The Crew Motorfest

Game images by RAWG

The Crew Motorfest

Ivory Tower

Windows; PlayStation; Xboxpremium (one-time purchase) + live-service events and in-game purchases

Health Score

MIXED

Official Website Watch Gameplay

About This Game

Super Review

The Crew Motorfest delivers an expansive open-world racing experience with a vast collection of vehicles and diverse events. However, its live-service design brings significant risks: aggressive monetization, persistent online competition, and events designed to create time pressure. Parents should be prepared to set strict limits on spending and playtime for this visually engaging but potentially demanding game.

Super Review

Parent verdict

With a 'Mixed' health score, The Crew Motorfest is best considered for racing enthusiasts who can navigate its substantial live-service elements and online pressures. While the core driving and vehicle customization can be engaging, the game's monetization model and event-driven progression are designed to encourage continuous play and spending. It’s a qualified fit, working best with clear family rules around purchases and screen time, especially for younger players drawn to its flashy cars and competitive nature.

What players actually do

Players drive hundreds of customizable cars, bikes, boats, and planes across a stylized Hawaiian island, completing various themed racing events and challenges.
Players engage in solo races, compete against others online in structured events, or freely cruise the open world in cooperative groups.
Players unlock and upgrade new vehicles and cosmetic items, often by grinding through events or by purchasing them directly with in-game currency.

Where it shines

The game boasts an impressively diverse collection of vehicles and a wide variety of racing disciplines, offering players many ways to engage with the open world and its challenges.
Extensive vehicle customization options allow players to personalize their cars and express creativity through unique designs and performance tuning.

Parent watch-outs

The game features numerous in-game purchases for vehicles, currency, and battle passes, designed to tempt players into spending real money to accelerate progression or acquire exclusive items.
Live-service events and competitive online modes can create a sense of urgency (FOMO) and frustration, potentially leading to overplay or negative social interactions with other players.

Family rules worth setting

Set clear rules about in-game purchases and ensure parental controls are enabled on your platform to prevent unauthorized spending.
Establish defined playtimes and discuss the importance of stepping away from the game, especially when competitive frustration or the urge to 'grind' becomes apparent.

Talk about this

Discuss how games use in-game purchases and time-limited events to encourage spending and extended play sessions, and how to decide if something is truly worth it.
Talk about good sportsmanship in online competition, how to handle losses or frustrating moments, and what to do if interactions with other players become negative.

Play style

The game's rhythm involves bursts of racing action interspersed with open-world cruising and menu navigation for customization. Difficulty can be adjusted, but online competition adds a layer of unpredictable challenge. Players often engage in solo progression through themed playlists but can easily join or form groups for cooperative cruising and competitive events. Assistance may be needed in managing the economy and understanding the constant flow of live-service content.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

1/5

Creativity

2/5

Pro-Social

3/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

4/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

3/5

Social Risk

3/5

Content Intensity

1/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

1/5

The game offers minimal direct educational value, scoring a 1. While players might learn about car types or racing lines, these are not core learning objectives of the experience.

Addictive Monetization

4/5

Addictive monetization is a significant concern, scoring a 4. The game's business model heavily relies on in-game purchases for cars, currency, and battle passes, creating constant pressure to spend real money to enhance or speed up progression.

Pro-Social

3/5

The game has some pro-social elements, earning a score of 3. Players can engage in cooperative cruising and car meets, fostering positive interactions, but structured team play is not the primary focus.

Time Pressure / FOMO

3/5

Time pressure and FOMO are present, receiving a score of 3. Seasonal updates, live challenges, and limited-time events are designed to encourage continuous engagement and regular logins, creating a sense of missing out if players don't participate.

Social Risk

3/5

Social risk scores a 3 due to its online nature and competitive modes. Players interact with others, which can sometimes lead to mild language or frustrating encounters in competitive settings, as noted by the ESRB's 'Users Interact' descriptor.