Gamer Crash

After a much longer wait then what Microsoft likely envisioned, Crackdown 3 finally arrived this past week. Originally announced back in 2014 and intended for launch in 2016, the game was hindered by multiple delays, development problems, as well as studios and high profile developers leaving the project.

Sadly, I think these issues have had a BIG impact on what the game ultimately ended up becoming. I can’t really fault Sumo Digital, as they likely did the best they could under the tougher than normal circumstances. Original Crackdown creator, Dave Jones, left to join Epic Games once Cloudgine was acquired. Not only that, the other developer, Regeant Games, eventually dropped out and became a consulting studio, leaving Sumo to basically handle everything on their own. Probably not what they originally signed up for.

I mean, Crackdown 3 is basically more Crackdown. You’ll likely already know what that means to you. It really doesn’t do much of anything to advance the franchise forward. You’re still a super cop fighting cartoonishly villainous people in a hierarchy style way. You cause damage and chaos to lure out these bad guys and take them out one by one until you reach the top baddie.

The game looks like something from an earlier era and utilized mechanics that were once considered to be unique but are now outdated. Again, for a game that was supposed to launch years ago, it’s likely something that couldn’t have been helped at this point.

You still collect orbs to become stronger and ultimately, the majority of the guns you find will never mean much outside of rocket launchers. You’ll find a great loadout and likely never change. I do appreciate that they’ve added elemental effects (fire, electricity, acid, cold) and each time you level a core skill you get a new ability, passive, or weapon.

For example, while Agility will increase your speed and jump height like the previous games, now you’ll gain new abilities like double jump, air dashing, and more. It’s a simple, but nice touch. It also renders driving to be essentially useless. Why drive when I can leap across the city like a quasi-superhero?

At the end of the day, I kept coming back to the idea that Crackdown 3 is the video game equivalent of comfort food. Does it push the franchise forward? No. Is it likely to win any end of the year awards? I’d have to say no. At the very least, it’s a nice change of pace and it’ll likely bring you back to the days when games were a lot simpler. Crackdown 3 hands you a gun, lets you get crazy as Terry Crews, and gives you a city to run around in. As a video game, it’s…fine.  That’s the long and short of it.

Thankfully, this game is apart of the ridiculously good deal that is Xbox Game Pass, so if you have that, I think Crackdown 3 is worth your time. If you need some sort of palate cleanser from what’s currently out there, then Crackdown 3 has you covered.

So far, we’ve had three games that all largely play the same. Considering the lukewarm reception and mediocre reviews, it’s clear that in order for a fourth to succeed, things will need to change. I put together a small list of ideas as to where the franchise should go from here. Enjoy!

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