• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Crackdown 3 - Review Thread

Safe to say this is the biggest disappointment of the gen?

Probably of any gen.

PSA : Anyone in the UK who does want the retail copy and needs a new controller should head to GAME....they are selling it with a new controller for £60....effectively that makes the retail copy £10 on the day of release :)

You could always do the deal and then sell the game back to CEX for £32 straight away....just saying.
 

Gavon West

Spread's Cheeks for Intrusive Ads


578fe8b18caf4ca77b4f94754a044924.gif
 

iconmaster

Banned


I think Gerstmann nailed it. Crackdown 3 was the only game to ever seem like it'd make good on Microsoft's promises of cloud compute offering higher-fidelity Xbox experiences.

Microsoft needed this game to come out, with some nominal cloud support, no matter its actual quality.
 

DanielsM

Banned
I think Gerstmann nailed it. Crackdown 3 was the only game to ever seem like it'd make good on Microsoft's promises of cloud compute offering higher-fidelity Xbox experiences.
Microsoft needed this game to come out, with some nominal cloud support, no matter its actual quality.

The reason why Xbox still exists is the because Phil convinced Nadella that they could run all kinds of cloud services, not only for 1st party titles, but eventually 3rd party titles, and further add to the ability to move it all to the cloud. Nadella has shown a willingness to cut consumer products that don't perform - Windows Phone, Games for Windows Live, Microsoft Band, Xbox Kinect, Xbox Entertainment Studios, Groove Music (formerly Xbox Music), Cortana (not dead but basically abandoned for Alexa by MS), about a half dozen game studios, etc. Phil has a very tough job, convincing Nadella to continue with gaming yet the services he has to push are in some way incompatible with gaming, maybe not business/enterprise.

I think Crackdown 3 is a result of bad decisions making due to trying to provide a solution (cloud services) in search of a problem. As I mentioned previously, Phil has an almost impossible task. imo Crackdown 3 is not the problem, its only a symptom of the problem for Microsoft's consumer products, generally speaking. Microsoft is more or less going all cloud, they're easily 60-70% there, I'm just not sure that desire is compatible with gaming and gamers.
 
Last edited:

AlexxKidd

Member
Safe to say this is the biggest disappointment of the gen?

Runner up: Red Dead Redemption 2.

Red Dead cannot take the most disappointing crown from FF simply because I do not care about the series as much as I do FF, so the disappointment threshold is lower. That said, I still had very high hopes to see what Rockstar could produce with that seemingly infinite GTAV money. Turns out they couldn't produce gameplay.

Most disappointing: Final Fantasy XV.

The only reason Final Fantasy XV wasn't more disappointing is because Square hasn't released a stellar FF in ages, so the trend has been that the newer games are shitty. However, I always get suckered in because it is my favorite series based on their past titles, so I was disappointed even though I saw it coming. And I'm sure I'll be right there day one for FFXVI.
 

thelastword

Banned
I think one thing you will hear quite a bit in Crackdown's defense is that it's "FUN".........It seems anytime a game is torn to shreds by reviewers, it suddenly becomes the most "FUN" game in existence by a vocal few....I'm having fun man....Yet, these are the same posters crucifying the reviewers for their opinion.......At least the reviewers say why they are reviewing this game negatively.....Unlike persons just riding the funtrain, but can't articlualte why it's so........Apparently, the most fun games this gen are games in the vein of "SOD2, SLT, SOT, CD3, Recore etc..." Games in the 60% range......Any game scored higher is no fun (except Forza Horizon and Ori of course)... All the other games is just the biased media, who can't even get through the tutorial of Cuphead.....Who just want to push the SJW narrative and who just give a +20 score to any game pushing the cinematic angle anyway......

Yet here's an actual reviewer saying what he thought about the campaign, a campaign only review tbf....Is it just the MP that's bad? Is the campaign the saving grace?

"Like a B action movie, Crackdown 3 is solely concerned with trying to deliver a hamfisted, high-octane, kaleidoscopically techno explosion-fest. And just like all but the best B action movies, it’s not stylish or substantial enough to pull it off. Outside of a few decent bosses, most of the eight to 10-hour campaign is the same rehashed lock-on shooting gallery across a huge but relentlessly bland city map. There’s some fun toward the end, once you’re effectively a superhero and springing around the lifeless world like Ang Lee’s Hulk. But even in co-op, it’s extremely forgettable – which is a damning thing to say about a game that tries so hard to be over the top."

