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Why you should check out The Crew 2’s brand-new hovercraft DLC
Take to the waves, then to the beach and even get some sweet air time in The Crew 2’s newest discipline.
The Crew 2 gave us a ton of ways to navigate the big old US of A when it launched earlier this year. Of course there were loads of fancy cars, some that were more suited to offroad situations, high-speed boats to conquer the waves, and even planes to get some air time. But what if you wanted something that could do all of that, or at least two out of three really well and then the third only applies when you find a ramp to jump off?
Well if you did want something like that you’re in luck, because The Crew 2’s upcoming Gator Rush DLC, which will be free for all owners of the game, brings with it some fancy hovercrafts, and a ton of events and situations in which to use them.
Of course there was already a hovercraft in The Crew 2 if you played enough, but the Gator Rush DLC brings them front and centre, and not just as a cool way to spend five minutes larking around in the massive open world.
No, this time out you have events specifically made for hovercrafts, there are multiple types of hovercraft and they really do feel great to use. So these are the reasons we think you'll want to jump back into The Crew 2 when the Gator Rush DLC is added on September 26.
A new challenge
The Crew 2’s massive list of vehicles meant that you were always learning how to control a new car, but while the difference was often pretty noticeable, most cars of a similar type did feel a little similar. If you can control one supercar, you can probably control them all. However, the hovercrafts that are being added are very different beasts.
They certainly don’t feel like any of the cars available, and they even feel pretty different to the boats from the base game. Sharp turns are practically impossible with any kind of speed and you'll have to drift around even the slightest of bends, with the back end always flying out behind you thanks to the massive fans.
Then, of course, you have to deal with the other hovercrafts in your way. You can be pretty aggressive when it comes to manoeuvering tactically into other racers and you can absolutely use them to correct your course if you take a turn too late. At the same time, though, they’ll be more than willing to try and turn your aggressive move in their favour by spinning you around, something that can result in an instant last place, thanks to the slow acceleration.
Mastering these vehicles on both land and sea takes some time, especially if you’re trying to stick to the best racing line available. But this adds something completely new for you to figure out, which is never a bad thing. Oh and you’ll probably never master the perfect way to land a hovercraft on land after a big jump, as even the slightest movement in the air can result in a momentum-stopping crash back down to earth.
Going 'wheel' to 'wheel' doesn’t always end well
© Ubisoft
Hovercraft races
To be fair, The Crew 2 did a lot to make sure the events you were playing in had plenty of variety. However, even the best offerings from the base game can’t compete with some of the hovercraft races, which will take you from giant picturesque lakes, to a giant dirt hill and through some thick forest. All of this with multiple changes of terrain, from land to sea and, of course, a few big-air moments.
The changes in scenery and terrain allow for some great moments which look truly stunning. Coming off a beach onto the lake, before taking a 360º spiral of dirt upwards to a giant ramp that then takes you crashing back to the water within a matter of seconds is certainly one of the cooler things we've seen in The Crew 2.
While we only got to see a few events designed for the hovercrafts, one in a southern swamp and one around a picturesque lake, the Gator Rush DLC promises many different locations, even some way up in the north that'll involve more Arctic conditions – and those are just the ones we know about. Imagine some of the iconic lakes, beaches and rivers that we could end up flying across on a hovercraft.
New events
While the hovercraft are undoubtedly the star of the show here, Gator Rush also brings with it a load of other content. Joining the new hovercrafts is the Ariel Nomad Rally Raid offroad car, which promises some serious speed when off the track (although it's exclusive to season pass owners for the first seven days).
Then there are more than 20 new events to master, and not just those for the hovercraft – new hypercar, touring car, and jet sprint events are also being added. If you can’t quite master the art of hovercrafting, you can still return to you favourite vehicles with some new challenges.
Finally, the new ace difficulty option is being added to every challenge in the game, meaning you’ll really have to master every single one to beat it on this new difficulty. Although, before you can even attempt that, you’ll have to beat the hard difficulty first. If that isn’t enough to keep you occupied as you tour around the States, then chances are nothing will.
The Crew 2 Gator Rush is available on September 26.
