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I’m not used to scoring games this low. By now you may have heard that Crackdown 3 does not meet most people’s expectations. It looks and plays like a relic from a past generation, a fact even more perplexing given how it was advertised and how long it’s taken to meet its release date. I actually really enjoyed Crackdown 1 and 2. As an open-world junkie, there’s a lot about the design’s directness that appeals to me. No interruptions. No drama. Just head out there and blow stuff up. But this game can’t even get that right most of the time, and there’s next to nothing innovative about the way its city is laid out. It’s a puzzling sequel. I’m curious to hear what you all think as well. Big thanks to Bloodworth for the co-op assistance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0N5U7l7jmY

Video Written and Edited by Brandon Jones
Reviewed on Xbox One (Original)
Available on PC and Xbox One

- Brandon

Files

Crackdown 3 - Easy Allies Review

After a lot of time in the oven, Crackdown 3 comes out half-baked. The world isn't much to look at, and unless you're really hungry for a co-op action game, have Games Pass, or miss the series terribly, there are much more impressive, recent entries in this genre. Video Written and Edited by Brandon Jones Reviewed on Xbox One (Original) Available on PC and Xbox One Support us through Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/EasyAllies Schedule: http://easyallies.com/ Merchandise: https://www.fangamer.com/easyallies http://shop.spreadshirt.com/easyallies Live streams - https://www.twitch.tv/easyallies Stream archives - https://www.youtube.com/easyalliesplays https://twitter.com/easyallies https://www.facebook.com/easyallies #EasyAllies #Crackdown3 #Review

Comments

Anonymous

Good review Jones. Oddly, out of the 3 new releases I played yesterday, I enjoyed this the most out of Anthem and Far Cry New Dawn, but I can't really disagree with the review either. Sometimes you just gotta throw a car and grab some orbs after you get bored of a doctor yelling MY DUDE at you while you do plodding swimming and valve puzzles, or got horrendously bored of Anthems story and combat. There's not a lot of substance there, but sometime it just scratches the right itch.

Anonymous

I don't get it. I have a blast with Crackdown 3.

Anonymous

Man, Sucks you didn't like it. I'm having a great time with it and Anthem. CD3 has great polish too. Haven't had any bugs myself. Hopefully that helped the score out.

rrice64

i'm at closer to a 7.5, maybe a little higher up to an 8. in co-op, this game is an absolute blast. i haven't run in to any bugs or glitches, the graphics look great, and collecting orbs is as addicting as ever. it seems most journalists are very negative on this game, yet most gamers are having a great time playing it. very strange dissonance.

strawhatninja

Ouch should've kept Scalebound and canceled this instead.

RJ

I was just wanting to say how salty I was Scalebound got cancelled but this stayed greenlit.

Anonymous

The game isn't "modern" but it plays like Crackdown. The exploring and orb hunting are fun and the platforming is really satisfying. I play it hunting Orbs first and only doing objectives as they get in my way.

Anonymous

Sure, I agree that it doesn't innovate in any category, and I get that it Can get repetetive if you don't like collecting orbs... but that's one of the biggest reasons I like Crackdown. Leveling up by using each ability seems like a perfectly good idea, not a knock against it... Of course with the long dev time You would have hoped they'd have managed to blend the classic Crackdown formula with some more modern game / open world concepts, but still, It's an alright game. I think it's at least a 6. Might even qualify for a 7. Though it plays it safe, It works and it has the core concepts of the series down. There's a good amount of fun to be had. I don't think this kills the series. It was clear since it shifted studios and was delayed for the third time that this wasn't going to be what it originally promised or what people where hoping for. Despite that it's still a beloved franchise for Xbox so I can't wait for a Crackdown 4 or a reboot sometime in the future to truly do it right.

Anonymous

I think there's something to be said for the immediacy of Crackdown 3's fun. The game goes straight for the big explosions and car throwing, using its no-frills approach to up the fun at the beginning. It scratches the right itch, but that's the only itch it is capable of scratching. After scratching that itch for 4/5/10/20 hours, it is bound to become numb and uninteresting

Anonymous

There's something weird about the visuals of this game that I can't quite put my finger on. It's like the entire game is in an uncanny valley. Maybe it's just shaking the disbelief that it finally exists after years of delays, but something about the look of the game makes it feel like a made up game in a movie than an actual game that people are playing. Full disclosure, I haven't played it myself since I don't have an Xbox, just watching videos, this is the impression that I get.

Kiraz

It really does look like a 360 game doesn't it. Wonder what crackdown 2 vs 3 comparisons would look like.

Kiraz

To answer my own question. Crackdown 3 has a lot more going on, has a brighter "glow" to it. And looks like a marginal increase over a 9 year old game that didn't review very well. :P

Anonymous

So crackdown 1 is straight nostalgia for me, possibly in my top ten favorite games, but I thought crackdown 2 was pretty bad. Can any ally confirm if this is the game for me? I’d love to replay the first so if it’s more of the same, I’m all in, aside from not owning an xbone

Anonymous

I may be wrong, but you said Wrecking Zone was Crackdown's first attempt at PVP. But I remember Crackdown 2 having PVP of sorts. Just a small correction I wanted to point out. I'm waiting on my rental to try it out personally.

Anonymous

After playing both Anthem and this for a couple hours a piece I can’t say which is worse. There will be people who love them both and I will continue to not understand why. I’d have given this game 4.5 at most.

Anonymous

Hey Brandon, I know you didn't intend this, but there is a part of your review that (even if unintentionally) really comes across in bad taste. Your line "selecting anyone but Terry Crews, aka Commander Jaxon, feels like a waste." really doesn't come off well when one of the starting agents you can select is Agent Forgey who was made after Mike Forgey (a dev on the team who passed during development from cancer). I know you all don't often edit and re-upload reviews, but I might recommend considering it here.

Anonymous

Sad to hear about someone passing due to cancer but I think Brandon's point still stands. Its not in poor taste, You cant be expected to know the story behind the development team when playing the game.