Ivory Tower’s sequel to their successful 2014 racer ups the ante, taking the race to the skies and the sea, as well as the land. With the whole of the US as your playground, albeit a scaled-down version, The Crew 2 has all the right ingredients to be the ultimate racing game.

But does The Crew 2 really deliver?

At launch, the first game was a very different game to the one that it became. Post-release patches added motorbikes and a massive graphical improvement. The Crew 2 leaves the gate with a lot more polish than its predecessor did.

Instead of the heavy narrative plot The Crew, this sequel opts for a simpler scenario to get players racing across America. In The Crew 2 players take on the role of an unnamed racer competing in racing events to gain fans and unlock more activities.

Whereas I found the first game a bit of a chore, having to roam the country for new races, The Crew 2 allows you to select races from the menu. This means less time aimlessly driving across the US and more time actual racing.

You can still hoon around in the open-world, making your own path though the game, but after a while the procedurally generated areas between towns and cities get a bit old and the game becomes a tad directionless. There is loads to do, too much even, but just driving about offers little structure or immediate reason to actually progress through the game. The huge open world is both inviting and overwhelming, but much of the detail as lost to the player as they scroll across the map or fly overhead.

It’s much better to pick your races from the menu to see the best that the game has to offer you.

As impressive as it is to have a version of the entire United States mapped out and ready for racing across, it still feels rather vacant. Vast areas of procedurally generated wilderness separate the detailed models of familiar American cities.

But, the detail of the cities is superb. Whilst some racing games are happy in offering player one metropolis to drive in, The Crew 2 includes a version of every major US city.

The visuals have been beefed up considerably since the last outing. The lighting especially at dawn and dusk is superb, breathtaking even.

Vehicle models are meticulous and visually stunning. And, of course, the seamless race environment, that covers the whole of the continental US, is incredible. The inclusion of water-based vehicles has necessitated extra work on the water effects and physics for rivers, lakes and oceans. In adding aircraft to the developer has given us an impressive increase in draw distance.

The addition of aircraft to the racing repertoire does have a bit of a downside. You can see from Miami to New York from the air, highlighting the small scale of the world compared to the feeling of a travelling across a vast country when locked to the ground viewpoint in the original.

Remember those cool reality-bending visuals that you see in the trailer? Well, unfortunately, they are reserved for the special events and not an everyday occurrence. For the most part you will be racing in single-discipline races. In the open-world, however, you can switch vehicle types on the fly.

The game covers a lot of ground, offering up a multitude of different event types. Activities are split into four categories: Street Racing, Offroad, Freestyle and Pro Racing. A fifth activity type, the Live Extreme Series are multi-discipline races that unlock as your popularity increases.

Success in each race increases your fan base, rewards you with cash for new vehicles and unlocks vehicle upgrades. The street racing, rallying, motocross air races and jet-boat races offer something for everyone. Each discipline also offers up a number of skill events that further increases your popularity.

The vehicle handling is quite forgiving, balanced towards a more arcade experience than simulation. I found this to make races more fun than frustrating, but I can imagine the more hardcore racers feeling a little short changed. That being said, each race does have a hard option for racing heroes that want a greater challenge and a greater reward.

On the PC, the game’s multiplayer element seems a bit lacking i.e. there was no one else playing the game. The vast game area serves as an open-world lobby from which multiplayer events can be launched. This integral multiplayer experience means that a continuous internet connection is required to play the game. No internet connection means you won’t get past the title screen.

At the end of the day, The Crew 2 is a worthy successor to the original, with better visuals out of the box and more refined gameplay. It plays well, but as will most games from the Ubisoft Sable, lacks a bit of soul. As an all-round racer, though, you can’t get a more comprehensive game than The Crew 2, and for that alone, I’d recommend it.

The post The Crew 2 PC Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Today, Ubisoft has announced to us here at STG that the Closed Beta for The Crew 2 will take place from May 31st, 2018 at 6 p.m. AEST to June 4th, 2018 at 6 p.m. AEST on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC.

Players can sign up now for a chance to have beta access HERE.

Pre-load will be available for Closed Beta selected players on all platforms starting May 29th, 2018.

During the Closed Beta, players will experience the first level of the progression system as they compete in races across all first four disciplines – Street Race, Rally Raid, Powerboat and Aerobatics – against the backdrop of a fully redesigned U.S.A via land, water and air. To create more adrenaline-fueled experiences, players can use the Fast-Fav feature and instantly switch their vehicle type depending on the type of terrain they will encounter: an airplane flying underneath San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge can turn into a boat with the touch of a button.

Developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower,* a studio based in Lyon, France, The Crew 2 will let players experience the thrill of the American motorsports spirit inside a fully redesigned USA. The game’s playground pushes physical boundaries to let driving and open world fans test their skills, solo or with friends, in nonstop competition and exploration. From coast to coast, drivers will explore America and compete to become the greatest motorsports champion by collecting a wide variety of exotic cars, bikes, boats and planes, and dominating the motorsports scene on the land, on the water and in the air.

They will find challenges and inspiration among four different motorsports families: street racing, off-road, pro racing and freestyle, and will be given a broad set of options among a wide selection of vehicle types.

The Crew 2 is scheduled for release on the 29th of June, 2018.

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Ubisoft has announced to us at STG that The Crew 2, the newest iteration in the revolutionary open-world driving franchise The Crew, will launch on March 16th, 2018.

The game will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox One X and Windows PC. Those keen for an early race can sign up for the BETA HERE.

