Crackdown 3 could be the future of Xbox games, for better and worse

Microsoft’s latest exclusive hints at how it could design games for the Xbox Game Pass service.

[Nyxus]

If that's the case that's certainly not for the better if you ask me. The fast food equivalent of video games.

[lxeasy]

Except this game wasn't fast it took forever to release with multiple delays. Also realistically speaking though I don't think that'll be the future of all Xbox Exclusives . I think with talented teams like Ninja Theory, Obsidian, Play ground games there will be a couple more gems. but honestly with the exception of Horizon 4 Microsoft has been on a TERRIBLE streak with exclusives. SOT had a poor launch, State of decay 2, also, now crack down 3 smh.

[Nyxus]

That's not what I meant with fastfood. I meant quality being secondary to quantity and price. 'It doesn't matter if it's bad, because it's cheap', I've actually seen this argument being used on this site when talking about GamePass. Personally, I'd much rather pay full price for quality.

[Tross]

There’s a KFC near me that takes forever. When I finally do get my food it’s still fast food, it’s just slower for me to get it. I guess Xbox exclusives will be like that going forward.

[DaDrunkenJester]

The common thing with those 3 games is that they were in development long before GamePass was a thing, so you can't really blame GP on the quality of those games. if anything a service like GP saved these 3 games which would have otherwise died on arrival.

Horizon 4 is a prime example that they aren't looking to skimp out on quality just for GP, and the upcoming Ori 2 and Gears 5 this year look as top quality as ever. So, yes, 3 of the 4 MS games that have launched on GP have been "Meh", but those 3 were also in development for years before.

[Potnoodle999]

Exactly Nyxus, agreed as usual, so many people on this site use that argument as if game pass makes it excusable. I think game pass is the worst thing to happen to gaming in a long time. Duh in theory it’s genius as it’s such good value for money....but corporations CANNOT help themselves. This kind of thing will always lead to a severe drop in quality.

[rainslacker]

The problem with the long term notion of releasing lackluster games on the system, is that for now, it may get the game attention, and a game that would otherwise probably fail, can now thrive, or at least do well, but over time, people start to become less inclined to care about the less than impressive games. There was a time where Netflix originals were celebrated, but now, it's more hit or miss, and there are many which fail.

The notion that, "It's OK, it's 'free' "can only carry these games so far.

[UltraNova]

If this is MS's plan I sincerely fear for the future. Everyone seems to copy their money milking tactics at some point so if Gamepass and its mediocre 1st party support is anything to go by then the future is bleak.

[rpvenom]

I'm starting to feel like.. microsoft knows they failed miserably this gen.. so their tactic now is to retain as much revenue as possible but utilize the least amount of resources and money for the rest of this gen so they can invest into next gen.. cause the sad reality is they lost and there's no coming back.. so let's get money from gamepass cause ain't no one buying these new sh!tty games.. and re-invest into next xbox..

if that is the case.. that sucks for the current gen xbox users..

[sprinterboy]

Someone gets it

[SuperSonic91]

For such a huge company with very deep pockets I am very perplexed why they can't get their act together

[CaptainObvious878]

And then who would be stupid enough to buy into next gen xbox when that's the case....

[NXFather]

Actually that started atleast 5 years ago, they just kept lying though so we kept taking em back.

[Seafort]

@SuperSonic91

And therein lies the problem. Companies become so huge that they are paralysed in what to do next or how to improve the situation they got themselves into.

This is Microsoft problem and only Microsoft can get themselves out of it. A cheap and tacky gamepass or buying up 3rd party developers will not solve their self made problems.

They didn't invest into the Xbox from the beginning and now they are suffering from lack of exclusives and now trying to rely on the PC market, who doesn't want them, to get them out of the bind they are in. They do not own the PC and will not gain any traction there after they abandoned it for their Xbox console 15+ years ago.

[The Wood]

@Nx father

I'll do you one better. It started last gen in the final 3rd. They dropped support and ambition to build for the future.

[PsyMonk3y]

Microsoft lost this gen at E3 announcing the Xbox One with DRM always online gaming, focusing on tv more than games and a camera that was included upping the price that had to be turned on 24/7 and no ability to share games!

They basically stuck a massive greedy middle finger up at their fanbase!

Sadly already people are forgetting this massive betrayal.

[rdgneoz3]

It's like inviting the college footballs champions to the White House and serving them McDonalds...

[FunAndGun]

Everyone loves hamberders...

