The Crew Motorfest preview: has Ubisoft timed the overtake perfectly?

The Crew Motorfest was further outlined during the recent Ubisoft Forward. If you’re curious to know more about the open-world driving game, we were recently invited to play the game ahead of the announcement. Here’s what we thought.

Let’s get this out of the way – yes, The Crew Motorfest does have a lot in common with Forza: Horizon. When that spin-off series launched in 2012, it was a huge hit. Most of the car games at the time had a focus on simulation and rendering the most realistic cars possible, including Forza’s own straight-laced main series.

However, it turns out, driving cars around in an open world set in scenic places with the auspice of a festival as the backbone is just plain fun. It’s what Ubisoft is banking on with The Crew Motorsport. It too is an open-world driving game set in one of the most scenic places in the world, Hawaii, with the auspice of a festival as the backbone. 

The Crew has always been a franchise in the shadow of other giants in the racing genre, with an interesting first outing, but a disappointing second. The Crew isn’t usually uttered in the same reverence as Forza or Gran Turismo. That being said, it’s interesting to see it attempting to bounce back, fighting for its spot in the racing genre pie. 

That’s why, when I got to play 40 minutes of Ubisoft’s The Crew Motorfest recently, I was actually pretty interested to see what the developers at Ivory Tower were cooking. I can say, that similarity to other games of this ilk is evident, however, that’s not a bad thing. What’s here feels fun, and importantly, it finds itself in a perfect spot on the calendar. 

“Car Culture”

The Crew Motorfest is not reinventing the wheel here. As stated, Forza Horizon looms over the title, but that actually feels like an asset here. 

Set in Hawaii, on the archipelago of O’ahu, Ubisoft is angling this as a huge celebration of “car culture” (this game wields this phrase consistently). If you can think of a car type, the developers here seem hellbent on celebrating it. This is evident at the start of the game, which I got to play through. This opening acts as a taster of the smorgasbord of driving the developers are serving. 

There are different kinds of racing at the forefront of this game, and Motorfest is all about giving you a different flavor of competition with a set of diverse cars. The first ‘playlist’ pulls on the long history between Japan in Hawaii, with a whole neon makeover for the city, that has you driving in Japanese supercars, complete in their drifting Glory. The next is an offroading section, which allows you to fly, and tear up the Hawaiian landscape in jeeps, dirt bikes, pick-up trucks, and more. 

After that, you’re whisked away to a genuine racetrack. The Motorsport playlist is all about racing in a professional setting with 220 mph supercars. While it’s not quite F1, this should scratch that itch. You’re then thrown into the seat of a nostalgic trip of vintage cars. This is all about racing legends within the automobile cabinet, especially if you have a love of US cars from the 70s. 

Finally, they straight up throw you into a Lamborghini race, where everyone is in stylish Lambos. It’s very clear Ubisoft is proud of the license, and to be honest, that’s fine. Lamborghinis are just cool.

It’s also teased that these playlists showcased at the start are just the “tip of the iceberg” when it comes to the variety. It’s hard to say how much Ubisoft is embellishing that, but it is clear, The Crew Motorfest will have a lot of flavors to choose from. If you’re someone who loves all kinds of cars, this should scratch the itch. 

This is my jam

This intro, which is like being thrown around one of the most comprehensive showrooms of cars on earth, acts as a teaser for the broader playlists of the game. These are essentially mini-campaigns you get to choose, exploring each of those facets of car culture. 

I only had time to try one, but I chose to indulge in the Made in Japan playlist. As stated, this has you flying through the streets of O’ahu, which have been transformed into neon drag races. You find yourself hooking up with a crew of drivers from Japan who want to test out your driving skills to see if you can hang with them.

It’s a simple, easy trapping to get you in and racing as soon as possible. It has some nice flavor and reminded me of Need For Speeds of old, in particular, Carbon. For me, that’s high praise. 

Now, obviously, the story of this playlist isn’t particularly deep. That said, though, the drivers you are with talk… a lot. They all chat over you as you drive and it does border on the point of being a little too much. I did find myself wanting to get in a flow state, drifting around corners, listening to the deep base of the soundtrack. However, I was pulled out every couple of seconds to hear them gabbing over the intercoms. 

However, it’s clear The Crew Motorfest’s dedication to “car culture” is running rampant through this dialogue. While some of it is menial, the characters talked about the car I was driving, why it was created, and the context of the time it was created in. This game wants you to know about cars – no, care about cars. That’s to this game’s credit. I have no doubt this team is passionate about cars, and that passion is onscreen to see. 

Photo Finish

It’s worth noting, while playlists are cool and add great flavor, we didn’t get a look at the broader open world the Crew Motorfest has to offer, which does feel like a glaring omission. Take of that what you will.  I’d have loved to have seen how vibrant this broader world is, what you can do in it, and see if that will be the main focus. However, right now, I have no sense of that. 

The Crew Motorfest is what you think it is. However, with Forza Horizon 5 having come out all the way back in 2021, and the more simulation-focused main franchise taking the wheel with Forza Motorsport later this year, The Crew Motorfest finds itself in a great spot. While it hasn’t quite established its own identity for me yet, the games it’s influenced by are nowhere to be seen this year. That’s a gap Ubisoft is gladly going to try and pull into. If it can nail this release, The Crew Motorfest could hit the fast lane, and push this franchise up a gear, going head-to-head with the titans of the genre. 

The Crew Motorfest is out on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on September 14.