Previews

Both Forza Motorsport 5 and Need for Speed: Rivals offer intense arcade-style fun, but Ubisoft’s The Crew is what we have in mind for a true next-generation racer. This open world driving extravaganza blurs the line between single and multiplayer, where instead of separating the two, the developers seamlessly integrate these components to give players unprecedented freedom on a massive scale. Will they set off on their own to complete thousands of challenges, or team up with three friends to form a crew and defeat rivals? This intriguing element, combined with in-depth customization, a wealth of cars and varied scenery make this title one of the most anticipated games of 2014.

The Crew tasks players with moving up the ranks of and eventually taking down a well-known gang called the 510s, which originated from Detroit’s illegal street racing scene. Whether or not the story goes more in-depth is a big question mark. For now, it serves as the backdrop to finishing those aforementioned challenges across a virtual United States, and this is where things get especially interesting.

Go on an epic road trip through the U.S.

From what we’ve seen, the majority of the U.S. is your personal playground. You don’t unlock new areas per se. Instead, you fast travel to different locations or drive through literally thousands of square miles, and there’s plenty of variety. You’ll speed through Times Square in New York City, turn up the heat in Miami, explore Monument Valley out west and cruise through Los Angeles in massive environments that feature both street and dirt racing. See mountains in the distance? Not only do they serve as a backdrop, but you can also drive there and explore.

The same also holds true for Las Vegas, where you’ll find objectives on desert highways and the famous strip. It’s all by design, since the game’s challenges will take place across multiple types of terrain. You may start out chasing a rival on the street, then cut through a park or mountain range. There is no set path, and it will take roughly 90 minutes to drive from one side of the country to the other.

Meanwhile, other gamers will play in the same world. Each person you encounter presents an opportunity to team up or become rivals. In fact, you can ask friends in different parts of the country to fast travel to your location, where they can help you beat missions. Having another set of wheels is a sure-fire way to progress in the game, but Ubisoft takes co-op further by giving everyone involved valuable experience and cash used to purchase more cars and parts.

Purchase, drive and customize

Speaking of vehicles, The Crew already contains an exciting mix of rides. Car enthusiasts can choose from exotic fare, like the Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 and Bentley Continental Supersports 2010, to the more pedestrian Mini Cooper S 2010 and Ford Focus 2010. If they prefer something bigger, the game includes the Dodge Ram SRT-10 2004, and the super sized Ford F150 SVT Raptor.

For the most part, The Crew sounds more arcade in nature, but it comes with extensive customization. Players can break a car or truck down into its most basic components (just wheels and a frame) and tinker with everything, adding new rims, tires, flaps, fenders and plenty of other parts. This ties into the game’s tuning specs, which features the option to create vehicles ideal for street, dirt, performance, circuit and raid situations. Of course, if you’re all about aesthetics, there are plenty of stickers and liveries to choose from.

Always connected via smartphone or tablet

Finally, in what has become a growing trend, there will be an iOS and Android companion app that lets you continue The Crew experience away from home. With it, you’ll be able to tweak your vehicle ahead of time, chat with friends and check out their profiles. Whether or not it’ll be free remains to be seen.

Providing this all comes together, The Crew has great potential. Ubisoft has big expectations for what a next-gen driving game should be, and we look forward to exploring this connected world alone and with other players. On that note, prepare to step behind the wheel when the game debuts on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC later this year.