The Crew Motorfest tech review: genuine quality – but Series S is left behind

In relocating its setting to the Hawaiian island of O’ahu, developer Ubisoft Ivory Tower finds the perfect virtual playground for its latest open-world racer, The Crew Motorfest. Between the paradise coastline, its mountain ranges, the bustle of downtown Honolulu and even its temples, there’s no shortage of variety, and the new backdrop is a welcome gear change from the continental US setting of The Crew 1 and 2.

Reviewing Motorfest’s performance on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, it’s clear the game still has some technical issues despite a month’s worth of patches. How do the three consoles compare, do PS5 and Series X hit a rock-solid 60fps in their performance modes, and lastly what’s the state of the lone 30fps mode on Series S?

On paper, the idea behind The Crew Motorfest is a proven winner. It takes the free-form gameplay loop pioneered by Forza Horizon to a brand-new location – and to PlayStation consoles. It’s you, the open road, and a sprawling map filled with different events. Just as with The Crew 2, the map view in itself is impressively handled. Hit the options button and you get a complete 3D rendering of the entire island, with a view from the clouds that also scales right down to your car on the ground in a seamless transition.

There’s also a rolling time of day, weather states, and online integration. As a result there’s always an energy to the streets – with other human-controller cars whizzing by as ghosts, locked in their own instanced race. There’s never a dull moment in driving from A to B. Plus it mixes in a generous use of object physics for brick walls, street lights and anything in between. The only thing truly missing here is NPCs, who seem to have been banished from the city centre in order to let the cars wreak havoc.