Recently Ubisoft held a closed beta for their upcoming racing game The Crew 2. I received a code so I got to sit down, buckle up and race across America in this open world adventure. There were planes, no trains, but a ton of automobiles. Not only that you can switch between them on a whim against a cinematic backdrop that is incredibly beautiful.
New Car Smell
The mechanics of the game are fairly familiar. It handles a lot like the GTA franchise and there’s nothing wrong with that so I began in a comfortable space. The various races, from land to sea and air are all high impact and adrenaline fuelled. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen as I flew through the air as a car then shifted into a plane. Easily my favourite section was in the skies. They take full advantage of the graphics, the lighting and the scope of The Crew 2. What I found funny and this just might be me but I felt an almost Transformers-esque style in the switching between vehicles. I almost want a PC mod where you can do that because it was a lot of fun to transform in mid-air between the vehicles.
So Fast
Races move at an incredible pace and going up against other racers is quite the task as the addition of other vehicles in races adds an element of strategy that impressed me. The sections available to gamers at the closed beta were a little simplistic but the promise of further adventures in this great big world is tempting and again because of the graphical level sometimes you want to just take it all in.
So Furious
If there were issues for me it would be the modes wasn’t especially innovative. The usual variations on racing don’t do it for me. Not just that I didn’t have my own crew to race with as none of my friends were a part of the closed beta. I have seen footage though and it looks like a lot of fun.
The Crew 2 closed beta was brilliant. With a cinematic flair that I’ve never experienced from a racing game. Switching between vehicles is flawless and the races are nerve shatteringly intense. Unfortunately, there is one major issue with The Crew 2 that will never raise it up above a certain level. You have to be a racing fan. For all the innovations that the game mechanics bring – the large roster of vehicles, the stunning cities, sweeping plains and open oceans it is still a racing game and sadly in my opinion racing games are boring.
If this impression has left any kind of an impression on you and you’re now interested in owning The Crew 2 why not check out this link to learn about the various editions you can buy if you pre-order the game before it releases on the 29th of June.
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