Read the entire review for more detail and perspective....The reviewers are explaining their positions in detail...
https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/02/14/crackdown-3-campaign-review
 

iconmaster

Banned
Microsoft is more or less going all cloud, they're easily 60-70% there, I'm just not sure that desire is compatible with gaming and gamers.

Agreed. It's very confusing to me that MS is picking up so many game studios when gaming seems so out of place in the corporate mission.
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
I think Gerstmann nailed it. Crackdown 3 was the only game to ever seem like it'd make good on Microsoft's promises of cloud compute offering higher-fidelity Xbox experiences.

Microsoft needed this game to come out, with some nominal cloud support, no matter its actual quality.
I think Gerstmann is an idiot. Releasing a game that will knowingly get critically panned is somehow supposed to bolster their cloud business? The real answer is Gamepass and probably the fact that they had already put so much time into it, throwing a little more money at it and getting it done wasn't going to affect them one way or another.
 

Jigsaah

Gold Member
I downloaded it via gamepass and played for a couple of hours. So far, I feel like I'm playing Crackdown HD. There is 0 innovation in single player. It feels exactly like crackdown 1 and 2 did. For some that's a good thing. However, I wouldn't be able to justify a $60 dollar purchase on this. How did this take 5 years to develop? What type of issues did Sumo Digital have? Was the single player done and they were just working on Multiplayer this whole time, trying to get the cloud to work right? I just don't understand.
 

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
The reason why Xbox still exists is the because Phil convinced Nadella that they could run all kinds of cloud services, not only for 1st party titles, but eventually 3rd party titles, and further add to the ability to move it all to the cloud. Nadella has shown a willingness to cut consumer products that don't perform - Windows Phone, Games for Windows Live, Microsoft Band, Xbox Kinect, Xbox Entertainment Studios, Groove Music (formerly Xbox Music), Cortana (not dead but basically abandoned for Alexa by MS), about a half dozen game studios, etc. Phil has a very tough job, convincing Nadella to continue with gaming yet the services he has to push are in some way incompatible with gaming, maybe not business/enterprise.

I think Crackdown 3 is a result of bad decisions making due to trying to provide a solution (cloud services) in search of a problem. As I mentioned previously, Phil has an almost impossible task. imo Crackdown 3 is not the problem, its only a symptom of the problem for Microsoft's consumer products, generally speaking. Microsoft is more or less going all cloud, they're easily 60-70% there, I'm just not sure that desire is compatible with gaming and gamers.

This is only partly true. You're forgetting the hardware itself. Nadella is huge advocate of compelling hardware to sell software.
 

ethomaz

Banned
I think Gerstmann is an idiot. Releasing a game that will knowingly get critically panned is somehow supposed to bolster their cloud business? The real answer is Gamepass and probably the fact that they had already put so much time into it, throwing a little more money at it and getting it done wasn't going to affect them one way or another.
He seems not that idiot I guess.

 

vanillaFace

Neo Member
"...and the overall gameplay is already feeling like “been here done that.”.

I felt the same watching gameplay videos of PS4 Spiderman. Yes, the graphics and presentation were a generational leap, but the gameplay looked very "been there, done that."
 

Hendrick's

If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
I felt the same watching gameplay videos of PS4 Spiderman. Yes, the graphics and presentation were a generational leap, but the gameplay looked very "been there, done that."
I feel the same way with just about every game released in the past 10 years.
 

DanielsM

Banned
This is only partly true. You're forgetting the hardware itself. Nadella is huge advocate of compelling hardware to sell software.

Yet, he has dumped Windows Phone hardware, Kinect, Band, etc. He has apparently given Phil the ability to continue to build a land bridge until all the cloud services are ready. (imo) All roads lead to the Cloud. To me its more about the eco-system, Microsoft would rather everyone buy games off of the MS Store and play on their PC right now, at least until all the cloud services are built, meaning all digital.

Nadella writes. “I did not get why the world needed the third ecosystem in phones unless we changed the rules … But it was too late to regain the ground we had lost. We were chasing our competitors’ taillights.”
https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-ceo-not-get-world-needed-third-ecosystem-phones/

Agreed. It's very confusing to me that MS is picking up so many game studios when gaming seems so out of place in the corporate mission.

I think Phil convinced the Cloud Boy that he could implement game services into the games and move those games and processing in the cloud. I don't think Nadella really cares necessarily that its business or consumer, he just wants everything in the cloud, as a general statement. But, he for sure isn't scared of cutting consumer products.

For the record, I don't think Xbox is going to getting shutdown anytime soon, Nadella just opened the checkbook again, I do think all roads lead to the cloud. The question to me is, how many customers do they have left once they get there? Phil has a very tough job.
 