[chiefJohn117]

Lol Trump need his ___ kicked for real.

[rainslacker]

Games like this are filler. Sometimes, even filler type games can strike it big, but they aren't the meat and potatoes of things that we really get excited about. I have to shake my head at the people who treat this game like a big AAA high profile exclusive. I don't think its bad they want to play the game, but they put too many expectations on what this game was supposed to be.

[frostypants]

Game Pass: "Here! This game sucks, but you already paid for it!"

[AspiringProGenji]

Another Xbox dud. Why am i not surprised. And I can’t believe some users are damage controlling it lol. Gamepass doing its job no doubt

[lxeasy]

Not sure what gamepass has to do with this lol There's no denying gamepads is a great service. There are over 200 games on it. You don't have to play cd3 on it. Plenty of great options there like Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Arkham Series that just dropped.

[Stanjara]

You are blinded by 200 games, that are mediocre. You are paying for all of them every month. That's why sale numbers doesn't matter as long as you have steady increase in service users. When sale numbers are covered by this, quality doesn't matter, only number of titles.

[RacerX]

@Stanjara, I can understand if the games aren't to YOUR liking, but there are some really fun games...
Mortal Kombat XL, Tomb Raider, Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves.... And many more.
I played CD3 last night for about 2 hours, it's definitely my type of game. I had a blast. I don't see how it matters if a PS4 owner doesn't like the "idea" of the game. Go read about some PS4 games that you're interested in.

[Potnoodle999]

I honestly feel like polygon are half trying to spin this.... they said a lot in there, tried to make a lot of points, some of made sense, some of it is up for interpretation. But the main thing wasn’t said. This game is abysmal and nothing like it should ever be made again.
And they said the competitors are trying to make the biggest games? Crackdown 3 may be completable in a weekend, maybe slightly over. So is god of war. Gotg for me and tons of others.
They acknowledged it hasn’t done well, but Jesus is it really so hard for lolygon (I didn’t coin this but love it) to acknowledge just how much of an embarrassing balls up this has been!? It’s a shambles😂 trust lolygon to come out with some overly intellectual pretentious article trying to read into it. Microsoft can’t tell their arse from their elbow, that’s what this proves. Before even seeing ANYTHING regarding ms and sony’s Next gen attempts I know exactly which company to avoid like the plague. I don’t feel that MS will last much longer in this business, gamers aren’t as dumb as they believe and they have successfully destroyed all goodwill their fans may have had. Rant over 😂😂😂

[sprinterboy]

Yep nxt week we will get the usual headlines BS from MS with 5millon concurrent gamers playing cd3 yet the real headline should be 2m have tried cd3 for a few hrs and unistalled with about 20,000 weekly players only.

[RangerWalk267]

Look how many AAA games are on game pass. Well worth the price.

[ziggurcat]

I don't know if you could argue that it's for the better if the quality of the games is going to be sacrificed.

[rainslacker]

I don't think that GP has much to do with the quality of this game. It's just that MS has been producing sub-par games, and they happen to release on GP.

[Profchaos]

I think this game just didn't pan out they spent way to long trying to make the cloud and it's destruction the primary focus but couldn't get it running I'm about an hour into the campaign and so far the destruction doesn't exist I threw a grenade at a wall nothing happens shot into a wall wasted a few clips and nothing the city is static at least in the campaign that's extremely disappointing.

It seems to me that ms said enough is enough let's just get it out the door they wasted so much time and money on this

[Brave_Losers_Unite]

That's why you don't see blockbuster movies release on Netflix.

[S2Killinit]

Netflix is better off because the movies at least compete for sales before they go to netflix.

[DeadManMMX]

Altered Carbon was a hell
Of a show with great production values.

[chiefJohn117]

Shadow of the tomb raider? Forza h4? Shadow of Mordor? okay then

[King_Noctis]

Apparently those games are already forgotten as they cherry pick only the worst game out of Gamepass.

[Prince-Ali]

Shadow of the Tomb Raider released to a resounding 'meh', Forz horizon 4 is the best racer this gen and top 5 racers of alll timeee in my opinion and Shadow of Mordor was ruined by WB although stil la good game... gamepass still is a shovelware marketplace to A LOT of us

[patterson]

It feels like Gamepass is the movie equivalent of "going to straight to DVD".

[chiefJohn117]

When you have blinders on like you in birdbox ofc it's gonna be shovelware lol Hitman is shovelware, who knew?

