The Crew Motorfest
Over the weekend I got a chance to play The Crew Motorfest, along with tens of thousands of players, thanks to Ubisoft's free trial weekend. To commemorate the game's launch, Ubisoft gave everyone five hours of the game's Ultimate edition to play, much like Steam would for their "Free Weekend" promotions. I missed several betas from Motorfest, so this would be the first time I'd have experience with The Crew Motorfest.
Looking at other first impressions as well as the gameplay trailers leading up to its release, I was concerned that most would look at it as nothing more than a Forza Horizon "clone." At first glance, there are many similarities between Horizon and Motorfest, specifically the idea of centering a large mass of land around a "festival." The "Festival" serves as the main hub for the players where they can access the dealership as well as the garage. It's also the central part of a rather sizable open-world map that connects the player to related events.
While Forza Horizon is five games strong, it wasn't the first racing game to feature this niche genre that I'd like to call a "Festival Racer." Festival racers fit the criteria above while also providing an emphasis on "character development." Not unlike an RPG, as players win and compete in events, they will earn levels that will allow them to progress through more difficult challenges. In games like The Crew, players could earn upgrade parts that function similarly to gear in RPGs as well.
Before creating The Crew series, Ivory Tower was made up of former Eden Games developers who worked on Test Drive Unlimited and its sequel, in 2006 and 2011 respectively. A large reason for my interest in Motorfest was because this game felt like a "homecoming" of sorts. The first two games were based in Hawaii, with Motorfest's overall map being larger in scale than TDU2. Comparing the two, Motorfest may have been influenced by Horizon, but it pays homage to the islands that began its legacy.
The Crew Motorfest feels more like a direct sequel to The Crew 2, which itself was a departure from The Crew. The original was a crime drama story that spanned across the entire United States. This included dialogue, cutscenes, and a progression that depended on player exploration as they won races and completed objectives.
The sequel eliminated the narrative storytelling and instead fell more in line with the original Test Drive Unlimited titles. In those games, you were some wealthy hotshot who wanted to get into a racing club with other wealthy hotshots. Here in The Crew 2, you're a thrill seeker who travels between land, sea, and air to be the best in the United States.
Both games were two of the only titles to feature a "fully explorable" United States to a playable scale. Players can travel from Los Angeles to New York and plot an entire course while picking up any objectives along the way. It eliminated the "story" and instead gave players agency to tackle events as they wished. The Crew Motorfest continues the foundation set by Ivory Tower and condenses it to Hawaii instead. Nothing was compromised as this meant the team was able to push every detail from every inch of the resort island.
Five hours wasn't nearly enough time to sink my teeth in The Crew Motorfest, but it was enough for a playlist. Those familiar with other festival racers should know what "playlists" mean as they are a set of races all about a specific theme. Made In Japan was one of several starting playlists to choose from, including one based on American Muscle and another based on the history of Porsche. What I loved about these trailers is that they used real-life footage to give off a specific vibe. American landmarks are paired with muscle cars while neon lights are synonymous with Japan.
I was curious about this playlist as the game is set in Hawaii, which is close to Japan but not quite within Japanese borders. This is referenced several times between the characters who guide you through the various modes. I was introduced to drifting, drag racing, tongue battles, and street racing, all while enjoying a piece of Japanese car culture history. I always preferred the "arcade" bias in The Crew's "simcade genre" and Motorfest feels more like an arcade racer with sim-like qualities. Drifting felt smooth and controllable similar to a Ridge Racer title, but it can also be unforgiving if I were to mess up.
By the time I finished defeating everyone in the streets of Waikiki Beach, I fully became immersed in the city's aesthetic. It also re-established some of my concerns for another game that carries the Test Drive name. Test Drive Solar Crown is the first game in the Unlimited series since the conception of The Crew.
While it's uncertain how much of the original staff remains with Eden Games, the fact that it's set in Hong Kong means it fills my dream of a "festival open-world racer" that takes place in a city. Never mind that. It seems KT Racing and Nacon, the guys behind the WRC titles before EA's acquisition of the license, are the ones behind the new Test Drive game. While the quality of their games hadn't been exactly "blockbuster quality," as of late, it's still nice to see much of the original staff from the first two games return to the sandy beaches of Hawaii.
With as much hinting and teasing as the game did on "Maybe we should host a festival in Japan." They should. Ubisoft, you should make the next The Crew in Japan. The country has been one of the highest requested locations for a game of this caliber and it's only a matter of time until someone decides to tackle it. Will it be The Crew? Forza? Test Drive? Who knows. As far as first impressions go, directly comparing it to The Crew 2, it's more of what players loved about the second game.
What's cool about the series is that players can always return to The Crew 2 if they are yearning to drift around Times Square for a bit then fast travel to Yosemite for mountain driving. The core gameplay hadn't changed much, in fact, players can transport their garage from The Crew 2 to The Crew Motorfest. Motorfest succeeds in giving Sony users their own "Horizon" so in terms of being one of the first modern generation multi-platform "Festival racers," The Crew Motorfest does a great job in focusing on what matters. Beautiful scenery and beautiful cars that go fast and look good while doing so.
The Crew Motorfest is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.