Let me be really frank with you – I didn’t like the beta that I played for The Crew, prior to its launch a few years ago.

I thought the racing was boring, the characters and plot lines were stupid, and that the graphics and presentation was dull.

It’s one of the few times a beta for a game has stripped me of hype.

So when Ubisoft mentioned that they were working on The Crew 2 during an investor’s briefing last month, I laughed pretty heartily. Why bother trying to save that dog, I wondered.

Fast-forward to E3 2017 and Ubisoft’s press event. The Crew 2 came screaming out of the gate and took me by surprise to such a degree, that I’m actually looking forward to the game.

So what changed?

Simple: the scope.

Not only does The Crew 2 feature a healthy dose of street racing of course, but also boat racing and air racing as well!

That’s right – players can now take their addiction to speed to land, sea, and air across a lovingly crafted versions of various locations across America.

Ubisoft representatives were on hand at the PlayStation E3 2017 stage to talk about their latest ode to vehicular speed.

Fun is the focus of The Crew 2.

Player’s told Ubisoft that the first game was too restrictive, and that while the story was adequate, it got in the way of their desire to explore the world around them.

As a response, Ubisoft says that they have removed these barriers, and focused on getting players to the fun as quickly as possible, in what they described as” the fundamental design pillar” of the game.

The Crew 2 implements a new system called “Fast Five”, which allows the player to seamlessly switch between the different modes of transportation with a touch of a button. Players are also not forced into any vehicle, so as they said in the interview: “if you want to play the entire game in a plane, you can”.

The demo that we saw featured cars screaming through some nicely rendered sections of New York. There were a plethora of ramps for insane jumps, and the frame rate moved at a zippy pace. The scene then shifted to boats racing along NYC’s shoreline during daylight hours.

Regarding the size of the game world in The Crew 2 – it should be about the same as in the previous title, however, there are different touches that can change how you explore the virtual USA. They cited a network of rivers that was created for boating enthusiasts to use as they made their way across the country.

All this sounds great, but for me, the highlight was watching footage of the air racing sections of the game.

The sensation of freedom in The Crew 2 was crystallized for me as I watched planes zig-zagging through courses over and through the New York City skyline.

The Crew 2 certainly surprised me with the level of ambition on display, and I sincerely hope that this new sense of scope and freedom translates into a fantastic experience when it launches in early 2018.

How about you? Did The Crew 2 change your outlook on the series? Or is your heart made of stone? Say things in the comments section below.

Be sure to check out the rest of NerdBacon’s E3 2017 coverage right here!