[bluefox755]

They're becoming a AA publisher of mediocre games that take years longer than they should to create? Only to then be forced into a sales pitch for their services? Sounds awesome...

[chiefJohn117]

How so? SOD has always been AA and was priced and marketed as such. Hype been left CD3 after the delays and SOT isn't bad. So what do you have to say for something like Forza H4? Can't be selective Bluefox we've had this discussion

[Razzer]

Well, I haven't played Crackdown 3 yet, but I certainly do not believe that the reception it is getting is what Microsoft is expecting from the likes of Playground Games, Ninja Theory, The Initiative and the others. And more importantly, except for a few die-hard Xbox sunshine pumpers, I don't see gamers embracing this result as an acceptable model for their gaming needs.

[rainslacker]

I don't think Sumo digital set out to make a lackluster game. Given the history of some of their other studios, I don't think they're keen on making bad games. Ninja Theory for instance, made a really good game with much less money and less time than was put into CD3.

I also don't think that these games were ever started to be high profile, system selling games. They were always filler games. But when you don't have enough big high profile system selling games, games like this end up becoming a big focus in the marketing.

It's hard to say what exactly MS wants or expects from their new studio or it's acquisitions. There is quite a bit of diversity in there, and some of them are pretty proven to make quality games. The most MS has said is that they want more games with more intimate experiences, which can be interpreted many different ways.

[Zeref]

This game was in development at least 4 years before gamepass came out...

[AspiringProGenji]

yeah no wonder SoT, DoC2 and this are gamepass tittles. These games are indeed a hard ''pass''

[Zeref]

gtfo

[Futureshark]

Cackdown on my Xbone.
More Gamepass mediocrity.

[spicelicka]

It's definitely not. It wasn't made by a first party studio.

[OpenGL]

Seems mostly worse

[King6]

why are people still putting their faith in Xbox. The Xbox brand is beyond mediocre it been for some time now. I don’t really see Xbox Dramatically changing any time soon not even next gen.

[PowerOfTheCloud]

Diehards keep xbox alive. They rather play these awful pseudo exclusives from ms than admitting to themselves that the competition has the waaay better offer.

[meka2611]

Why do you care??

[timlot]

Did they say thing when Forza Horizon 4 released on Game Pass?

[chiefJohn117]

Lol ikr they do this crap all the time and it was expected. I find it funny

[Platformgamer]

i'll play it when ori 2 will come out and i'll renew the gamepass subsription...
at least i renew it because of a good game ahah
what a disaster, crackdown 3 value for me is 10$

[DeadManMMX]

Crackdown is the last holdover from the 2013 ms e3. It was put together at a time when they didnt have a stable first party of studios. So they hired this out to multiple developers who threw together this game. There is no reason to think this is what the future holds for Xbox games. I would venture to say that they probably wanted to cancel this game along with Scalebound and fable legends but didn’t want the bad press. So they were put in a position where they had to release it. I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised but this game never really looked like much. The constant delays seemed to hint at this particularly the last one. It’s out now some will like it most will gate it now onward and upward. At least here’s hoping.

[Moe-Gunz]

Lol you’re being pathetic

[DeadManMMX]

Right because I’m using common sense in thinking that studios with a proven track record like Obsidian, playground, and Ninja Theory have a good chance of making a good games. Your pretty pathetic for feeling the need to take it to such an ignorant place. All you guys who worship one company while reveling in the mistakes of another are pathetic. A strong microsoft, a strong Nintendo and a strong Sony is nothing but good. When they compete for our dollars we win.

[rainslacker]

Threw together this game? It was MS itself that said they wanted to use this game as a test bed for the cloud. That took a lot of resources from the rest of the game. It's very possible the game could have been really solid had they not had to worry about the cloud stuff, because Sumo digital proved they could make a decent game with CD1. All they had to do was improve on that.

Spencer had no problem cancelling other games that weren't living up to expectations for them, but I can't in any way imagine that this game is releasing to their expectations. Cloud compute was too important to MS, and the fact they put it in with such a terrible implementation, and the rest of the game apparently suffered only shows that this is just yet another piece of software that MS pushes out unfinished and underperforming in order to have something new to sell. They've done it with various versions of Windows. They've done it with their office suite from time to time. They've even done it with their enterprise software.

What you see with CD3 is MS. It's not some cobbled together one off instance of poor management from a bygone era. This is exactly what MS does. They leverage their products to sell a bigger idea. Windows and Office to build live and cloud. Xbox to build Windows and Live.

