Crackdown 3 Xbox One X Review

Unlike the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4, the Xbox One doesn't have an acclaimed title that would entice someone the purchase Microsoft's console. When Crackdown 3 was announced many hoped it would become the system seller the Xbox One needed, even those unfamiliar with the franchise were excited for this. After numerous delays Crackdown 3 is finally here and it was not worth the wait. A mediocre campaign stuffed with busy work and a tacked on multiplayer makes Crackdown 3 only worth playing if you own Xbox Game Pass.

Crackdown 3 takes place years after the events of the previous game, with New Providence under control of an evil organization called Terra Nova. As an agent for the Agency, you're charged with removing Terra Nova's control over the city by killing their leaders. This starts a series of repetitive missions where you perform the same tasks until the boss appears, kill them, and do it again. The story is uneventful with stale characters and a generic narrative.

Crackdown 3's gameplay focuses on busy work. You'll shoot enemies, destroy key objectives, and kill the boss at the end of the grind. All while collecting colorful orbs to boost your agent's abilities. Much of the game has you repeating the same objectives, each ending the same predictable way. It's a shame considering that New Providence does have a lush variety of distinct locations. But be prepared for a lot of climbing as Crackdown 3 has some very tall buildings, and the Agent doesn't always grab onto the ledge. Seeing your Agent slowly grow to reach higher buildings is rewarding until you realize you'll use these advanced abilities to just collect that orb that's just out of reach.

The third-person combat is done well and the use of superhuman abilities is fun but eventually grows stale due to the lack of challenge. Many of the enemies die very easily and you'll kill hundreds of them in your journey. The lock-on mechanic makes short work of many of the enemies and although Crackdown 3 has over 20 weapons the Pulse Beam can easily kill most of the enemies in a few seconds. The developers did create a sense of momentum by providing regenerative orbs for each kill, encouraging the player to constantly hunt down enemies to heal themselves and push forward.

Driving is also available but mostly serves little purpose. Once players earn air-dashing, driving becomes an inconvenience. There are races, both on foot and driving, that provide extra experience but players will earn so much experience by simply playing that most players will ignore these missions unless they're achievement hunters. 

There are so many collectables in Crackdown 3 and they're a chore to obtain. None of them are particularly interesting, with the exception of Agent DNA that unlocks new Agents to play as. These Agents offer unique experience bonuses but that's it. The collectables simply pad the game with extra things to do. You can play the game in cooperative if you wish to bring a friend along and help in all the collecting. 

All this brings up the biggest issue with Crackdown 3, it plays like a 2010 open world game. It using so many gameplay mechanics that have been weeded out like an overabundance of collectables and base missions to pad the lack of story content. If it came out on the Xbox 360 it would fair a lot better but Crackdown 3 cannot compete with modern titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and Marvel's Spider-Man in terms of quality and variety.

Crackdown 3's multiplayer is called Wrecking Zone and drags down the game even further. Separated into 2 modes called Territories or Agent Hunter, which is kill confirmed,  2 teams of 5 players compete with one another. There's no leveling system or free-for-all mode but what's confusing is how the developers included a lock-on mechanic and the ability to see the enemy location at all times! Most fights are won not because of your ability but who can lock-on first. It's clear that this mode was tacked on as battles are largely one-sided.

Crackdown 3 is a tedious experience with very little stand out moments. Repetitive missions and the oversaturation of collectables make up a large portion of the game. The only saving grace for the campaign is the somewhat entertaining boss fights. The multiplayer is a frustrating trainwreck due to the lock-on system and the ability to see enemy players through walls. Crackdown 3 would be considered barely mediocre but even average modern games excel beyond this title.
 

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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