The Crew

If you are a gamer like me then you will know that you are constantly inundated with racing simulators and far too many crash and burn. So, when you hear of a new one, you never know quite how to feel. The latest of the titans look- ing to take the racing crown is TheCrew, but will it be the ground breaking mas- terpiece we have been dying to steer through, or more of a car crash mangled mess to avoid? The heat is on from the set go! You play Alex, a man who seems to have been given the gift of the road with quite the death wish. Much like an ice cream truck on a clear road, you can see the story catalyst coming a mile away. Alex is the brother of Dayton,the founder of the 5-10motor club, and as the two do a meet and greet under a bridge with a shady character, things turn sour as Dayton turns to walk away only to find a bullet in his back. Alex runs to his brother’s side, only to find the police arriving, but not to aid his dying brother – to let him die and place blame upon Alex. He is then charged and impris- oned by the FBI for the murder of his brother.

Five years later, things are about to change. An FBI agent, named Zoe finds Alex, and spills the beans that the new leader of the 5-10 motor club, a man named Shiv was the one who killed his brother and that a crooked cop, Coburn, in collaboration with Shiv, framed Alex for the murder. Zoe offers Alex the opportunity to seek revenge and get Shiv behind bars, if he helps her get and far too many crash and burn. So, when you hear of a new one, you never know quite how to feel. The latest of the titans look- ing to take the racing crown is TheCrew, but will it be the ground breaking masterpiece we have been dying to steer through, or more of a car crash mangled mess to avoid? The heat is on from the set go! You play Alex, a man who seems to have been given the gift of the road with quite the death wish.

Much like an ice cream truck on a clear road, you can see the story catalyst coming a mile away. Alex is the brother of Dayton,thefounderofthe5-10motor club, and as the two do a meet and greet under a bridge with a shady character, things turn sour as Dayton turns to walk away only to find a bullet in his back. Alex runs to his brother’s side, only to find the police arriving, but not to aid his dying brother – to let him die and place blame upon Alex. He is then charged and impris- oned by the FBI for the murder of his brother.

Five years later, things are about to change. An FBI agent, named Zoe finds Alex, and spills the beans that the new leader of the 5-10 motor club, a man named Shiv was the one who killed his brother and that a crooked cop, Coburn, in collaboration with Shiv, framed Alex for the murder. Zoe offers Alex the opportunity to seek revenge and get Shiv behind bars, if he helps her get incriminating evidence against Special Agent Coburn. Alex sees no other choice and snaps up the opportunity. And from there, you are on a mission of revenge, rank climb- ing and vehicle collecting. So, down to the nitty gritty. The story in general is pretty strong and, much like the deserted dirt tracks, it hits you with some unexpected twists and turns. The whole game is based across the largest landscape I have ever seen, with an incredibly, highly intense and detailed map, which in fact will take you 45 minutes to drive from one coast to another! The graphics throughout are stunning, some of the best I have come across on any console, and bearing in mind this was meant to be a launch title I never expectedanythingquitelikeit.Thegame can be a little bit stop and start due to the side missions that can automatically begin without your knowledge, and if you are in middle of something it can be quite grinding. As you journey through the map and game, more cars become available with car dealerships opening, however you are then left with a bit of an issue – what car to choose? The selection is very impressive and following, so are the options of customisation – way beyond what most games offer by a mile. When it comes to the dam- age I found myself very happy with it at the start, but after a while it niggled at me that the wing mirrors stayed on, and I feel that a trick has been missed with the fact more detail could be added and wheels should be able to come off – no matter how bad your car looked, it never seemed to really effect your driving. Maybe this is something that can be considered for future episodes in the series?

To really get the most out of this humungous game you really need to be signed up to PlayStation Plus to let your cars chal- lenge friends and strangers. It really does open a whole new world of gaming experience, showcasing what TheCrew really is all about.

The game is beyond excellent and I loved every second, minor the little niggles, I could play it for hours and then more. A great experience and a must buy for any racing game enthusiasts.

9 out of 10!

Available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox360 and PC.

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