The crew isn't necessary the best racing game in the world if that's what you are looking for, but it's decent driving game for car enthusiasts who likes just to take their cars on the road with buddies and prefer to play with steering wheel controllers like G25 and use hardcore settings with manual clutch pedals and H-shift to change gears. At that game redeems itself a little bit.
Yeah the graphics are outdated even unfinished at some parts like interior views for cars where some things like gear indicator in cars where you have them aren't animated at all etc.
Sound department when it comes to actual car engine sounds are great, but music is lackluster piece of crap so first thing you are going to do is turn the music off. Sound mixing is poorly done too or let's say it's mixed properly if you want to hear dialog during races when playing story missions or jet flybys, but at the end this is racing game and the most important sound you need to hear when driving is your engine revs, you just need to hear when changing gears so I give minus for that.
Some missions can be very frustrated, because of overpowered police that nail you in the heartbeat and prepare to try many many times those missions where you have to ram someone off the road, no chance before you know to opponents route and can plan accordingly.
At the end for car and especially driving enthusiasts I'd say this game is 7/10 and for just a arcade style racing game it's pretty poor 4/10.
My coast2coast run: The Crew Beta Coast2Coast (PC) with G25 + manual clutch & H-shifter
My first impressions video: The Crew first impressions