Last edited:
The game is simply misunderstood: reviewers are being short sighted, Metacritic is being unfair, and NeoGAF users don't have enough Game Passes between them to try it out.

Microsoft don't deserve to have their latest entry into their pantheon of longstanding classics represented by - I can hardly say it - bad reviews.

Gaming rags are being short sighted because they don't see how lucky there are to sit around all day playing games. Phil Spencer should have reviewed this game and I tell you it would have received much better praise. Also, basically it is a Battle Royale Lite, and we know how popular BR games are.

My personal review is -

graphics: 10/10 massively unbridled destruction
sound: 9/10 you can hear everything that gets destroyed
playability: 9/10 people have always wanted a game where you can destroy everything
Replayabillity: 10/10 DLC will be awesome

Metacritic is unfair because in fact there are THREE Crackdown 3 games: the campaign version, the multiplayer version, and the CLOUD version. So if we look at the campaign version getting good scores such as 6/10, then we should in fact TRIPLE that based on the three versions to give us 18/10. If we round that number up to 20/10, that gives us DOUBLE VALUE gaming. So Metacritic isn't showing that.

Now, finally, if GAF users simply bought into the ideology of Game Pass and joined, they would develop the attitude and mindset of other Xbox fans and see the VALUE of GAS. Xbox Game Pass is a manifestation of the hope and love that the managers at Microsoft have for us, and you guys want to destroy that? Join us.

Edited to remove a bit of bias.
 
Last edited:
The game is simply misunderstood: reviewers are being short sighted, Metacritic is being unfair, and NeoGAF users don't have enough Game Passes between them to try it out.

Microsoft don't deserve to have their latest entry into their pantheon of longstanding classics represented by - I can hardly say it - bad reviews.

Gaming rags are being short sighted because they don't see how lucky there are to sit around all day playing games. Phil Spencer should have reviewed this game and I tell you it would have received much better praise. Also, basically it is a Battle Royale Lite, and we know how popular BR games are.

My personal review is -

graphics: 10/10 massively unbridled destruction
sound: 9/10 you can hear everything that gets destroyed
playability: 9/10 people have always wanted a game where you can destroy everything
Replayabillity: 10/10 DLC will be awesome

Metacritic is unfair because in fact there are THREE Crackdown 3 games: the campaign version, the multiplayer version, and the CLOUD version. So if we look at the campaign version getting good scores such as 6/10, then we should in fact TRIPLE that based on the three versions to give us 18/10. If we round that number up to 20/10, that gives us DOUBLE VALUE gaming. So Metacritic isn't showing that.

Now, finally, if GAF users simply bought into the ideology of Game Pass and joined, they would develop the attitude and mindset of other Xbox fans and see the VALUE of GAS. Xbox Game Pass is a manifestation of the hope and love that the managers at Microsoft have for us, and you guys want to destroy that? Join us.

Edited to remove a bit of bias.

Edited to remove a bit of bias? Dude, just accept the fact that the majority thinks crackdown 3 sucks. Stop trying to say why the majority is wrong and you're right.
 
Interesting. I looked it up -- black Canadian father, Samoan mother.



Is it also the Citizen Kane of games?

It might be, I haven't played it yet. My review is based on the trailers I've seen.

Also, I have never seen Citizen Kane, so maybe a better comparison might be Aliens 3 or Terminator 3. And I ask you this, if Citizen Kane is so good, then why was there never a Citizen Kane 3, eh?
 

TeamGhobad

Banned
most futuristic/cyberpunk open world to date, it looks amazing. shame its crackdown.

played the MP...never want to do that ever again.
 

DanielsM

Banned
It might be, I haven't played it yet. My review is based on the trailers I've seen.

Also, I have never seen Citizen Kane, so maybe a better comparison might be Aliens 3 or Terminator 3. And I ask you this, if Citizen Kane is so good, then why was there never a Citizen Kane 3, eh?

Personally, I'm holding out for Titanic 2. :messenger_winking: Titanic 2: Zombie Jack
 
Last edited:

Nikana

Go Go Neo Rangers!
Yet, he has dumped Windows Phone hardware, Kinect, Band, etc. He has apparently given Phil the ability to continue to build a land bridge until all the cloud services are ready. (imo) All roads lead to the Cloud. To me its more about the eco-system, Microsoft would rather everyone buy games off of the MS Store and play on their PC right now, at least until all the cloud services are built, meaning all digital.

