As far as racing titles go, the industry has shifted its focus to the launch of Driveclub (and the delay of its free version), but the closed beta for Ubisoft and Ivory Tower's The Crew just wrapped up earlier this week.
I had a chance to play the beta during its run, which ended Monday, and came away feeling generally positive about the experience. Here are my thoughts, bearing in mind that this is a beta and these aspects of the game are subject to change:
- The Open World U.S.A. Map Is Very Cool. Racing games have been moving in this direction for years, with large open environments housing a variety of challenges that the player can swing past and engage in, from street races to stunts or precision games. The Crew takes it to the next level, with an approximation of the entire U.S. available as one seamless world.
It does make the world feel more alive, but I'm not sure how much you'll care--other features may be implemented that give more of a reason for players to occupy the same world. I will also say, as someone experiencing internet connection problems at home, the always-online world comes with downfalls: you can't play offline and will be booted back to the menu if your connection drops. Not a consistent problem for most, but the benefits of requiring a constant connection need to be worth the chance that this occurs.
- The Crew Often Looks Good, Sometimes Great. In general, the game didn't overwhelm me with its graphics. It's attractive, but not overly impressive--it isn't readily clear on PS4 that this is a next-gen game, and looks similar to Xbox 360 and PS3 racing titles from the past. The large open world with no loading screens is likely the main culprit, as it no doubt takes up much of a console's power. All of that said, the game will still occasionally present you with a great-looking scene--the lighting in particular at certain times of day is attractive and reflects pleasantly off the cars. Mud splattered on the back of your ride is surprisingly satisfying, as well, and it's a good-looking game on the whole.
Those are the main points I came away with, though more could certainly be said. The Crew was recently delayed until December 2, with another console beta planned for November, the original release month. It will be available on PS4, Xbox One and PC.
