Microsoft Crackdown 3 - Information Thread, update: multiple reviews posted (OpenCritic average - 62%)

[JPDunks4]

Reviews read exactly as I predicted and said were my worries. 

 

Its not a bad game, its just a better version of the original game, which just isn't up to today's standards.  Too many other open world sandbox games that do all the crazy stuff the original game did.  Especially with Spiderman coming out last year, this game just looks so outdated.  

 

I'll still check it out, but its about what I expected to see.  The multiplayer was pretty bad from what  I played in the server tests.

 

They'd be better served to just make a new Blast Corps type game with that destruction than trying to shoehorn it into Crackdown PvP.

[The def star]

This game should be fun to play because it's on game pass. Don't see myself buying it unless I get hooked but judging from the reviews doesn't seem likely.

[Mr.Vic20]

Say what you will, but come tomorrow, I'm hunting some orbs as Terry Crews! 

 

[Dodger]

2 hours ago, JPDunks4 said:

Reviews read exactly as I predicted and said were my worries. 

 

Its not a bad game, its just a better version of the original game, which just isn't up to today's standards.  Too many other open world sandbox games that do all the crazy stuff the original game did.  Especially with Spiderman coming out last year, this game just looks so outdated.  

 

I'll still check it out, but its about what I expected to see.  The multiplayer was pretty bad from what  I played in the server tests.

 

They'd be better served to just make a new Blast Corps type game with that destruction than trying to shoehorn it into Crackdown PvP.

 

I would love a modern Blastcorps. Loved that game on the N64. 

[number305]

3 hours ago, The def star said:

This game should be fun to play because it's on game pass. Don't see myself buying it unless I get hooked but judging from the reviews doesn't seem likely.

Why would you buy it if you have game pass even if it was great... ?

[Mr.Vic20]

[The def star]

44 minutes ago, number305 said:

Why would you buy it if you have game pass even if it was great... ?

To give money to the developers? I like giving game devs money for a job well done.

[JPDunks4]

Just fired it up, and while I know not to expect much, it does feel good to be playing a Crackdown again.  Good memories from the past game.

[Mr.Vic20]

7 hours ago, JPDunks4 said:

Just fired it up, and while I know not to expect much, it does feel good to be playing a Crackdown again.  Good memories from the past game.

Spot on man! I've just completed 2 hours of play and I will tell those wary of this game, don't be! Its silly, funny, and feels good to play! The graphics pop in 4K, the overwrought drama is spot on campy comic book fair and well, its just FUN! Maybe it is "Just more Crackdown", but uh, A.)Its been a really long while, so are you really burnt out on Crackdown? and 2.4) "Fuck gravity!" - Terrance Crews Esquire III

 

I'm having a ball, its a total comfort game! You'll feel young and happier if you play this! 

[XxEvil AshxX]

It harkens back to a time when we werent snobby assholes and let ourselves enjoy stupid simple mid-tier shooters and not everything had to be amazing. I'm enjoying it so far.

[Keyser_Soze]

@Mr.Vic20 can you make that Kotaku video not autoplay?

[Keyser_Soze]

Review said it runs 30 fps in multiplayer. I lol'd

[Mr.Vic20]

11 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

@Mr.Vic20 can you make that Kotaku video not autoplay?

You know my skills are at zero son! 

[SaysWho?]

3 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

Review said it runs 30 fps in multiplayer. I lol'd

 

I'm watching giant bomb and eek, there is a lot wrong that would bother me. When I start my gamepass trial, at least it looks like it'll just take me a day or two to finish and I can jump around and shoot shit for a while. :P 

[number305]

16 hours ago, The def star said:

To give money to the developers? I like giving game devs money for a job well done.

Sorry but that is bannanaland.  Developers that put their game on Gamepass know what they are signing up for.  I can totally get behind purchasing DLC for games that you like on GP... but kind of the whole point of GP is you don't have to buy the games. 