Nadella writes. “I did not get why the world needed the third ecosystem in phones unless we changed the rules … But it was too late to regain the ground we had lost. We were chasing our competitors’ taillights.”
https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-ceo-not-get-world-needed-third-ecosystem-phones/



I think Phil convinced the Cloud Boy that he could implement game services into the games and move those games and processing in the cloud. I don't think Nadella really cares necessarily that its business or consumer, he just wants everything in the cloud, as a general statement. But, he for sure isn't scared of cutting consumer products.

For the record, I don't think Xbox is going to getting shutdown anytime soon, Nadella just opened the checkbook again, I do think all roads lead to the cloud. The question to me is, how many customers do they have left once they get there? Phil has a very tough job.

Windows phone was started way before him and it was to far gone to be fixed by the time they got to windows phone 10. Just like he said.

But again the reason Kinect and band were dropped was because the software didn't make sense on those devices. They didn't change the game up.

You're right, the cloud is a huge thing for them just as anybody with that infastructure, but they are focusing on QUALITY hardware now as well. One X is such a solid and high quality product just like the surface line. They are building Core OS specifically to make better hwardware.

Hardware is a key factor for them they just have to take the surface model and apply it elsewhere which is where the One X seems to be taking it.

Same as surface and whatever Andromeda ends up being.
 

DanielsM

Banned
Windows phone was started way before him and it was to far gone to be fixed by the time they got to windows phone 10. Just like he said.

But again the reason Kinect and band were dropped was because the software didn't make sense on those devices. They didn't change the game up.

You're right, the cloud is a huge thing for them just as anybody with that infastructure, but they are focusing on QUALITY hardware now as well. One X is such a solid and high quality product just like the surface line. They are building Core OS specifically to make better hwardware.

Hardware is a key factor for them they just have to take the surface model and apply it elsewhere which is where the One X seems to be taking it.

Same as surface and whatever Andromeda ends up being.


We'll have to agree to disagree. It was Mobile First, Cloud First, now it Mobile First, Cloud First, one could argument mobile as in other mobile devices, but those apps are just a portal to the Cloud. Yes, they are going premium with hardware on Surface and Xbox but that is to fill gaps in hardware for specific segments.... as they have extend Win10 until the rest of their cloud services are ready, you are talking years down the road yet. They would rather you just play Xbox games on your PC than to buy a Xbox console, next step they will rather you bought your Xbox game and play on a virtualized Windows machine, game streaming or win32 cloud application layer - all these services are not complete.

Phil's job is real simple to describe, but very hard to execute, imo:
1.) keep as many of the Xbox users in the eco-system while the cloud services are being built (their virtual windows desktop service rolled out in the Fall, basically an AWS workspace/citrix alternative)
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/virtual-desktop/
- they are still building out game streaming service
- they are still working on an application layer from the cloud to run win32
2.) once they are built, convert as many of these users from hardware user to cloud users

We are still talking years out, Phil has a tough job. imo Sure, they will roll out new hardware, as they need to keep the existing customers (on Windows/Xbox) until they can roll them into cloud services, not all the services exist yet. Once their services are all in place, they stop maintaining local OSs, most of their code willl be in the cloud to maintain except the portal application to access those services.

All Roads Lead -> DA CLOUD

(Sorry, if derailing the topic, just trying to answer/discuss a sub-topic)
 
Last edited:

DForce

NaughtyDog Defense Force
I played for an hour.

Funniest part was Terry Crews during the opening scene. The 2D cut-scenes are a nice touch and well done, but really the only real positives that I can say about this game. The same problem I had with ReCore is that the shooting and the way the character moves feels like an old Xbox\PS2 game. I know people say they want to maintain that old Crackdown style feel, but I think times has changed and people are looking for something more modern.

From what I played, the game doesn't offer much of a challenge. After every enemy you kill, you're awarded with health. My health was red and I was surrounded by enemies and one of the containers exploded near me, which ended up killing all the enemies around me and nearly giving me all of my health back. Overall, gaming has evolved over the years and it does seem outdated.
 
Super fun game. I literally played for 4 hours straight on my first playthrough, something I dont really do anymore. Its crackdown with better graphics, more destruction and variety in activities, more weapons. People expect something different for some reason. Great overall sequel.
FARU4Iy.jpg

hrxDwvY.jpg

WBWEMPA.jpg

dJgmZKI.jpg

OJb5B5v.jpg

sXmU8Y9.jpg
 

Sygma

Member
Dunno I played 5 hours straight without noticing. Good IQ, solid action, and well ya know its Crackdown ... sure it could have been different than the 1st (never pl
I felt the same watching gameplay videos of PS4 Spiderman. Yes, the graphics and presentation were a generational leap, but the gameplay looked very "been there, done that."

like seriously spiderman has to be the most disappointing release of the generation. I was dearly waiting for it and it was simply a completely dumbed down arkham with the exact same tropes in the story, to the point that they also used the hallucinations stuff etc. Combat was horrible, stealth sections were timepad at its finest and the bosses like wtf ? only electro + vulture actually was good

I played Crackdown 3 like 8 hours today alone and I completely lost the sense of time just because it does what it does right : a very natural, flowing kind of momentum in very fucking crazy situations at times. Tightly designed, impeccable controls, everything else is 100% player's agency kinda thing.