From coast to coast, players will experience the thrill of a huge, varied and action-packed open world USA completely reshaped for motorsports. In The Crew 2, drivers will explore America and compete to be a champion of Motornation by collecting a wide variety of exotic cars, bikes, boats and planes and dominating the motorsports scene on the land, on the water and in the air. They will find challenges and inspiration among four different motorsports families: street racing, off-road, pro-racing and freestyle, and are a given a deep set of options among a wide selection of vehicle types.

For the first time ever, The Crew 2 offers the Fast Fav feature giving players the ability to seamlessly switch between their favorite ground, water and air vehicles with the push of a button. Players can race full throttle off the Golden Gate Bridge and transform instantly into a speedboat as they hit the Bay, catch a huge wave and seamlessly transition into a stunt plane and fly away into the sunset. Players enjoy total freedom to ride any way they want in the familiar landscapes The Crew 2’s vast open world.

For those who prefer the thrill of the race, players will also put their racing skills to the test in the widest range of competitive disciplines. In addition to previously announced street racing, powerboat racing, aerobatics, jetsprint and rally raid, three more disciplines are being introduced this week at Gamescom. Drift will have street racing fans burn rubber and take every curve in style to score points with every glorious slide, while the Alpha Grand Prix single-seater is tailored for the pro-racers in search of the perfect line. Carved in the heart of nature, a Motocross muddy track is waiting for off-road specialists to master the dirt and own every bump.

The Crew 2 allows players, solo or with friends, to fully express their creativity and skills, sharing unique moments of fun and extreme sensations. On their way to becoming the greatest motorsport champion, players will be able to track their actions and spot every wow moment of their journey. With LIVE Replay, The Crew 2 provides them with a light and user-friendly tool that will automatically record every glorious feat into a fully staged video clip to share with the world or to brag with their friends

Additionally Ubisoft also announced The Crew 2 pre-order offers. Players pre-ordering The Crew 2 will get an early access to The Legendary Motors Pack which includes:

• Mercedes-AMG C 63 Touring Car 2016 and
• HARLEY-DAVIDSON IRON 883 2017.

Players can pre-order The Crew 2 Deluxe Edition which features:

• The Legendary Motors Pack and The Motorsports Deluxe Pack, that includes:
• FORD F-150 RAPTOR RACE TRUCK 2017,
• ABARTH 500 2008 MONSTER TRUCK EDITION,
• PILATUS PC-21 aerobatics plane
• Three unique racing outfits to customize your player avatar.

The physical Deluxe Edition will also include the in-game map of the U.S.A. and a set of The Crew Families Stickers.

But wait, there’s one more Edition. Pre-Ordering The Crew 2 Gold Edition will allow players to get The Crew 2 three days early on March 13th, 2018.

The Gold Edition is only available on digital stores and includes:

• The Season Pass,
• The Legendary Motors Pack
• The Motorsports Deluxe Pack

Players can start their The Crew 2 vehicle collection right now with The Crew Rewards Program. By completing a series of monthly challenges in the first instalment of The Crew, they can unlock up to 18 vehicles in The Crew 2, including
exclusive air and water vehicles.

The race starts now.

The post Release Date Revealed for the Crew 2! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ubisoft has revealed The Crew 2, the newest iteration in the revolutionary open-world driving franchise The Crew.

The game will be released worldwide in early 2018 for PlayStation 4 Pro computer entertainment system, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox One X and Windows PC. Players can sign up now for a chance to have beta access HERE .

More than two years after the launch of The Crew, Ivory Tower, a Ubisoft studio based in Lyon (France), returns with a sequel that lets players experience the thrill of the American motorsports spirit inside a fully redesigned USA. Welcome to Motornation, one of the most exhilarating open worlds ever created. The Crew 2’s playground pushes physical boundaries to let driving and open-world fans test their skills, solo or with friends, in non-stop competition and exploration, featuring a variety of cars, bikes, boats and planes, and become the greatest motorsports champion.

“Today’s American motorsports scene has given us the perfect breeding ground for an all-new project,” said Ahmed Boukhelifa, Ivory Tower Studio Managing Director. “Our team has emerged with an exciting new ambition and vision for The Crew franchise and we expect The Crew 2 to continue to push the boundaries of the genre and deliver on the dream of a truly boundless driving experience.”

The Crew 2’s massive and living open world offers a diverse range of locations built for non-stop multiplayer competition and no-limit exploration on the ground, sea and sky. Soar through the clouds above the snowcapped Rocky Mountains, burn rubber in the backstreets of New York City, race down the Mississippi River, or explore every inch of the Grand Canyon. Behind the wheel of a sleek hypercar, riding some of the most iconic American bikes, or taking control of the swiftest aerobatics plane or powerboats, the opportunities for adrenaline-charged challenges are limitless. The Crew 2 US playground has been completely redesigned for competitive gameplay on the land, water or in the air, with new areas enhanced by lush and life-like vegetation, 3D volumetric clouds and fog, and realistic water behaviour.

Across the country, players will meet four different motorsports families: street racers, pro racers, off-road experts and freestylers, each with their own culture and set of disciplines. Each family has a unique HQ, where players can meet, buy, collect and customize vehicles. Through competitions and chance encounters, players will find and hone their personal style, collect and customize dream rides, show them off and make their mark on the US motorsports scene.

Additionally, Ubisoft announced The Crew Rewards Program, a dedicated program for existing The Crew players in appreciation of their support of the game that will offer up to 18 vehicles for their future journey in The Crew 2.

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