 

Also they do get paid by MS for having their game on there.  Also Crackdown is a MS game.  You have a very big heart if you are donating extra money to Microsoft.  (you must also have a very big wallet)  

[Keyser_Soze]

32 minutes ago, SaysWho? said:

 

I'm watching giant bomb and eek, there is a lot wrong that would bother me. When I start my gamepass trial, at least it looks like it'll just take me a day or two to finish and I can jump around and shoot shit for a while. :P 

 

Yep that seems to be the consensus. For a game that costs you nothing it's worth trying for a bit. For someone who doesn't have gamepass and wants to pay $60 don't.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

2 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

It harkens back to a time when we werent snobby assholes and let ourselves enjoy stupid simple mid-tier shooters and not everything had to be amazing. I'm enjoying it so far.

Yeah, kind of reminds me of the fun I had with Jak II. Are there games that control better as a platformer? Yes. Are there games that have better shooting mechanics? Yes. But Crackdown 3 is simple fun. 

 

Not a bad game so far. Not great, but fun. 

[Commissar SFLUFAN]

Cheat Code Central - 70%

Crackdown 3 feels like a product of a prior generation. If it had been released in 2014 or 2015, alongside Saints Row IV or inFamous: Second Son, people might have lauded the way it has to smoke out your opponents and praised its many opportunities for destruction. In 2019, it feels like something that has been done many times before by plenty of other developers. It can feel like a wasted opportunity. Terry Crews is here, but he isn't given a chance to really steal the show. (Which is what we know he does best.) It isn't well organized, when it comes to missions and following the story. What is available works well enough, but it doesn't do anything to really set itself apart in a way you would expect from a AAA, first-party game.

 

USgamer - 70%

Crackdown 3 isn't an instant hit, but after a slow start it rapidly builds into an action-packed shooter with brilliant character control and movement. While orb collecting is the key for prolonged play, the campaign in Crackdown 3 is always entertaining and visually there's a lot to appreciate if you look at the bigger picture. Crackdown is back. Shame about the multiplayer Wrecking Zone, though.

 

IGN - 50%

Crackdown 3's mediocre campaign fills a big open world with paint-by-numbers gameplay that barely evolves after the opening hours.

 

Giant Bomb - 40%

Just go play Crackdown 1 again.

 

Hardcore Gamer - 60%

Sumo Digital have finally delivered Crackdown 3 after five years, but it feels like a product of a bygone era.

 

The Escapist - 60%

I did enjoy the mess that is Crackdown 3. In chunks, it can be exciting, but the story, multiplayer, and milquetoast character progression inhibit the Crackdown 3.The promised mayhem is here. But it isn’t more.

 

Fandom - 40%

Ultimately, time will tell whether Wrecking Zone becomes Crackdown 3’s saving grace. But despite this mode offering some (much welcome) fun, its hard to see why anyone would shell out their hard-earned cash for this

 

Tech Advisor - 50%

Crackdown 3 is fun to play and requires very little in terms of concentration to perform well, but at the same time, it's fairly limited in scope and most players won't find enough on offer to keep coming back.

 

CGMagazine - 45%

If you liked the original Crackdown and want basically more of that, then you've found your game. If you want a modern first party AAA game, look elsewhere

 

EGM - 70%

Crackdown 3 is just more Crackdown. For some players, that will be enough. But compared to what Crackdown 3 initially promised, what we ended up with seems lacking in depth and destruction. When it's good, like with its boss fights, there's nothing like it. Unfortunately, there's just too much filler, and with its most exciting feature demoted to a fairly minor multiplayer mode, Crackdown 3 just isn't the step forward that it could have been.

 

God is a Geek - 75%

Loud, brash and gleefully addictive at times, Crackdown 3 is unashamedly fun, even if it does feel more like a remake than a sequel.

 

Game Revolution - 60%

Crackdown 3 has had years of build-up and, well, it’s just Crackdown with a tiny bit of new-gen polish. That’s not a bad thing, not by any stretch, but in a February dotted with potentially fantastic releases, it’s going to be an ultimate forgettable one.

 

GamingBolt - 70%

Crackdown 3 maintains some of the series's inconsistencies, but it does more right than it does wrong, and it's a blast to play when everything comes together.

 

Guardian - 60%

This simple action caper where players liberate a neon-clad city from a sinister megacorp makes 15 hours disappear easily

 

Culture of Gaming - 85%

Despite the setbacks and delays, Crackdown 3 has put the franchise firmly back on solid ground and that is mostly because of the exceptional work and dedication of developers Sumo Digital. They have not only addressed all of the shortcomings of Crackdown 2 but they have improved upon the core gameplay and the experience itself. Crackdown’s future is so bright the cigar chomping, slave driving, blow hard, sour puss of an Agency Director would be cracking a smile if he could. Good things come to those who wait and Crackdown fans have certainly had to do that.

