Geek Interview: ‘The Crew Motorfest’ Boosts Car Culture Over Racing Focus

With Ubisoft Ivory Tower‘s The Crew Motorfest racing towards launch on 14 September, fans of the racing genre will have something fresh and new to play with in just a few months’ time. As a follow-up to The Crew 2, many might be wondering just what makes this sequel worth checking out, including us, which is why a hands-on session was essential to answer that question.

From the off, it was clear that The Crew Motorfest is going to be a different kind of flavour when it comes to fast cars and competitive racing. No longer are players confined to the environments of the U.S. mainland, with the action now taking place in Hawaiian paradise.

“Hawaii and one of its main islands: O’ahu is one of the world’s most breathtaking locations but also the perfect mix between all the playgrounds a car lover would enjoy. This island offers infinite opportunities for pure fun, all forms of driving challenges, and invites you to go through incredible landscapes: from big city streets to volcano slopes, lush jungles, idyllic beaches,” shared Stéphane Beley, Senior Creative Director.

It definitely looks good, as the preview gave us a tutorial on the general controls behind the wheel, and it was no coincidence. The team has been hard at work to create something close to their hearts and a “vision of what an open-world driving game should be.” Things will only improve from here on, and it appears that Ubisoft will indeed be keeping its promise of finding “the perfect balance between visual quality and performance to make the game the best experience on each platform.”

The Crew Motorfest will still let players drive around and see the world for themselves, all while pitting themselves against each other to find out who’s the best. However, for those looking to immerse themselves in history and want to lean hard into a particular facet of car culture, the Playlists are the main course.

Depending on their preference, players can choose from all sorts of Playlists, each a thematic campaign that offers unique and exciting car culture experiences. Think tailored races, themed events, and other unique challenges that play to a certain crowd.

“With a specific atmosphere, objectives, gameplay, and rewards, the Playlists will give them the chance to explore various car culture fantasies and master different driving styles. From the wild world of American Muscle cars, to the neon-lit streets of Japanese-style street racing, by way of rediscovering a time before GPS and assisted driving with legendary machines of the past, players can even unleash the cutting-edge power of electric supercars or explore the universe of the most prestigious car brands and creators,” shared Beley.

The street racing was definitely an eye-opener, filling the screen with bright neon lights and the types of vehicles seen in popular culture. Of course, the lure of modern supercars is hard to ignore as well, with The Crew Motorfest shining a spotlight on the Automobili Lamborghini brand as an example. All of that and more can be found in an extensive roster of cars that players can use.

“We know that the diversity of our lineup is one of the favourite aspects of The Crew for our players. At the launch of the game, 613 vehicles will be available, including new additions from brand-new brands and categories, ensuring an endless variety of experiences,” Beley said.

“As we progress into the live phases, new vehicles will be added to our extensive roster. We are selecting the cars, we are focusing on what we are willing to tell within the Playlists because it’s part of the main experience of The Crew Motorfest. So when we are, for example, telling the story of Automobili Lamborghini, we are making sure that we have at least one iconic car from that manufacturer per decade.”

And if that’s not enough, the live nature of the game will ensure more content will arrive when players feel a need for fresh impetus. The team is committed to supporting the game for quite some time, and what that will entail remains to be seen. With a showcase set for later this summer, it is likely we will find that out soon enough.

Beyond all of these new bells and whistles, it helps that The Crew Motorfest still handles well and makes driving fun. Vehicles handle differently but competently, and it will always be down to player skill when it comes to determining the best racers out there. Certain races also bring back the rewind feature, allowing racers to correct any errors and learn from their mistakes, albeit when playing alone. All of it contributes to a racer that feels great, and further enhanced by the love for cars in general.

With three more months to go, there is still plenty of time to refine things even more to provide the best tropical racing adventure in The Crew Motorfest, and judging from what’s already been done, this is going to be one hell of a ride come 14 September.