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The Crew Motorfest Impressions: Hawaii Brings the Heat
In The Crew Motorfest, Ubisoft sends you on a sightseeing tour of Hawaii. We put the new open-world racer through its paces and reveal what you can expect in the game.
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In the third installment of The Crew series, the open-world racing game moves away from the USA. Or rather: from the US mainland, because The Crew Motorfest takes you to the picturesque island paradise of Hawaii. But not only is the setting fresh, the racing game also breaks new ground from a gameplay perspective.
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Welcome to Motorfest
The whole island of O'ahu is yours to explore Motorfest.
© Ubisoft
Booming bass, neon lights, loop-the-loops and giant balloons emanate from the nominative “Motorfest'' that has pitched its tents in the southeast of the Hawaiian island of O'ahu.
Sounding a lot like the Forza Horizon franchise? You’d be right. In fact, The Crew Motorfest goes in a very similar direction to Playground Games' open-world racers, but fortunately the Ubisoft game offers a number of very unique changes to the formula.
Perhaps the most important one is the racer's structured solo campaign: Here you complete various playlists during the course of the game, all of which have various themes..
In addition to a sightseeing tour across the entire island, Motorfest offers tuning events, muscle cars, off-road playlists and even its own motorsport championship, in which you can race Sergio Pérez's and Max Verstappen's world championship-winning Red Bull RB18.
Racing flair in a dreamlike setting: In the following video, the developers reveal how The Crew Motorfest was created.
15 min
Ubisoft's Crew Motorfest
See behind the scenes and dive into the making of the new game by Ubisoft Studios, The Crew Motorfest.
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Cars, Boats, Planes, Oh my!
Motorcycles, like the KTM RC16, are also featured in The Crew Motorfest
© Ubisoft
You can always explore Hawaii from the air
© Ubisoft
Of course, in The Crew Motorfest you won't just be competing in a Formula 1 race car. The lineup includes over 600 vehicles, including quads, sports cars, hypercars, motorcycles, motocross bikes, classic muscle cars and much more.
Much like its predecessor, the events in Motorfest don't only take place on the ground: racing boats and airplanes are also part of the game and are ready for you to master their controls.
However, the open-world racing game not only scores with the sheer number of vehicles (if you like, you can even import your garage from The Crew 2 to get a head start!) the individual classes also differ greatly from each other in terms of gameplay.
Although it is still an arcade racing game, the individual categories offer a new layer of diversity and have their own unique characteristics.
In boat races, for example, waves and choppy waters play an important role, while the motorsport-focused events replace the classic boost mechanic with both tire wear and mandatory pit stops. Add realistic handling, customizable setups, and massive tuning potential and you've got a racing fan's dream.
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Never A Dull Moment
There is always something to discover in the open world of O’ahu.
© Ubisoft
The single-player campaign is not the only thing to be conquered in The Crew Motorfest. In addition to traditional circuit and point-to-point races, these championships offer additional challenges ranging from slalom events to speed camera challenges and photo mode goals to complete.
No shortage of variety, but that's still not all. After completing three playlists, you are thrusted into the main portion of the game with themed single-player and online events.
Alternatively, you can compete in online races, wreck cars in the battle royale-style Demolition Derby mode or join Crews to cruise around Hawaii in style. You can always go in search of hidden treasures in the O’ahu, which will reward you with additional cash and exclusive cosmetic items.
Ubisoft has also thought about the car tuning and painting communities. All vehicles can be equipped with new tuning parts, which improves performance or handlin, while creative minds can let off steam in the livery editor.
Just don't get wet: F1 drivers also focus on having fun. In 'Red Bull Racing Road Trips', F1 world champion Max Verstappen and Scuderia AlphaTauri driver Yuki Tsunoda get behind the wheel of swamp buggies for a wet and wild race.
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F1 drivers swamp race
Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda trade their F1 cars for a 900HP, V8 swamp buggy ahead of the Miami Grand Prix.
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Picturesque landscapes
Feeling like an island vacation, Motorfest makes a lot of noise visually
© Ubisoft
The gameplay and scope of The Crew Motorfest tick the right boxes. However, the open-world racer also has a lot to offer from a technical perspective. Picturesque beaches in Waikiki invite you to explore their sandy shores, while the rest of the island of O’ahu will have you racing through breathtaking valleys, densely overgrown jungles and even inside a volcano! Paired with beautiful lighting, the racer provides the perfect vacation vibes and looks really good to boot.
Another feature unique to Motorfest: At the touch of a button, you can use the "Fast Fav" at any time and jump from land directly into the cockpit of a plane or boat, perfect for covering huge distances quickly.
As a package, this results in a more focused racing game experience than competitor Forza Horizon, but is slightly lacking in terms of variety in comparison. Nevertheless, racing gamers will have their hand wrapped around the steering wheel for hours on end.
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