 

TrueAchievements - 60%

It survived the purge where Fable Legends and Scalebound did not, but even in its best moments, Crackdown 3's campaign feels like it was born too late.

 

GamesRadar+ - 60%

Crackdown 3 is bonkers chaotic fun but also a case of wasted potential. The series deserved an iterative revival but instead, we have the tried-and-tested Crackdown backbone with remastered visuals and a touch more chaos, sadly squandering the promise of its few interesting additions in the process

 

Rock, Paper, Shotgun

This is a sad affair. It’s playable, which is the faintest of damning praise. “I played it from start to finish, and it passed the time.” Pop that on the posters. But it’s mundane, humdrum, and irritating. It’s anachronistic, horribly left behind by the rest of gaming, and curled up shivering in the shadow of Saints Row IV that it so clearly wanted to be. Not even Terry Crews could make me like it, and gosh I love Terry Crews.

 

Polygon

Crackdown 3 is a playpen of combat and destruction that sets itself up as a liberating journey into a barbarous fantasy of wanton mayhem. But its central proposition — the freedom to do as I please — is undermined by frustrating design compromises.

 

Gamespot - 50%

Crackdown 3's campaign is short on new ideas and relies too heavily on its core loop of collecting orbs and throwing heavy objects around.

 

Metro GameCentral - 40%

A tragic end to Crackdown 3's long and painful journey, with an unremarkable campaign mode and a multiplayer that is a disaster in terms of tech and design.

 

Screen Rant - 50%

Crackdown 3 is a game that people will enjoy but forget about shortly after the campaign is completed. It's the perfect game to try on the Xbox Game Pass, but it's not a title worth its $60 price tag... yet. Perhaps if it released a few years ago, it could've been forgiven for its uninspired development objectives. But it didn't, so it can't.

 

Stevivor - 40%

Crackdown 3 feels too similar to the game that came before it; it's like Sumo has made Crackdown 2 again.

 

Destructoid - 60%

Crackdown 3 is a good Crackdown game, which, unfortunately, doesn't mean much anymore. Modern game design has surpassed the Crackdown model by leaps and bounds -- as high and far as an agent can jump. The most remarkable thing about Crackdown 3 is how unambitious it is. It's content to come off as dated, like a relic from a bygone era. That can be comforting in a way, but it's immeasurably more disappointing. Crackdown 3, just like its kin, is only a distraction and nothing more.

 

Critical Hit - 70%

Cracking the formula it set out with 12 years ago, Crackdown 3 delivers the solid and structured, though limited, gameplay of gunning down your enemies while leaping across vast distance and heights. Even if nothing especially new has been added to that formula.

 

Heavy - 68%

Crackdown 3 as a whole is certainly rough around the edges and more of a mid-tier 1st-party exclusive. There’s some fun to be had, of course. But its overall staying power is a step below other open-world games of its ilk.

 

Attack of the Fanboy - 60%

Short and not very good, Crackdown 3 has few things to point to as reasons to exist.

 

Shacknews - 70%

There’s a time and place for games like Crackdown 3. It’s not bad by any means, it’s even quantifiably good and enjoyable. However, while games can be lauded for not following trends, there’s a difference between carving your own path and simply not innovating.

 

Windows Central - 60%

Crackdown 3 is a decent sandbox experience that falls short of modern standards, but as an Xbox Game Pass title, it offers some good mindless fun.

 

Twinfinite - 70%

Ultimately, none of the flaws in Crackdown 3 are deal-breakers but they hold it back from being truly great. If you can look past them, and just enjoy Crackdown 3 for what it is: a game that gives you a wacky toolset to blast enemies away for 10-20 hours or more, then you'll definitely find value and fun here.

 

GameSpew - 90%

Forget Crackdown 2 ever happened, Crackdown 3 is the sequel we deserve. It takes everything that made the original game so great and expands upon it, leveraging the power of the Xbox One to make the experience bigger and better.

