And what a map it is. There's care and attention throughout Ivory Tower's world, and while there's a veneer of ******** layered over the top it can't obscure the fact that The Crew's take on America is one of the achievements of the year. It boasts the mad breadth of Asobo's strange and ambitious 2009 game Fuel (and, indeed, the French studio is working on the Xbox 360 version of The Crew), throwing in character and spectacle that gives each cross-country trek a handful of breathtaking moments.
Work your way from Chicago's bronzed city centre out into the rolling greens of the Midwest, ticking off Kansas and Dakota before the sun sets, and you're braving a snowstorm en route to Salt Lake City. Push through to Death Valley, so darkly ominous by night, and be rewarded with the soft glittering lights of Las Vegas on the horizon, the city slowly coming into focus until you're consumed by neon. This is a world that's meant to be enjoyed at speed - stop too long and you'll notice some of the finer detail is lacking - but its roads seem tantalisingly infinite.