Similar to Tom Clancy’s The Division, there were a couple of titles announced during Ubisoft’s annual E3 press conference that while not usually conforming to my usual preferences in a game – managed to catch my attention more than usual. Another one of these was the Playstation 4 / Xbox One game The Crew which has been confirmed to be in development by Ubisoft’s partner Ivory Tower in collaboration with several of their worldwide studios.
The Crew propels gamers on a reckless ride through a massive open world version of the United States of America, brimming with exciting challenges and diverse terrain – from city to suburb, county to county, state to state, coast to summit. The Crew redefines the level of freedom players experience in a driving game by offering a playground of unprecedented scope in which any driving fantasy can be realised: street, dirt, cross-country, circuit and more.
To bring that vision to life, The Crew leverages the capabilities of new hardware to connect players online like never before. The Crew’s persistent online world is populated by other real players, meaning any other car is a potential rival or ally, and naturally fostering both competition and cooperation among players. This living world provides a tailored experience to a new generation of gamers, as each player is given the choice to play alone, or to team up on-the-go with friends to accomplish collective challenges.
Finally, players can continue to interact with The Crew game world on a second screen via the companion application that will be available soon for iOS and Android devices. The Crew companion app will allow for peripheral, complementary experiences, providing a more intricate player experience overall.
Julian Gerighty | Creative Director at Ubisoft.
We want to give players a driving experience that goes way beyond the classic circuit-based racing games and really captures the boundless sense of freedom of driving across the U.S.. Our teams are harnessing the power of next-generation platforms to make The Crew a challenging, immersive and non-stop world that can be shared by millions of players. This is a brand new driving game experience unlike anything that’s come before it.
Some of the promoted features of this game includes:
- NEVER DRIVE ALONE: Jump in and out seamlessly and build your crew of four through bonding or intense rivalry. Whether your objective is to takedown a convoy or to escape the police, achieving it with friends ensures a fresh experience each time you join in.
- A PLAYGROUND OF UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE AND VARIETY: The entire United States is your driving playground – all roads and everything in between. Every type of terrain imaginable is yours to master – from downtown city streets to suburbs, hillsides, cornfields, canyons, desert dunes or even race tracks.
- THE EXPERIENCE GOES ON, WHEREVER YOU ARE: Continue the experience on iOS, Android tablets, and on the web. Keep track of your friends’ performances and tinker with your ride before playing it live to set new records, or send your crew on jobs on-the-go to gain more XP and parts.
- PREPARE FOR THE NEXT JOB: An extensive tuning system combining depth and simplicity allows you to collect cosmetic and performance parts and customize your licensed cars, according to your style and driving preferences.
