14 DAY TRIAL // The Crew is one of the few new intellectual properties that were revealed at this year's E3 2013 event and Ubisoft has brought it to Gamescom 2013 alongside it's many other big blockbuster titles.
The Crew, in case you forgot, is a new type of racing game that features a wide open world based on the United States of America, and allows for seamless online experiences, in which players can either go up against the A.I., other human drivers, or team up with friends to create special crews in order to complete tougher challenges.
Ubisoft is banking on the new racing experience to open up the next-gen console, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, as well as on establishing itself on the PC, a popular platform for online games.
Right from the beginning of The Crew's demo at Gamescom 2013, you're greeted with a huge map of the U.S. But you can only access New York City and Miami.
In New York, you're thrust into the middle of a race on the city's streets, as players are driving a street-tuned Chevrolet Camaro and trying to keep up with the rest of the pack. What's more, once the event is over, you can continue driving through the streets and engage in a special mini-game that sets checkpoints for you in a predetermined path.
Afterwards, you're taken to Miami where you must engage in another race, only this time it's one that doesn't take place only on roads. As such, you must first modify your car and fit bigger off-road tires, as well as different accessories to make it rougher and tougher.
The result is one heavily tuned Camaro that's ready to tear up Miami's streets but also its beaches, grassy areas, and more.
Sadly, while the racing and handling in The Crew is quite impressive, the amount of traffic on the streets of its cities is quite high meaning you're bound to hit other cars sooner rather than later, thereby ruining the performance you had.
If Ubisoft manages to tweak this aspect, then The Crew might offer some competition to established racing franchises.
The Crew is out in the first half of 2014 for PC, PS4, Xbox One.