 

VideoGamer - 60%

The mission structure is repetitive, the story's utter wallop, and the baddies are there for shooting practice. But, damn it, it's fun being an over-powered superhero scaling a building in Crackdown 3.

 

Xbox Achievements - 70%

The term 'more of the same' is bandied about a lot in this industry, but when it comes to Crackdown 3, it is absolutely more of the same. With a few tweaks here and there, and a new city, there's no doubting that the gameplay still absolutely holds up. The structure and busywork tasks issues still persist from previous iterations though, which is perhaps the most disappointing aspect. Fun but repetitive best sums up Crackdown 3.

 

DualShockers - 50%

Crackdown 3 has finally arrived and instead of being a next-gen iteration of the franchise, it feels like a lost relic of the Xbox 360 era.

 

GamingTrend - 85%

Crackdown 3 makes no sense on paper. Its story is nonsense, you spend way too much time searching for hidden orbs and leveling up, and the presentation isn't anything spectacular. And yet, the over-the-top madness and hilarious, memorable moments it brought me made it impossible to put down. While the PvP multiplayer mode falls short of what it's trying to achieve, there's a lot to love about Crackdown's long overdue return.

 

VG247

All things considered, Crackdown 3 being this enjoyable represents a minor miracle, and I’d love to see what these teams are capable of with the franchise without being dicked around by corporate for half a decade.

 

PCGamesN - 60%

Competent, with enough fun weapons and silly spectacle to make it inoffensive entertainment. While a half-decade of development hell could've ended with worse results, it's tough to muster much excitement for what's here.

 

Press Start - 70%

Crackdown 3 is without a doubt the best Crackdown yet. It successfully builds upon the previous two games to offer an open world experience that, while formulaic, is still incredibly enticing. This is in part due to the very flexible combat system, which offers heaps of different ways to be as destructive as possible. It's structure has been seen before, sure, and as such Crackdown 3 doesn't break ground in many ways, but it's still such an enjoyable experience that I'm not sure it entirely matters.

 

Kotaku

Still, we’ve ended up with 12 to 15 hours of uncomplicated fun that recaptures the good stuff about the first two Crackdown games, without offering much of an evolution. It’s like the last 10 years just didn’t happen.

[Brian]

 

[Rodimus]

12 hours ago, JPDunks4 said:

Just fired it up, and while I know not to expect much, it does feel good to be playing a Crackdown again.  Good memories from the past game.

Did you play Crackdown 2?

[JPDunks4]

1 hour ago, Rodimus said:

Did you play Crackdown 2?

Yeah, didnt enjoy that nearly as much.  I meant the original.

 

In Discord, @Xbob42said he played 7 hours last night.... and he hates everything.

[The def star]

4 hours ago, number305 said:

Sorry but that is bannanaland.  Developers that put their game on Gamepass know what they are signing up for.  I can totally get behind purchasing DLC for games that you like on GP... but kind of the whole point of GP is you don't have to buy the games. 

 

Also they do get paid by MS for having their game on there.  Also Crackdown is a MS game.  You have a very big heart if you are donating extra money to Microsoft.  (you must also have a very big wallet)  

I do and I do. Doesn't matter if it's an MS game or not devs need games to sale to keep making more games or risk getting shut down. I try to support the hobbies I enjoy and if I have the money to actually buy the game I will. Also Game Pass games are sold at a discount so there's that

 

 

[number305]

55 minutes ago, The def star said:

I do and I do. Doesn't matter if it's an MS game or not devs need games to sale to keep making more games or risk getting shut down. I try to support the hobbies I enjoy and if I have the money to actually buy the game I will. Also Game Pass games are sold at a discount so there's that

 

 

That is weird.  But I have a buddy that will buy CD's even when he has access to the content from streaming... so to each their own.  

 

In my opinion these companies are selling their games through game pass access and are being paid.  I don't feel any responsibility to give them extra money.  I played and loved Mutant Year Zero on game pass, but I played it all the way through and beat it.  No reason for me to ever buy it.  If they ever put out DLC I will happily buy it.

[JPDunks4]

Well, the more people that buy the full price game after trying and playing through it on Game Pass, will give good data to other developers hesitant to put games on Game Pass. 

 

So be happy he's buying those games, the more games sold, the more likely we'll see more and more developers willing to put their titles on Game Pass.

