THE CREW

Significantly better than So Solid

Sadly for loners, human company is a prerequisite to enjoying The Crew, a sprawling next-gen social driving experience that takes place across the entire expanse of the grand old USA. Sure, you could feasibly have fun on your own dominating point-to-point sprints down Santa Monica Boulevard, trying the ‘don’t prang another car’ skill test in Detroit (good luck), or simply cavorting carefree through swaying Midwestern sunflower fields, but the real fun can only be found with friends.

Seamless drop-in co-op allows you to search for mates on the map, join them instantly, and then embark on hundreds of activities. For those that score a podium finish in the Racing Line challenge (you and a partner earn points by sticking to a thick neon-blue strip), Raid (find a route to the destination via experimental shortcuts), and Cop Outrun (survive as long as possible against a fleet of police cars and choppers), the rewards are XP, cash and car parts.

If your friends list is a barren wasteland, don’t fret: you could fill it easily by recruiting strangers into your gang, and then either taking on the world or developing some interpersonal rivalries. So while this immensely ambitious arcade racer is perfectly serviceable alone, you’ll need company to wring the most from it. It’s called The Crew for a reason…