Over five years since the last Crew game, Ubisoft returns to the racing scene with The Crew Motorfest. The latest game in the series marks the third overall, with the original game releasing back in 2014. So how does the online-only racer in a brand new era of gaming? Does it live up to the hype and the quality of its predecessors? Let's find out in this The Crew Motorfest Review.

The Crew Motorfest Review: What Is The Crew Motorfest?

The Crew Motorfest is the third “Crew' game in the racing series. Developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower, the game brings back an online-only racing game experience with over hundreds of vehicles to choose from. While the Ultimate and Gold Edition released back on Monday this week, it comes out today for standard edition owners. The Crew Motorfest is available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC (via Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store).

Gameplay

The gameplay of The Crew Motorfest sort of feels like a blend of Forza Horizon and GTA V. Set in the beautiful island O'ahu, your character attends the highly anticipated Motorfest, where you participate in all sorts of activities, challenges, photo op events, and feats. Although requiring an online subscription to play, The Crew Motorfest offers both online and offline modes.

For online players, you can set up your own crew of up to four racers to take online. The Crew Motorfest offers cross-play for some online modes, and cooperative play for modes like Campaign, Freedrive, and more. For competitive players, you have a few different modes to play around with like Grand Race and Demolition Royale.

Generally, online is pretty fun, though you do run into the occasional sweaty players who just know the ins and outs of everything in the game. At the time of writing this review, the standard edition of the game launched today, with the special editions releasing earlier this week.

Personally, I prefer the online cooperative play, and just having fun with friends. Thankfully, The Crew Motorfest offers all sorts of experiences. Whether you're playing alone, with friends, or with random competitors online, it's hard to get bored. There's just so much to do and have fun with.

The one gripe with online play (and Motorfest in general) is that, at first, menu navigation seems a bit confusing. Unless you look it up online, it might be kinda tricky to figure out how to play online modes. However, after some time you'll start to understand how it works.

Additionally, I wish it was easier to make new friends in The Crew Motorfest. I think there should've been more ways to connect and find new players other than just racing them or driving by them in the open world. If you don't have a lot of friends to play with, then you might not like what Motorfest has to offer. I think the Car Meet location would've been a great place to do that, and maybe give more incentive by playing with others.

Just an idea, but what if you gain a 1% boost to cash or XP in races by playing with friends or crew members? Overall, I just think an online-only game should be more innovative when it comes to connecting players. However, I don't consider this a big issue.

In terms of single-player experiences, The Crew Motorfest offers various playlists. These are differently themed events all centered around racing give you chances to earn some sweet rides, as well as different upgrades for your vehicle. Every vehicle in Motorfest can be upgraded with various parts (e.g. gearboxes, exhausts, fuselages, etc.) you earn throughout the game. These upgrades can increase different aspects like transmission, power, weight and more.

Each Playlist offers events, side activities, and challenges. The Events are the main focus of each playlist. There's around 7 events in each playlist, and completing all of them earns you experience, money, and a brand new vehicle (when finished entirely). You can repeat these playlists to your hearts content, especially if you want to rake in some easy cash.

Side activities include little mini-objectives seen, including feats (the red triangles on the map) and photo ops. The former are micro-challenges that might require you to have a more powerful car. For example, the speed-trap feats require you to reach a certain speed before reaching a certain spot on the map. Photo Ops are much simpler, requiring the player to take a photo of specific spot on the map. The game gives you hints, but many of these are pretty easy to identify.

And challenges are just extra ways to earn more money and cash by completing objectives using specific cars. Some of these challenges can't be completed until you unlock certain vehicles. So with a total of 15 playlists, filled with a ton of side activities and challenges, you won't get bored from a single player perspective. I appreciate the wide variety of content The Crew Motorfest offers.

Speaking of content, let's talk about vehicles. At launch, the Crew Motorfest includes over 600 total vehicles in the game. Additionally, each vehicle is customizable, whether you just want a new paint job, or want to add some vanities or liveries. No two vehicles will ever look the same in The Crew Motorfest with all the customization options it offers. For example, for just one car, I could customize the Hood, Bumpers, fenders, rims, side mirrors, caliper colors, skirts, and wings, among other things. Additionally, you can even add letters, logos, symbols, and all sorts of other customization options.

