But, as in any modern open world game, if you prefer to just roam freely, you definitively have the option to do so. The more famous you get, the better the access to vehicles.
With this on mind, a series of challenges will be presented to the player, as well as rivals to defeat and fame to acquire. The goal is simple: become the greatest racer in the country. According to the developers, the single player campaign will not focus on story as heavily as The Crew, but, instead shift its focus towards progression. The Crew 2, as its name implies, is experienced best with a group of friends, however, the single player experience is actually pretty good too. Physics, in this sense, are more similar to those of the GTA series than those of Forza series, but one could excuse the game for sacrificing realism in order to achieve a game with an increased fun factor. This is especially true when compared with other racing games. The only downside is the physics engine, which still is not the best in terms of realism. Render distances are increased, which is very much appreciated while traveling long distances at high altitude, objects and landscapes show sharper images and colors seem more vivid. Speaking of aesthetics, the game does show the 4 years that have passed since the first installment came out The Crew 2 is presented in 4K and the graphics engine does show improvement.
Not only that, but menus are easier to navigate and vehicles are easier to acquire, so you’ll focus more on the free roaming part of the game and not on the clunky stores and menus. As a matter of fact, one could compare the difference between both games with the difference between Watch_Dogs and Watch_Dogs 2, both second installments being more colorful, daring (juvenile even) and aesthetically cooler. The game looks definitively sharper and way more modern and colorful than its predecessor. With “parkour” for vehicles, possibilities are near limitless.Īnother key difference lies in the way menus are built. One might say Ubisoft took the innovative factor of the free running that the original Assassin’s Creed presented to open world games and adapted it to a vehicle-based game. Your stunt leap from one building to another went wrong and you fell short a couple meters? Just transform into an airplane and problem solved! Your plane is going lower than expected under a bridge? Turn into a boat and you’ll be able to sail to safe port. With this mechanic, every mistake becomes an opportunity to improvise.
This is a very welcome addition because of how easy it makes it to get anywhere fast without having to worry about the terrain or going to a menu on some level, it almost feels like you are riding a transformer, minus the transforming animation and the explosions. Furthermore, the team behind the game devised a mechanic, similar to that of Ubi’s own Steep, in which the player can switch between airplanes (or hovercrafts), cars (motorbikes or monster trucks too) and boats just by holding a single button and selecting. In order to make the ride even more pleasant, The Crew 2 adds water and air vehicles to the formula, so boundaries are virtually limitless when it comes to which route to choose. In fact, Ubisoft’s approach relies heavily on the fun factor more than anything else, and this first look at The Crew 2 seems to prove them right.įirst things first, The Crew 2 is a racing open world game in which the players are able to traverse The United States of America (a condensed version of it, obviously) from left to right while competing in a series of races and challenges or, if they prefer, free roam any way they like. Pesky and dark (a bit off-tone) single player campaign? Gone. The Crew 2 seems more like a soft reboot than an actual sequel to Ubisoft’s 2014 sandbox racing game because, instead of trying to improve on the things fans didn’t like, they listened to them and removed them completely. Planes, boats and cars, that’s the name of the game.