After a series of betas, the multiplayer always-online racing title The Crew has launched on PC and consoles. Its ambitious game world includes an approximation of the entire continental United States, and the racing mechanics are solid enough. Sadly, it looks like the developers fell flat on delivering some fundamental functions despite the impressive features--here are some excerpts from around the web:
Polygon, 4.5/10: "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."
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"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."
Game Informer, 7/10: "Counterintuitively, for a game whose ostensible allure is online co-op and the ability to explore an open world, The Crew's story (along with its car parts) might be more of a draw than you think. Despite its cliched story, following the main path does provide some motivation. It features a mix of events that include some scripted chases and moments, and the voice actors give it their best to try and make the game more than a big map.
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"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."
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."
"...If the Xfinity-branded hypercar race a few hours in is anything to go by, The Crew is an overt attempt to capitalize on the popularity of modern car culture, and it would seem entirely cynical if not for a few redeeming design decisions. In the world of modern racing games that's just not enough to earn a victory lap."
PC Gamer, 70/100 (PC Version only, which seems to have slightly higher scores on average): "Brave these not insignificant failings, and you'll still find enduring enjoyment from The Crew, built on its online play (connection losses and crashes have just about cleared up at the time of writing after a turbulent launch week). It's a uniquely social racer in which you can invite a few friends and drive aimlessly or take on a story mission together in four-player co-op. There's the faction war to involve yourself in, reppin' for a map region and contributing to its overall standing. There's the simple, mindlessly compulsive PvP in which the most powerful car always wins and nobody cares because each race showers everyone in XP and money."
"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."