If you haven’t tried The Crew Motorfest yet, there’s never been a better time to jump into Ubisoft’s answer to Forza Horizon.
Free for all players, Season 5 has added a new map set on the volcanic island of Maui, featuring unique landmarks and biomes to explore. There’s also a sequel to the fan-favourite ‘Made in Japan’ playlist and a spate of quality-of-life improvements, including working rear-view mirrors in cockpit view.
The Crew 2 received commendable post-launch support, with regular updates extending its life for years after its initial release. With two more season updates planned after Season 5 in year two, it’s encouraging to see Ivory Tower apply the same diligence to Motorfest’s updates so far.
While Season 5’s content is free for all players, Ivory Tower has also introduced a paid Year 2 Pass, providing early access to 20 cars. But the main highlight is the Chase Squad, a new police-themed playlist and game mode exclusive to the Year 2 Pass.
The chase is on
Across nine playlist events, the Chase Squad’s campaign sees you become a rookie for an elite police force tasked with hunting down a troublesome street racing gang, known as the Cats, disrupting the Motorfest in their obnoxiously customised cars.
Initial missions see you train at the Chase Squad HQ, smashing coloured targets in an elaborate playground similar to DIRT 5’s Gymkhana events and learning how to take down speeding rivals. It’s not until the fourth event that you’re let loose on the streets in your first pursuit.
Police pursuits previously featured in The Crew’s Calling all Units expansion and The Crew 2’s The Chase update, but Motorsfest’s Chase Squad takes a different approach.
Chases initially play like stealth missions rather than high-speed pursuits, as you cautiously follow your target while keeping a distance as you wait for backup, with the mission ending if you get too close or lose sight of them.
When backup arrives, you’re free to engage and bring the fleeing felon to justice by any means necessary. Forcing them to stop and blocking their escape for a few seconds will trigger an arrest, or you can ram them until their damage meter runs out.
Taking out street racers is satisfying, resulting in spectacular Hollywood-style crashes as they flip into the air in slow motion. But even on higher difficulties, most opponents are easy to take down after a few hard hits. AI police drivers also have a habit of getting in your way, which is frustrating when you’re trying to hit the target.
Incidentally, the Chase Squad arrives shortly after Need for Speed Unbound’s Hot Pursuit-inspired update, but there are no gimmicky gadgets like EMPs or deployable spike strips. However, Motorfest’s chases feel less strategic, with no options to call for backup, set roadblocks or order helicopter support in the scripted missions.
During pursuits, voiceovers give the cops and rivals distinct personalities, but their banter about cats and dogs wears thin after a while, with infantile lines like the “Darth Vader of kitty cat world.”
Some missions feel like filler, but there are a few highlights. One mission sees you trying to catch up with a rival, speeding through narrow alleyways and jumping over huge gaps before encountering them in a sewer drain. Another takes place in an airport, where you weave around hangers in a tense cat-and-mouse chase attempting to outmanoeuvre a street racer in a Porsche 911 GT3 RS.
The playlist culminates with a frantic multi-car pursuit around Maui as you chase not just one but four outlaws across different parts of the map. Even though there’s no time limit, the final event is refreshingly challenging and easily the highlight of the playlist, with fast and unpredictable rivals that are difficult to catch.
In theory, Chase Squad playlist missions can be played cooperatively with crews of online players. However, we continuously failed to join sessions after getting stuck on a loading screen waiting to connect.
There’s a lot of potential for cops vs. racers multiplayer, but there are no police-themed online PVP events at the time of writing, sadly. Chase Squad PVP events will hopefully be added in the future, but for now, it feels like a missed opportunity.
Cut to the chase
Over 25 additional challenges provide an incentive to repeat playlist events, but it’s the open-world chases that will keep you coming back.
Completing the Chase Squad playlist unlocks the ability to pursue street racers across the map in dynamic face-off-style events, similar to the Rivals Race mode that unlocks after finishing the Made in Japan Vol.2 playlist.
With 21 rivals to track down, several Chase Squad cars to unlock and random routes with traffic in every event, the free-roam chases add a lot of replay value compared to the short campaign. Once you’ve located a rival after patrolling the area indicated on the map, you can cut straight to the chase without having to follow them from a distance.
Chasing down and arresting these rivals unlocks seven Chase Squad versions of vehicles such as the Audi RS6 Avant, Ford Mustang and Proto A500 2016 helicopter, with the fictional Ivory Tower Aezus Chase Squad Edition unlocked for completing every playlist mission.
Each Chase Squad vehicle is heavily customised with garish liveries and glowing lights. They look childish but intimidating, and the vibrant lighting effects are eye-catching on an HDR display.
They also feel heavier than standard cars, making them cumbersome to drive in training missions that require precision driving.
Should you buy the Year 2 Pass?
At £24.99 /$29.99 / €29.99, the Year 2 Pass offers good value if you regularly play The Crew Motorfest. Not only is it cheaper than last year’s pass, but you also get the Chase Squad playlist and open-world chases in addition to the vehicle pass.
That said, it’s a shame the Chase Squad content isn’t sold separately for a cheaper price, as not everyone will want to pay for the monthly cars. All players can access the Year 2 monthly cars for free, but Year 2 Pass owners will acquire them seven days earlier without spending in-game credits.
Overall, the Chase Squad is a welcome addition that adds a fresh experience to The Crew Motorfest. The playlist campaign is short, but the open-world chases are captivating.
However, the lack of online PVP means the Chase Squad misses its potential – especially as Motorfest’s competitive multiplayer is overdue a refresh, with event s still limited to Grand Race and Demolition Royale over a year later.
Are you enjoying The Crew Motorfest’s Chase Squad content in the Year 2 Pass? Let us know in the comments below.
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