The Crew announced at Ubisoft E3 presser

By Brenna Hillier

The first next-generation game showcased at Ubisoft’s E3 presentation is open-world racer The Crew, the promised new IP. Trailer, gameplay demo, screens and details within.

From Ubisoft Reflections and Ivory Tower, The Crew has players customising their vehicles and taking over rival gang’s territory. It’s set in the US, and will cover the whole country. We saw gameplay from Miami, with South Beach and more featured.

It has an emphasis on multiplayer in an online persistent world, blurring the lines between co-op, competitive and solo play. Every mission and event will be available in multiplayer or solo, with players surrounded by both AI and real players.

There are no lobbies; single-player and multiplayer exist seamlessly in the same world. Players can quickly invite their friends to come help them with missions.

There are “thousands” of 20 second trials scattered around the map to reward exploration.

In customisation mode, players can strip their car right down to the frame and build it up piece-by-piece with performance parts; it looked like this was rendered in real time as you do it.

Ubisoft called The Crew “the biggest game ever created”. A live multiplayer demonstration was shown which you can check out along with the trailer below.

While the live demo was shown, Ubisoft conference host Aisha built her own custom car on a tablet, demonstrating how quick it is; this feature will be on show at Ubis’ booth.

Here’s the full blurb from the press release:

  • Key Takeaway
    The Crew is a revolutionary action-driving game developed exclusively for next-gen consoles and high-end PCs that leverages the new hardware capabilities to connect players online like never before. The Crew takes you and your friends on a reckless ride inside a massive, open-world recreation of the United States that is brimming with exciting challenges. Generous in content and tailored for the connected generation, The Crew is the next-gen game that redefines action-driving.
  • Product Description
    Take part in a relentless ride to infiltrate and overtake the 510s, a gang grown around Detroit’s illegal street racing scene. Your plan? Get a rep on the underground-racing scene and sabotage their activities city-by-city all across the United States. Maneuver through the bustling streets of New York City and Los Angeles, cruise down sunny Miami Beach or trek through the breathtaking plateaus of Monument Valley. Each locale comes with its own set of surprises and driving challenges to master. On your journey you will encounter other players on the road – all potentially worthy companions to crew up with, or future rivals to compete against. This is driving at its most exciting, varied and open.
  • Key Features
    – NEVER DRIVE ALONE
    Jump in and out seamlessly and build your crew of four through bonding or intense rivalry. Whether your objective is to takedown a convoy or to escape the police, achieving it with friends ensures a fresh experience each time you join in.
    – A PLAYGROUND OF UNPRECEDENTED SCOPE AND VARIETY
    The entire United States is your driving playground – all roads and everything in between. Every type of terrain imaginable is yours to master – from downtown city streets to suburbs, hillsides, cornfields, canyons, desert dunes or even race tracks.
    – THE EXPERIENCE GOES ON, WHEREVER YOU ARE
    Continue the experience on iOS, Android tablets, and on the web. Keep track of your friends’ performances and tinker with your ride before playing it live to set new records, or send your crew on jobs on-the-go to gain more XP and parts.
    – PREPARE FOR THE NEXT JOB
    An extensive tuning system combining depth and simplicity allows you to collect cosmetic and performance parts and customize your licensed cars, according to your style and driving preferences.

The Crew leaked in May and was further detailed earlier this month.

Grab all the news from Ubisoft’s presser in our full report.

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