If you played The Crew 2, connect your Ubisoft Connect account and you can get a head start to your collection by importing a wide selection of your Crew 2 vehicles.

And after you've unlocked some vehicles and reached a certain level, you unlock Legend Points. These can be used in a variety of ways, including upgrades to:

  • Increase the amount of cash or XP you receive per race
  • Increase specific abilities of your vehicle (e.g. Bulldozer)
  • Enhance multipliers (e.g. Hothead or Slippery)

The gameplay itself, is not without a minor flaw here and there. Like most racing games, you get directional arrows on the track telling you where to go and when to slow down for a turn. However, in some races, the line tells you to flat out ram a wall here and there. It wasn't too common, and thankfully the game has a rewind feature to help take you back up to 15 seconds.

But racing in The Crew is just plain simple fun. The way the map feels when you move around gives you GTA V vibes, while the control and feel are similar to that of the Forza games. I don't consider this an issue, but it might be for those who want a game with its own unique identity. For racing games, that's just not easy.

The Crew Motorfest also just offers a ton of different race variety. Whether you're racing on a boat throughout the shores of O'ahu, or racing on a beach or even a circuit, there's so much to do. The Crew Motorfests' biggest strength is it's hard to get bored of. Plus, the addicting gameplay makes it hard for you to put down the controller. Races move quickly and don't take long, while exploring the island is relaxing (though you can fast travel).

Now it's talk about Motorfests' biggest crutch, microtransactions. In Motorfest, you have a choice of purchasing upgrades, cars, and consumables with real-life money. Crew Credit Packs, as they're called, make The Crew Motorfest feel like a pay-to-win game. With Crew Credits, you'll be able to buy the cars of your choice, consumables, liveries, and more.

I personally don't believe microtransactions have a place gaming. People who already spend $60-70 on a video game shouldn't be looking to spend more, even just for cosmetic items. Firstly, these items could've just been unlocked by playing the game, which would show off a player's skill instead of their wallet. DLC or expansions are one thing, but things like Crew Credits just feel like too much.

I understand there's no getting rid of microtransactions in this modern age of gaming. However, it doesn't mean I just blindly accept it. I hope for the future of gaming's sake, developers learn to ditch this strategy for something else.

Lastly, I'll finish off with controls, which are great in Motorfest. Driving feels smooth, though drifting does feel a bit stiff at times. Nevertheless, The Crew Motorfest is really easy to pick up and play, making it a great game for casual gamers. Additionally, I like how forgiving The Crew Motorfest. In sim-style racing games, one dink and your car is ruined. In Motorfest, who cares? Just hop behind the wheel and have fun.

Overall, The Crew 2 offers a great gameplay experience that players can just get lost into for hours. There's no pressure to do anything in any certain order, and the game has a nice relaxing feel for those who just want a chill experience.

Story

While there is no real narrative going on throughout The Crew Motorfest, there is indeed a sort of overarching story. In this game, your created character attends The Crew Motorfest event in Hawaii. After a short tutorial that felt like ages (It really wasn't too long), you're free to drive around and participate in the game's playlists.

One thing that bothered me about all these playlists was that the characters in-game kept talking to me during the race. For example, during the Hawaii Scenic Tour, the narrator kept telling me to look at all the beautiful sights. When you're racing, you just don't have time to check it out. However, you don't need to win in that playlist, so maybe it's not the best example.

Nevertheless, some playlists do require you to reach a certain ranking or finish with a certain time, etc. For example, during the Made In Japan Playlist, everyone you're racing won't shut up about cars and builds, which gets very cheesy. I guarantee you most race drivers don't talk like this. And the writing is like this for every playlist.

If you like to learn about Hawaii and Togue racing, then the dialogue is for you. But personally, while I'm in the actual race, I don't care nor can I really pay attention with my eyes on the road.

And you might hate me for this, but the playlists that involve influencers and content creators get even more cringe. While I thought the Liberty Walk Playlist was fine, the Donut Media and Supercar Blondie playlists straight up made me turn the voice volume off completely. If you like these content creators, then you might like these playlists. But as someone who's never watched either, I can't say I'm jumping at the opportunity to hit like and subscribe.

