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The Crew Review Roundup
Ubisoft's open-world racing game The Crew arrived last week, and now that we've taken the time to test the game's extensive online functionality, we have weighed in with a final score. Other publications also took their time in assessing the online-heavy game, meaning many reviews only just showed up this week.
Below is a roundup of scores and editor reflections you can look over to help you make a buying decision. Check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more on the game's critical reception.
GameSpot -- 5/10
"When The Crew puts you into races with good AI, and you get to race through interesting and varied environments, you get the feeling that you're playing a good game. When you struggle to find people to join your crew online, balk at the outdated graphics, and shake your head at the AI and the occasionally unpredictable physics, you realize: The Crew isn't that good after all. When you can't play due to server issues, you find a new game to play and leave The Crew in your dust." - Peter Brown [Full review]
Eurogamer -- 8/10
"There's no doubt that a huge part of The Crew's appeal is nostalgia for US road trips, whether previously experienced or just imagined. No game has mined that cultural seam quite so authentically or with such all-encompassing ambition. It's a game that requires and occasionally enforces patience, but like all great road trips it's about the journey, not the destination." - Mike Channell [Full review]
PCGamer -- 70/100
"It's always easier to look favorably on a game that tries to do too much than on a focus-tested bore. The Crew's failings fall firmly into the former category, and though they are glaring and at times very frustrating, the potential to carve your own experience out of its rough-and-ready content saves it from mediocrity." - Phil Iwaniuk [Full review]
Polygon -- 4.5/10
"The Crew's big wins are buried under a mound of frustrations. I don't know what's more unfathomable: how all of these shortcomings made it into The Crew, or that they're piled high atop one of the most ambitious, masterful game worlds I've ever had the privilege of exploring. I've never seen a game deliver, dead to rights, on something that huge, difficult and elusive, then completely drop the ball on so many other basic fundamentals. The result may very well be the most frustrating game I've ever played--not because of its myriad frustrations, but because of the painstaking artistry buried beneath." - Griffin McElroy [Full review]
Joystiq -- 3/5
"The Crew's biggest failing is that while it's technically competent and checks off all the necessary boxes on the 'open world game design' checklist, it lacks a cohesive identity. It feels like a collection of interesting ideas swiped from other games that are intriguing on their own but don't come together in any meaningful way." - Earnest Cavalli [Full review]
Metro -- 6/10
"The Crew is a strange hodgepodge of ideas, half of which work and the other half of which seem to be actively attempting to sabotage them. Much like Destiny, we expect The Crew to have a very mixed reception amongst players, since even when you're not doing anything in particular the novelty of driving across America with your friends is a very enjoyable one. It's just a shame the game wasn't able to make a drive beyond that." - Mr. Pinkerton [Full review]
Game Informer -- 7/10
"As far as road trips go, The Crew is about as average as they come. There are some fun times, but you may be surprised to discover that America is a pretty empty place." - Matthew Kato [Full review]
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Below is a roundup of scores and editor reflections you can look over to help you make a buying decision. Check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic for more on the game's critical reception.
- Game: The Crew
- Developer: Ivory Tower
- Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC
- Release date: December 2
- Price: $60
GameSpot -- 5/10
"When The Crew puts you into races with good AI, and you get to race through interesting and varied environments, you get the feeling that you're playing a good game. When you struggle to find people to join your crew online, balk at the outdated graphics, and shake your head at the AI and the occasionally unpredictable physics, you realize: The Crew isn't that good after all. When you can't play due to server issues, you find a new game to play and leave The Crew in your dust." - Peter Brown [Full review]
Eurogamer -- 8/10
"There's no doubt that a huge part of The Crew's appeal is nostalgia for US road trips, whether previously experienced or just imagined. No game has mined that cultural seam quite so authentically or with such all-encompassing ambition. It's a game that requires and occasionally enforces patience, but like all great road trips it's about the journey, not the destination." - Mike Channell [Full review]
PCGamer -- 70/100
"It's always easier to look favorably on a game that tries to do too much than on a focus-tested bore. The Crew's failings fall firmly into the former category, and though they are glaring and at times very frustrating, the potential to carve your own experience out of its rough-and-ready content saves it from mediocrity." - Phil Iwaniuk [Full review]
Polygon -- 4.5/10"The Crew's big wins are buried under a mound of frustrations. I don't know what's more unfathomable: how all of these shortcomings made it into The Crew, or that they're piled high atop one of the most ambitious, masterful game worlds I've ever had the privilege of exploring. I've never seen a game deliver, dead to rights, on something that huge, difficult and elusive, then completely drop the ball on so many other basic fundamentals. The result may very well be the most frustrating game I've ever played--not because of its myriad frustrations, but because of the painstaking artistry buried beneath." - Griffin McElroy [Full review]
Joystiq -- 3/5
"The Crew's biggest failing is that while it's technically competent and checks off all the necessary boxes on the 'open world game design' checklist, it lacks a cohesive identity. It feels like a collection of interesting ideas swiped from other games that are intriguing on their own but don't come together in any meaningful way." - Earnest Cavalli [Full review]
Metro -- 6/10
"The Crew is a strange hodgepodge of ideas, half of which work and the other half of which seem to be actively attempting to sabotage them. Much like Destiny, we expect The Crew to have a very mixed reception amongst players, since even when you're not doing anything in particular the novelty of driving across America with your friends is a very enjoyable one. It's just a shame the game wasn't able to make a drive beyond that." - Mr. Pinkerton [Full review]
Game Informer -- 7/10
"As far as road trips go, The Crew is about as average as they come. There are some fun times, but you may be surprised to discover that America is a pretty empty place." - Matthew Kato [Full review]
Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email news@gamespot.com
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