Ubisoft has been known to push out action titles left and right, giving players an adventure through Renaissance Italy, a hacker-filled San Fransisco Bay area or even the primal ages of the Mesolithic era. But stepping in another direction, developers at the busy studio(s) have continued to build a franchise combining racing with deep MMO elements. In 2014 The Crew was released and gave racing fans everywhere a massive open world racer with the map stretching from east coast to west coast in a stunning, condensed version of the United States. Later, a stand-alone release gave racers the ability to speed across the vast lands on powerful motorcycles, wetting the appetite of even more racing fans. Announced at this year’s E3, The Crew 2 will not only give fans more of what they loved from the first entry but will greatly expand the diverse and broad racing series.
With the primary focus on Motorsports of all varieties, The Crew 2 adds much more depth to the already massive racing game. Keeping what fans loved about the first entry like the huge map stretching across the US – including famous landmarks and cities all along the stretching highways – a large selection of purchasable cars and deep customization options, The Crew 2 will now feature aerial stunt plane racing and wave-ripping boat races. What’s more, is you’ll be equipped with the ability to smoothly transition between any of these vehicles on the go, giving players an immense racing experience like no other.
The overall goal of playing through the campaign in The Crew 2 is to become the champion of all Motorsports in Motornation. At the core of the racing experience sits the street racing scene. Familiar in most other racing franchises, taking to the streets in sprint races, cutting sharp corners and dodging oncoming traffic returns from the first entry of the game. Racing in all regions of the enormous map from windy country roads to long desert stretches, to high mountain passes in any automotive form including the return of motorcycles, there’s plenty of adrenaline filled street races to feed your speed addiction.
Pro racing circuits and off-road events also come equipped in the giant racing package of The Crew 2. Tuning your racing machine, adding off-road tires for more tread or racing slicks to navigate around closed circuits as quickly as possible are just a few more options to keep the player engaged in this diverse Motorsports title. Acting as a less organized checkpoint race, Rally Raid puts players in off-road buggies for hill-hopping action, with all sorts of terrains at your disposal, making your way from start to finish in whichever way you find the fastest.
New racing sports added include the all new powerboat and nimble stunt plane racing. The powerboat competitions feature fast, agile machines designed to zip their way through rivers and other waterways. Obstacles like boat ramps and powerful waves – created either from natural occurrences or other racers – keep the high-rush water races full of adrenaline fueled moments. While the stunt planes offer a completely different perspective in the world of The Crew 2, there’s just as much full throttle moments as land or sea events. Barrel rolls and gliding past the smoke trails of competing airborne racers, the new aerial racing will give you beautiful views of legendary landmarks like the Rocky Mountains or the Grand Canyon, all across the vast land of the United States.
The Crew 2 utilizes the massive open world that Ubisoft developers created in the first entry, as well as the addictive “arcade” racing style gameplay. Taking this formula and adding almost every type of major Motorsports possible, giving players the freedom to transition between land, air and sea races at anytime, is sure to make the sequel feel fresh and exciting.
Expect to see The Crew 2 in early 2018 on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC systems. For early access check out the “Open Beta” sign up page from Ubisoft.
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