Personally, I just didn't find the dialogue funny. While I don't mind its presence in the game sometimes, at others it becomes too much. However, the gameplay experience, music, and graphical presentation far outweigh the cheesy dialogue. Plus, these playlists offer more rewards, and I'm still glad to have more things to do.

Lastly, I found it strange that a game set in Hawaii has only one playlist dedicated to the actual island (Hawaii Scenic Tour). Meanwhile, there were two playlists about Japanese motor-vehicles and car culture (Made In Japan & Liberty Walk). We can't deny the inspiration and innovation Japanese car culture brought to the world, but then why not make the game set in Japan? That would be like if in Initial D or Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift, we'd have all the characters talk about American muscle cars 24/7.

However, these are just nitpicks at this point. Most Crew Motorfest players won't care too much about this stuff.

Also worth mentioning, but completing all playlists just once (no matter which difficulty you play) nets you a pretty decent amount of cash. So despite all my yapping about dialogue and cheesy scriptwriting, they're definitely worth checking them out.

Graphics

The Crew Motorfest graphics make it one of the best looking racing games I've ever seen. Personally, I just enjoy driving around the open world with no real goal or destination. One of the main reasons why is because how breathtaking the map looks. From the volcanoes, to the sandy beaches, to the City on the south-side, there's just so much variety in The Crew Motorfests' map.

The attention to detail on the map is insane, considering you don't truly get to see everything up close while in the wheel. I specifically like driving throughout the city and looking at all the different buildings, shops, and tourist locations.

The Car Meet Area exterior is decorated with loop-de-loops and all sorts of designs that make you feel like you're attending a real event, only virtually. Inside, you get to see all the cool car designs fans made, which you can vote for if you'd like.

The game's photo mode takes full advantage of its beauty, giving you the tools you need to take some sweet shots. Additionally, the map page lets you zoom in all the way, letting you watch some races in real time. That's a very nice added touch that adds more detail to the game.

Speaking of visuals, every vehicle in The Crew Motorfest looks stunning. Now, I honestly can't remember over 600 vehicles off the top of my head. However, while I obviously didn't fall in love with every vehicle, I noted how detailed they all looked.

I think one area where visually I wasn't feeling it was the Made In Japan playlist. This playlist has you race on different neon-light filled tracks that personally didn't appeal to me. I felt it took me out of the beautiful island of O'ahu, and into a more cyberpunk like setting with blue and hot pink lights. Out of all fifteen playlists, this is the only one that does it. It's not the biggest deal, but I felt it was worth noting.

My only wish was that vehicle destruction would be a touch more realistic, even if just in the open world. I would love to nitro boost a car right off the volcano and watch my car get completely obliterated. While this didn't take away from my final score, It's something I hope Ubisoft considers for the future of the series.

I also wonder how the game would look if it had an offline mode. The frame rate is pretty solid, but I feel it would look insane if you weren't forced to play it online.

Music

For the most part, The Crew Motorfest soundtrack is an adrenaline-pumping experience with some snoozers along the way. However, songs like Blistering, Kapu, and Control Freak put you in the right mood.

I think the only thing that would've made the soundtrack better is some more 90s to early 2000s themed racing music, but I digress. Overall, The Crew Motorfest soundtrack doesn't disappoint. But like I mentioned earlier, the biggest issue is that people talking to you during playlists. So if you don't want any of that noise, just turn the voice volume off and enjoy the ride!

Verdict: Is The Crew Motorfest Worth Your Time and Money?

If you're someone who loves arcade-style racing games, you'll enjoy The Crew Motorfest. Between the gameplay, controls, and beautiful open world, everything about the game is well made and thought-out. While I may have been annoyed with all the voices in my head during my experience, I wouldn't say it downright ruined it.

If you're someone who looks for the more realistic racing games, then maybe The Crew Motorfest isn't for you. However, we encourage you check out some gameplay, and just a few of the hundreds of vehicles in a game. There's a wide variety of options offered that should please even the most hardcore racing gamers.

But if you're a casual gamer who doesn't care much for racing games, I recommend this game if it goes on sale. A 60$ price tag isn't cheap, but it's still a very good game with a good amount of content. However, if you see this game on sale, do yourself a favor and check it out.

Score: 8.5/10

Editor’s Note: ClutchPoints received PS5 review copies to allow us to cover this game. These copies did not, in any way, affect this The Crew Motorfest Review’s final score and verdict.

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