It’s just a little bit absurd how many racing games are hot in gaming right now. There’s The Crew, Forza Horizon 2, Driveclub, not to mention the still-viral Mario Kart 8 trending on Twitter and Twitch like it has a red shell on its tail. For me the most intriguing features of Ubisoft’s The Crew are its open-world elements, and though I do look forward to trying them out someday, it was not meant to be at this year’s E3 in Los Angeles. What was meant to be, apparently, is me flailing uncontrollably in an oversized metal contraption meant to simulate a realistic, modded-out sports car. I always felt I was merely “bad” at driving games, but as it turns out, I’m completely terrible.
To be fair, it’s not entirely my fault, as this was no simple arcade cabinet. It was a fully functional gizmo the likes of which required physical stepping into, and before long I learned that among its features were lifelike cabin vibrations and what felt like a solid 75 degrees of movement in multiple directions. Spinning out while racing resulted in a blitz of realistic feedback from the device, and when I finally did get my bearings somewhere around my second race, I’ll admit the effect became pretty darn cool. Sadly, it’s not something that will be available to the general public.
Control methods aside, I found a lot to like with The Crew, and simply being as openly playable as it was nets it extra points in my book. At an E3 littered with graphical estimations and behind-closed-doors reveals, Ubisoft’s wide-open booth of mostly-playable experiences was enormously refreshing. With The Crew specifically, demo stations lined the walls of a sectioned-off area where players could compete, and from what I saw most folks were having a positive experience. Easy for them to say; they didn’t have their brains shook around for five-plus minutes.
I didn’t see it coming, and maybe my behind-the-wheel demo helped, but The Crew blew me away visually. It’s a next-gen only game, of course, but so are other driving titles slated for release in the not-so-distant future. As I raced through the countryside pursuing the first place driver, I viewed grassy open fields, industrialized areas, and even a mountainside with part of the racetrack curving around it. I have no idea how The Crew’s assets look under close, unblurred scrutiny, but at face value environments really did look fantastic. It wasn’t until the last few minutes that I drove well enough to enjoy them, of course, but the initial sense of realism is a part of what made the lurching machine in which I was seated so convincing.
I haven’t yet elaborated on why driving the simulation was such a challenge, but I think it comes down to the acute sensitivity required to steer accurately. The first thing out of the Ubisoft rep’s mouth was “don’t oversteer,” but I think we both knew that wasn’t going to happen. Even straightaways can pose a challenge, as the slightest tilt of the wheel can send the car from one side of the road to the other, and anything more induces an epic burnout the likes of which would make Criterion Games giggle with glee. This was absolutely not a fault with the controls, mind you; they’re so uncommonly sensitive and (presumably) authentic that it took a lot of getting used to. I wasn’t able to find evidence that car explosions are possible in the game, but I’m not saying they aren’t either. I’m just saying I can’t imagine what else could cause one if multiple head-on collisions didn’t.
When The Crew finally clicked and I was rolling confidently alongside some CPU racers, I became very excited about what the game’s open-world multiplayer functions will offer. I imagined the CPU opponents as online players, cruising through the game’s environments alongside cars whose drivers they know from other gaming endeavors, or perhaps met within The Crew itself. Quick as it began, though, I was ripped from my fantasy when an opponent bumped my back wheel and sent me spinning wildly through a wooden fence as I clamored at the machine’s steering wheel like an adrenalized monkey. Nervous looks from show-goers ensued.
I can’t project emotions onto an experience I haven’t yet tried, but if The Crew mixes what I played at E3 with what its persistent open world aims to deliver, Ubisoft may very well have a hit on its hands. There are no plans to get realistic driving simulators in players’ homes anytime soon, and if I’m honest with myself, I’m probably better off without that stress anyway. I’d rather go full baboon with an Oculus Rift.
