Crackdown 3 review for Xbox One, PC

Crackdown 3 isn?t a great game, sure, but is it fun? Most definitely. It has a number of issues both on the technical and mechanical side of things, but I still had a tough time putting it down over the course of the past few days, and enjoyed the 7 or so hours it took me to get through the campaign. It feels very dated in a number of a ways, visually it won?t stand out to other open-world titles, and again, there are problems. But if you?ve been jonesing for an experience akin to the original Crackdown, well, Crackdown 3 delivers on that.

The opening sequence to Crackdown 3 sets the general goofy tone for the game, and from there on out it?s a lot of agent this and agent that dialogue from the ever present leader of The Agency. The plotline isn?t particularly engaging, mostly back and forth snippets of dialogue, some over the top line reading from the main villain, and most of the story presentation comes in the way of still images after unlocking a boss fight. Crackdown 3 isn?t a game you?re coming to for story, but chances are you already knew that.

Instead, where Crackdown 3 shines, is when you start to unlock the variety of weapons at your disposal and just start blowing stuff up. The explosions in the game are a literal blast, chaining together mayhem on the city streets, gunning down the mindless hordes of enemies you encounter, and jumping to ridiculous heights as you gather more and more agility orbs rarely gets old. There?s a number of story and side missions to tackle as you make your way further into the city map, with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore, often revealing hidden orbs to collect. You?ll get access to a variety of weapons and explosives at a quick pace, so outside of maybe the first hour feeling a little iffy and bland, there?s a decent amount of fun packed into a short experience here.

But yes, we?ve had far better open worlds available to us on consoles and PC, with a number of notable releases in the past couple of years even. It?s been a long time since the original Crackdown and even since Crackdown 2. It?s also clear that Crackdown 3 had development issues out of the gate, and it was certainly announced too early for its own good. However, feeling dated or out of place doesn?t necessarily equate to bad, and that?s how I feel about Crackdown 3?s campaign mode. It?s still fun, the agility orb collecting is as addictive as it ever was, and there?s some decent challenge in the form of platforming sequences and boss fights.

That said, the multiplayer half of the game, ?Wrecking Zone?, is something that should have been left on the cutting room floor. There are currently only two game modes to choose from, Agent Hunter which is essentially Team Deathmatch, and Territories, which is a control point mode. Neither are particularly great, and it takes a bit too long to get a match going via matchmaking. Unfortunately, it?s also the only part of Crackdown 3 which features the destructive environments that were originally touted years ago for this game. However, having now seen them in action via Wrecking Zone, I don?t think the main game is missing much. Wrecking Zone also lacks any real customization options for your chosen character outside of pre-set Agent skins, and it lacks any real multiplayer bells and whistles you?d find in even the most barebones multiplayer games.

Crackdown 3 is certainly a mixed bag, what with a fun campaign mode that does come off a bit dated bogged down by a lackluster multiplayer mode that didn?t need to be included. However, it?s hard to argue against the Xbox Game Pass option, and Crackdown 3 is certainly worth the asking price for that program. I wouldn?t pay $60 for it, but $1.00 for the trial, or $10.00 for the monthly fee? Yeah, why not. It?s got enough to enjoy, more so if you enjoyed the original Crackdown, and won?t take up much of your time.

Note: Microsoft provided us with a Crackdown 3 Xbox One code for review purposes.