The Crew Motorfest preview - Essentially The Crew 2, but better

Back when Ubisoft just shadow announced The Crew Motorfest, I was excited to get my hands on the game, given my love for the series. The Crew is still among my most played and enjoyed open-world racers, with Forza Horizon 4 being the close second. The same goes for The Crew 2, which I've been playing on and off since 2018.

However, the Closed Beta for The Crew Motorfest, which I played for over 20 hours in the last few days, has somewhat dulled my excitement. While The Crew Motorfest isn't a bad game per se, far from it. It's equally as great an arcade racer as its predecessors, perhaps to a fault.

Ubisoft Ivory Tower's upcoming racer is essentially the same game as The Crew 2, albeit with a few improvements and a new map. If you liked what the previous titles offered, you'd feel right at home with The Crew Motorfest.

However, if you're looking for a fresh new experience that revolutionizes the "The Crew" formula, then I'm afraid this isn't the game for you. While I was genuinely amazed and impressed by the game's graphics, the open-world map as well as the massive roster of cars, the lack of originality really bummed me out.

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Things that I really liked about The Crew Motorfest

Presentation, visuals, audio design, and UI

It should not come as a surprise that The Crew Motorfest features some really breathtaking visuals. The previous two games, especially The Crew 2, already looked pretty good, especially on PC, with the settings cranked up all the way. However, the geniuses at Ubisoft Ivory Tower somehow managed to one-up their previous creation(s).

The Crew Motorfest looks absolutely magnificent, especially under certain lighting conditions (Image via Ubisoft)

While the improved visuals come at the cost of significantly higher PC system requirements, it is more or less justified, given the game can often look almost near photorealistic. I also liked the game's rather varied map, which was refreshing from The Crew 2's monotonous cityscape.

Apart from the game's stellar visuals, I found the audio quite top-tier. Everything sounded exactly how you'd expect, from the thumping of exhausts to the slight air drag while flying quickly through the open world on an airplane. It also seemed somewhat like the licensed soundtrack, which I rarely appreciate in modern racing games.

The event playlists are easily one of the best parts of the Closed Beta, especially the themed ones (Image via Ubisoft)

Lastly, I think the UI is easily one of the best aspects of The Crew Motorfest. While I loved every second of the hundreds of hours I spent playing The Crew 2, I was never a fan of the obtuse UI, something Ivory Tower has massively addressed with the new title.

Everything is reworked, from the event selection screen to the customization and upgrade menu, to make it much more intuitive. The only minor complaint with the game's UI is the slight delay I usually faced while navigating the customization menu and car roster. Apart from this small nit-pick, The Crew Motorfest's presentation is top-notch.

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Varied racing events and themes

One of the most striking things I immediately witnessed upon starting the game was the themed race events, which Ivory Tower previously experimented with in The Crew 2. However, with their latest offering, these events are front and center. In fact, the game even starts by thrusting you into a sequence that gives a slight taste of all the different themed events it offers.

The themed racing playlists are a highlight, especially the one surrounding Japanese tuner culture (Image via Ubisoft)

I really liked the Japanese tuner-themed races and tracks, which felt quite akin to the racing events in Need for Speed Underground 2, something that I never thought would be delivered in a game out of the NFS franchise. There's also quite a heavy emphasis on offroad this time, which was a good change of pace from the regular track races.

Apart from the themed races, The Crew Motorfest also features other custom race events, similar to the regular playlist events in The Crew 2. Also, if you were a fan of the customization system, you'll find The Crew Motorfest to be right up your alley. The upgrade and customization system here is identical to the previous title, which is a positive in my books.

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Things that left me somewhat conflicted in The Crew Motorfest

Lack of originality and identity

The biggest issue that I feel The Crew series as a whole is facing right now is a lack of distinct identity. While the games on their own are pretty good, they feel like a pale imitation of their competitors, i.e., Forza Horizon and Need for Speed. The only edge The Crew Motorfest has over the Forza Horizon games is its vehicle variety, but unfortunately, that's a very surface-level distinction.

While racing in The Crew Motorfest is a whole lot of fun, it still feels very derivative of its predecessor in terms of progression (Image via Ubisoft)

Despite featuring drivable bikes, planes, and boats, it's very much apparent from the Closed Beta that the majority of the focus has been on the cars, with other vehicles getting minor touch-ups, if at all. There are improvements made to the handling model; however, it never felt like a completely revamped system compared to the previous titles.

The Crew Motorfest, from how it showcases the various events at the start of the game's campaign to the general progression system, reeks of Forza Horizon. While there's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from an industry-leading franchise, it should not come to the detriment of an I.P.'s identity. I was hoping for a fresh new experience with The Crew Motorfest; however, I only got another Forza Horizon knock-off.

While it lacks in originality, The Crew Motorfest does deliver an immersive racing experience thanks to its spectacular visual presentation (Image via Ubisoft)

Don't get me wrong, The Crew Motorfest is an entertaining game, but it's nothing new if you're already familiar with other arcade racers, you won't find anything new here. However, it's very much possible that Ivory Tower might have a few surprises for the title's full release. I just didn't think the Closed Beta was expressive enough to make me feel optimistic about the game's originality.

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Floaty driving physics

While I like The Crew's often floaty driving model, I don't think it's anywhere near perfect, far from it. While the handling model holds up pretty well for tuners and muscle cars, the cracks will start to show as soon as you climb the ladder of progression and unlock those exotic hypercars.

Ivory Tower knocked it out of the park with the customization system in their latest title (Image via Ubisoft)

As soon as you start going over 150-200 mph, cars will tend to oversteer at the slightest nudge of the stick. This makes for a more arcade-like handling model, but in my honest opinion, it isn't a perfect fit for a game like The Crew, built more like a sim-cade than a traditional arcade racer.

I did expect some fine-tuning of the driving physics, but it wasn't enough to make much of a difference. I just hope Ivory Tower can make some significant updates to the driving system before the title's official release.

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In conclusion

The Crew Motorfest has tremendous potential as a new step for Ubisoft Ivory Tower's arcade racing franchise. However, its potential is somewhat held back by the apparent lack of originality and a lackluster handling model. Despite my rather polarizing experience with the game, I enjoyed my time with the Closed Beta and plan on jumping back into the open world of O'ahu in September 2023.

If Ubisoft Ivory Tower can add some exclusive events, revamp the progression system, and touch up the handling model a bit to make it more responsive, then The Crew Motorfest has the potential to become one of the best open-world racers out there.

Perhaps even get on the same page as Playground Games' Forza Horizon series, which currently dominates the open-world arcade racing genre.