The Crew: another Ubisoft epic fail?

The Crew arrived for the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Xbox 360 (via a port) on 2 December 2014.

The game is described as an action-driving MMO, and lets gamers drive through a digital, open-world version of the United States. The map will be populated with various challenges and, as it is an MMO, other real-world players.

Besides the MMO-type challenges and races the game also contains a single-player campaign where players must work their way through the ranks of a criminal organisation. Car customisation will also be available to players, with multiple levels of tuning – in terms of aesthetics and performance – available.

Now onto the juicy stuff – how has the game performed?

Let’s see what Metacritic had to say.

The Crew
Platform	Metacritic Score
PC	73
PS4	59
Xbox One	71

Xbox 360 scores were not available at the time of writing. (People still game on a 360?)

Next, the reviews.

Eurogamer – 8/10 (Xbox One)

The strange thing is, you’ll probably want to try it at some point, just to find another excuse to criss-cross the continent absorbing the scenery and the Americana.

There’s no doubt that a huge part of The Crew’s appeal is nostalgia for US road trips, whether previously experienced or just imagined. No game has mined that cultural seam quite so authentically or with such all-encompassing ambition. It’s a game that requires and occasionally enforces patience, but like all great road trips it’s about the journey, not the destination.

PC Gamer – 70/100 (PC, duh)

It’s always easier to look favourably on a game that tries to do too much than on a focus-tested bore. The Crew’s failings fall firmly into the former category, and though they are glaring and at times very frustrating, the potential to carve your own experience out of its rough-and-ready content saves it from mediocrity.

Ars Technica – Buy Forza Horizon 2 instead

The Good: A truly open world, right from day one; Decent mix of real-world cars; Enjoyable cut scenes

The Bad: Unengaging physics model; Far too frequent crashes for a console game; Having to deal with Uplay when Xbox Live exists for a reason; Bad steering wheel support

The Ugly: Some really questionable UI choices

Verdict: Say no to the gang life—get your MMO driving kicks from Forza Horizon 2 instead.

Game Informer – 7/10 (PS4)

As far as road trips go, The Crew is about as average as they come. There are some fun times, but you may be surprised to discover that America is a pretty empty place.

The Crew

Joystiq – 3/5 (PS4)

If the Xfinity-branded hypercar race a few hours in is anything to go by, The Crew is an overt attempt to capitalize on the popularity of modern car culture, and it would seem entirely cynical if not for a few redeeming design decisions. In the world of modern racing games that’s just not enough to earn a victory lap.

US Gamer – 3.5 (PS4)

Visuals: Not always consistent, but when it’s at its best, The Crew looks impressive.

Sound: The engine sounds are rather weedy, but the selection of songs and ambient sounds are good.

Interface: It can be a little slow navigating The Crew’s sometimes cumbersome interface, but it gets the job done.

Lasting appeal: The story mode is solid, but after that, although The Crew feels like it offers a lot to do, much of its endgame content is repetitive.

The Crew owners, what say you about the game? Let us know in the comments and forum.