Ubisoft’s Hawaiian racing festival offers diverse car experiences but needs to find its own identity
Introduction: Racing in Paradise
Ubisoft has officially unveiled The Crew Motorfest through their Ubisoft Connect platform, and we’ve had the opportunity to experience the game firsthand. Here’s our detailed breakdown of what this new racing title brings to the genre.
The recent Ubisoft Forward presentation provided additional details about The Crew Motorfest. For racing enthusiasts curious about this open-world driving experience, we were granted early access before the official announcement. This is our comprehensive assessment.
Let’s address the obvious comparison immediately – The Crew Motorfest shares significant DNA with the Forza Horizon series. When Microsoft’s festival racing spinoff debuted in 2012, it revolutionized the arcade racing landscape. Most racing games during that era prioritized simulation accuracy and photorealistic vehicle rendering, including the more serious-minded main Forza series.
Forza Horizon Comparisons and Market Positioning
Nevertheless, the fundamental concept of driving exotic cars through breathtaking open-world environments with a festival atmosphere as the central theme proves universally appealing. This is precisely the foundation Ubisoft is building upon with The Crew Motorfest. The game similarly features an expansive open-world setting in one of Earth’s most picturesque locations – Hawaii – with the festival concept serving as its structural backbone.
Historically, The Crew franchise has existed in the shadow of racing genre titans, delivering an intriguing initial installment followed by a less impressive sequel. The series rarely receives the same reverence as established franchises like Forza or Gran Turismo. That said, witnessing its attempted resurgence and battle for relevance within the competitive racing landscape proves fascinating.
This context made my 40-minute hands-on session with Ubisoft’s The Crew Motorfest particularly compelling. I was genuinely interested to discover what Ivory Tower’s developers had created. The similarities to other games in this subgenre are unmistakable, though this isn’t necessarily detrimental. The experience feels enjoyable, and crucially, the release timing positions it advantageously within the gaming calendar.
The Crew Motorfest isn’t attempting to revolutionize the racing genre. As mentioned, Forza Horizon’s influence is pervasive, yet this familiarity might actually benefit the game rather than hinder it.
Hands-On Gameplay Experience
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Situated in Hawaii on the O’ahu archipelago, Ubisoft positions this as an extensive celebration of automotive culture (a phrase the game employs consistently). The development team appears determined to honor every conceivable vehicle category, evident from the introductory segment I experienced. This opening sequence serves as a sampling of the diverse driving experiences available.
Multiple racing disciplines take center stage, with Motorfest dedicated to providing varied competitive flavors using an assortment of vehicles. The initial ‘playlist’ draws inspiration from the historical connection between Japan and Hawaii, transforming urban environments with neon aesthetics while you pilot Japanese supercars through precision drifting courses. Subsequent segments introduce off-road adventures, enabling you to conquer Hawaiian terrain using jeeps, dirt bikes, pickup trucks, and additional rugged vehicles.
Following these experiences, you’re transported to authentic racing circuits. The Motorsport playlist focuses on professional competition featuring 220 mph hypercars. While not matching Formula 1 sophistication, it should satisfy that particular racing appetite. You then experience nostalgic journeys in vintage automobiles, celebrating legendary vehicles from automotive history, particularly appealing to enthusiasts of 1970s American muscle cars.
The experience culminates with an exclusive Lamborghini race where every competitor drives these iconic Italian supercars. Ubisoft clearly takes pride in securing this licensing partnership, and rightly so – Lamborghinis possess undeniable appeal.
Developers hinted that these introductory playlists represent merely the beginning regarding content variety. While it’s difficult to assess how much Ubisoft might be exaggerating, The Crew Motorfest clearly offers substantial diversity. Automotive enthusiasts who appreciate multiple vehicle types should find plenty to enjoy.
This introduction, reminiscent of an extensive automotive exhibition, previews the game’s broader playlist system. These function as miniature campaigns allowing players to explore specific aspects of car culture.
My limited session permitted sampling one playlist, so I selected the Made in Japan experience. This involves racing through O’ahu streets transformed into neon-lit drag strips. You join a crew of Japanese drivers testing your skills to determine if you can match their expertise.
The setup provides straightforward motivation to begin racing immediately. The thematic execution impressed me, evoking memories of classic Need for Speed titles, particularly Carbon – high praise from my perspective.
Car Culture Celebration
Naturally, the narrative elements within this playlist remain relatively superficial. However, your driving companions maintain near-constant communication. Their persistent chatter during races occasionally becomes overwhelming. I frequently sought to achieve driving flow states while drifting through corners accompanied by the soundtrack’s deep bass, only to be interrupted regularly by radio conversations.
Despite this, The Crew Motorfest’s commitment to automotive culture permeates the dialogue. While some conversations seem trivial, characters discussed my current vehicle’s engineering, design philosophy, and historical context. The game aims to educate players about automobiles – more accurately, to foster genuine automotive appreciation. This educational approach deserves recognition. The development team’s passion for cars is unmistakable and visibly translates to the gaming experience.
Final Analysis and Release Details
It’s important to note that while playlists provide engaging thematic content, we weren’t shown the full open-world environment The Crew Motorfest offers, representing a significant omission. Interpret this information as you will. I would have appreciated seeing this broader world’s vibrancy, available activities, and whether it serves as the primary focus. Currently, I lack clarity on these aspects.
The Crew Motorfest delivers exactly what you’d anticipate from this genre. However, with Forza Horizon 5 releasing in 2021 and the simulation-focused Forza Motorsport arriving later this year, The Crew Motorfest occupies an advantageous market position. While the game hasn’t fully established its unique identity in my experience, its primary influences remain absent from this year’s release schedule. This creates an opportunity Ubisoft eagerly intends to exploit. Successful execution could propel The Crew Motorfest into the fast lane, elevating the franchise to compete directly with genre leaders.
The Crew Motorfest launches on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC platforms on September 14.
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