[The def star]

1 hour ago, number305 said:

That is weird.  But I have a buddy that will buy CD's even when he has access to the content from streaming... so to each their own.  

 

In my opinion these companies are selling their games through game pass access and are being paid.  I don't feel any responsibility to give them extra money.  I played and loved Mutant Year Zero on game pass, but I played it all the way through and beat it.  No reason for me to ever buy it.  If they ever put out DLC I will happily buy it.

That's the great thing about game pass is that you don't have to buy the games to support the devs. I buy them because that's the way I want to support the devs. I figure extra sales wouldn't hurt.

[ShreddieMercury]

10 hours ago, XxEvil AshxX said:

It harkens back to a time when we werent snobby assholes and let ourselves enjoy stupid simple mid-tier shooters and not everything had to be amazing. I'm enjoying it so far.

Omg are you saying it's not one of teh best evar games?? The Last of Us is the GOAT, all the feels, etc.

[Xbob42]

I never played the original Crackdown games, but I find this to be a very fun title. I probably wouldn't be too happy if I paid $60 for it, but as basically free ($2 Game Pass, plus $5 MS gave me for free around Christmastime, so no money from me at all) I had a ton of fun with it last night, and plan to play more. If you're looking for a high quality story or really deep mission structures, you're out of luck. But if you're looking for a simple, smooth, responsive game where you have some fun movement mechanics, a fun-as-hell car and some OP weapons, this is right up your alley.

 

The low scores don't surprise me one bit, the game feels like a PS2 title on crack, but in a fun, simple way that you can probably get at least 10 or so hours of enjoyment out of.

[Keyser_Soze]

12 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

I never played the original Crackdown games, but I find this to be a very fun title.

 

This is basically just like the original crackdown, from 2007

[Xbob42]

3 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

This is basically just like the original crackdown, from 2007

Except at 120+ FPS! Unless you're on Xbox I guess, then it probably also runs the same.

[Dre801]

It's entertaining enough.  Not something I'd pay 59.99 for.  It feels like something that should have been a part of Xbox One's launch lineup or soon after. 

[Keyser_Soze]

42 minutes ago, Xbob42 said:

Except at 120+ FPS! Unless you're on Xbox I guess, then it probably also runs the same.

 

Back in the day it ran like 60 FPS with an insane draw distance and that seems to be what the people who made 3 figured would make it impressive in this day and age.

[Xbob42]

22 minutes ago, Dre801 said:

It's entertaining enough.  Not something I'd pay 59.99 for.  It feels like something that should have been a part of Xbox One's launch lineup or soon after. 

Definitely. As a standalone game it's a hard sell at $60, but as a fun throwback game as part of Game Pass? Zero complaints.

2 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Back in the day it ran like 60 FPS with an insane draw distance and that seems to be what the people who made 3 figured would make it impressive in this day and age.

So it's basically the same game except it runs worse? Holy shit. 

 

I've been having a ton of fun with it, though. The spider mode on your car is fucking awesome and has led to a lot of fun moments. Seems like I missed out on exactly my kinda game when Crackdown originally came out, but the formula for me holds up just fine! Go around, blow shit up, have fun in the process. It's a nice breath of fresh air after like 40+ hours of Resident Evil 2, which is also a ton of fun, but in a much more oppressive atmosphere and more limited movement, obviously.

[crispy4000]

The Crackdown 3 reviews remind me of Just Cause 4's reception.  Lots of remarks on lack of innovation, or not iterating in ways a sequel ideally should.

That's not a terrible thing.  But of Microsoft's back catalog, I'd probably rather try out Sunset Overdrive.

[Keyser_Soze]

I played around 30 minutes of it a mixed bag so far. The game runs smooth but the controlling your character feels odd. I was a bit perplexed as why head shot damage doesn't matter but until you unlock another ability (the ability to target the head rather than aiming and doing it) then you can do more damage with headshots.

Also, I recall being able to see agility orbs in the original game from long distances. In this game it feels like you can't see orbs from very far away.

[Spawn_of_Apathy]

I dunno, I tried playing Crackdown when it was the GWG a while back. I didn’t care for it. It jus didn’t feel to control well. Crackdown 3 feels much better. Tighter. It could be better still, but I enjoy controlling Crackdown 3 more than the original. Never played 2, so I cannot compare.