Critics bashing it that hard to me is as impossible to understand as the treatment that Darksiders 3 received tbh. Feels like I'm completely disconnected with the expectations of the industry at times its super weird
 
Last edited:

Grinchy

Banned
I didn't quite have the heart to say it in the OT, but the campaign kinda sucks. My buddy and I played co-op for like an hour and a half and I'm just not sure when either of us is going to care to jump back in.

The shooting mechanics are terrible. The driving is awful. Jumping around and climbing is functional but not fun. This game just doesn't seem to do a single thing well.

We played a couple missions, collected agility orbs, messed around, and were both so bored we couldn't even continue. I was really looking forward to trying out the campaign in co-op but it's way worse than I was expecting even with the low review scores.
 

ethomaz

Banned
Super fun game. I literally played for 4 hours straight on my first playthrough, something I dont really do anymore. Its crackdown with better graphics, more destruction and variety in activities, more weapons. People expect something different for some reason. Great overall sequel.
FARU4Iy.jpg

hrxDwvY.jpg

WBWEMPA.jpg

dJgmZKI.jpg

OJb5B5v.jpg

sXmU8Y9.jpg
Everything I see pics or videos from the game I feel blaffed how the graphics looks like an old gen GTA game.

Open world games for PS360 had better 3D designs.
 
Last edited:

Ramzy

Member
Everything I see pics of videos from the game I feel blaffed how the graphics looks like an old gen GTA game.

Open world games for PS360 had better 3D designs.

Yeah was gonna say those screenshots straight up look like GTA3 with the traffic turned off. Terrible.
 
It's clear this is a no frills low budget title, from the boxy architecture of the city to the character model himself. If it is being sold at a reasonable price, then so be it. Crackdown is not gears of war. It was never going to receive big Microsoft bucks.
 

ReBurn

Gold Member
After several hours of playing it I have to say that I don't understand the negative reviews. This game is tons of fun. Oh well, to each their own.
 
Dunno I played 5 hours straight without noticing. Good IQ, solid action, and well ya know its Crackdown ... sure it could have been different than the 1st (never pl


like seriously spiderman has to be the most disappointing release of the generation. I was dearly waiting for it and it was simply a completely dumbed down arkham with the exact same tropes in the story, to the point that they also used the hallucinations stuff etc. Combat was horrible, stealth sections were timepad at its finest and the bosses like wtf ? only electro + vulture actually was good

I played Crackdown 3 like 8 hours today alone and I completely lost the sense of time just because it does what it does right : a very natural, flowing kind of momentum in very fucking crazy situations at times. Tightly designed, impeccable controls, everything else is 100% player's agency kinda thing.

Critics bashing it that hard to me is as impossible to understand as the treatment that Darksiders 3 received tbh. Feels like I'm completely disconnected with the expectations of the industry at times its super weird
This cant be a serious reply. Spiderman was disappointing, but CD3 is good because "things"? More power to to you for enjoying garbage but dont put other, better games in the bin with it.
 

Ramzy

Member
After several hours of playing it I have to say that I don't understand the negative reviews. This game is tons of fun. Oh well, to each their own.

The auto aim is beyond ridiculous, it literally locks onto the target and never lets go. Just hold left trigger, then hold right trigger until the thing in front of you stops shooting at you. There is nothing to the moment to moment gameplay. If you're into that kind of thing that's totally fine, but it looks and plays like the first Crackdown and imo we should demand more from our games 12 years later.
 
Last edited:

Halo0629

Member
The game got delayed so much that I was already expecting the quality of the finished product. I honestly feel like sunset overdrive is a better crackdown game than crackdown itself. God I hope this isn't the future of gamepass ms games.
 
Last edited:

Shmunter

Member
After several hours of playing it I have to say that I don't understand the negative reviews. This game is tons of fun. Oh well, to each their own.

I think the value proposition arises with this one. Does it reach the lofty heights expected from a AAA release? Seemingly not. It’s a budget title being misrepresented as a $60 exclusive. It’s smoke and mirrors in an attempt to sell gamepass as the end goal.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom