the whole map of Hawaii, or zoom in to see your car, look at the buildings or see other cars passing by. It's completely impressive!
And when you leave this map view, press the "Options" of PlayStation, or "Menu" of XboxIn the game, you can access a quick menu on the left, which has options such as profile, store, group management, playlists and others. Unlike the previous game, everything is now very practical, fast and intuitive. A great success for Ubisoft!
The open world is ready to welcome you
Everything suggests that Ubisoft has hit upon an open world for The Crew. After entering a playlist, you will unlock some events, which are the races. Achievements, which are similar to those in Forza HorizonThese are about speeds, jumps and more. And, photo opportunities, where in the Japanese playlist, for example, you have to take pictures of some themed monuments while you're doing something specific.
These photo opportunities may require you to be in a themed car, at an exact time of day, with X location in the background. It's something that will help to further compose the ideal open world.
It's also worth mentioning that, while I was wandering around the open world, I came across a race in progress, probably run by another player, where I could see all the cars starting, but in that invisible way, so I couldn't collide with them.
I didn't understand exactly if they were players, or just bots that the game put there. But it did make the world even more alive and fun. Of course, we can't forget the possibility of flying an airplane and boats, and exploring every corner of the Hawaii map.
The RPG factor is also present at Motorfest
There are indeed some RPG factors present in the game. One of them is the XP you earn when you do something on the streets, such as "stripping the paint" off another car. Making big jumps, or even driving at very high speed.
The fact that the end of each race will give your character XP, money and parts to upgrade your vehicle also counts as a great reward. Not forgetting that when customizing your character, you can choose victory poses and some emotes (very similar to Forza, by the way).
Of course, it all seems very subtle, as there's no level issue preventing you from completing the races. In fact, everything is just right.
What are your expectations for The Crew Motorfest?
Reality often doesn't match expectations. But I'm very hopeful about this game. Everything indicates that it will be a worthy competitor, making the Playground Games pull out the stops for the next one Forza Horizon.
The Crew Motorfest seems to have a massive open world with lots of opportunities. Good racing variations, excellent vehicle tuning and impressive gameplay responsiveness.
Not to mention the variety in the playlist, which makes you feel like you're in different games. While I was listening to the Japanese playlist, I was reminded of Need for Speed Heat (because of the neons in the backdrops). While playing the old cars playlist, I remembered when I played Mafiabecause of the speedometer.
Considering that Ubisoft usually keep their games going for a long time, even having the The Crew 2 as an example, which still receives updates, I believe that Motorfest will have a long life.
The Crew Motorfest arrives on September 11th for PC, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5 e PlayStation 4.
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