[trooper_]

That's a very dim future.

[Tankbusta40]

I'm all for the Xbox brand, but I cannot believe Phil Spencer is still in charge...that guy should have been fired ages ago

[chiefJohn117]

Why? CD3 was in development before he even was in charge to begin with so cut the BS out. Phil made Xbox great again.

[Tankbusta40]

CD3 may have been in development before he came on board but obviously he didn't do anything to change the direction of the game and thus we have an average game. I don't understand this leniency for Phil that people have. Just because Mattrick set the bar really low and Phil has been a little better doesn't mean gamers shouldn't want better.

[execution17]

Shame they cancelled Scalebound and went for this

[StormLegend]

Game pass is in trouble then if we continue to get games like crackdown. You can keep that garbage.

[AmUnRa]

I sayd that a time ago, no, if this will be the future of gamepass, mediocre games, that that is bad for Gamepass. The standard of Xbox One excl is (theyr are some rare exeptions) is mediocre to say at least. And i sayd when Xboxfans keep defending this mediocre games, (like Crackdown defenitly is) cous they are on gamepass, then i have nothing als to say that i pitty them.

[Stanjara]

Crackdown 3 is the future of Xbox games supported by game pass and it's for worse. There...

[chiefJohn117]

I bet $5 this guy will be MIA when Ori 2, halo infinite and Gears hit Gamepass lol unless of course they bomb which is unlikely

[Stanjara]

I played all Gears, and maybe I forgotten all the details but the story goes that you are this brute Force military army guy who ends up in prison, has the shittiest life that made him who he is, then you realize that your father is the most successful, worlds most greatest scientist who has the plan to destroy planets alien core. Gameplay is great tho. And having Ori as AAA title this whole generation, Ok.

[chiefJohn117]

What? Lol

[Legacy212]

Loool more doom and gloom comments dw guys microsoft will be fine i wonder if sony had a game pass model around when last guardian and Detroit become human or god eater 3 came out to meh reviews if people would be this doom and gloom

[Nyxus]

The Last Guardian: 82 on Metacritc
Detroit Become Human: 78 on Metacritic
God Eater 3 (although this is third party anyway): 71 on Metacritic

All three significantly higher than Crackdown 3's Metacritic score.

[4kgk76]

So a 78 and 82 metacritc review score is meh now xbox fanboy logic.

[ArchangelMike]

If Last Guardian (82) and Detroit (78) are "meh", then what does that make Crackdown 3 (60)?

...

[Relientk77]

That sounds awful

[feenix-5]

WHAAAAAAAT?!?!? An xbone exclusive that sucks ass? I'm acting astonished!

[Kaze24]

That's funny, they could of given that same tagline when Forza horizon 4 came out, this is just obviously hating on the xbox, there's plenty of great games on xbox and game pass and by the way Sumo digital isn't a first party game studio for M$.

[gamer7804]

actually its the last bastion of the old guard. This will be the last one that says microsoft studios on it headed up by Don Mattrick, instead of xbox game studios.

[chiefJohn117]

Unlikely, the game had a troubled development from day 1

[Sciurus_vulgaris]

If Gear of War 5, gets critical reception comparable to State of Decay 2, Sea of Thieves and Crackdown 3, MS will severely damage their reputation as a publisher. The last non-Forza Horizon Xbox games to review in the 80s was Gears of War 4 which is over 2 years old.

[DaDrunkenJester]

What about Forza Horizon 4? Ori 2? Gears 5? Halo Infinite?

What about the supposedly AAAA game in the works from The Initiative? You think Ninja Theory is going to lower their quality now also? I think it is far too early to be placing labels on GamePass and the future of it when Sea of Thieves, State of Decay 2 and Crackdown 3 were long in development before this was implemented.

[Atticus_finch]

What about them?
2 years ago you would had said the same thing, wait for SoT, wait for SoD, wait for CD3. Aren't you tired of waiting?

Far too early?
Dude is the end of the gen. Start saving because you will need to drop another $500 soon enough.

[DaDrunkenJester]

Read my dude. I said it's far too early to label GamePass... it hasn't even been a full year. It debuted with SoT...

What I'm saying if you actually read, is that GamePass shouldn't be held accountable for the failures of SoT, SoD2, and Crackdown 3 since those games were in development long before GP was a thing and would have likely sucked regardless.

This article is assuming that since these 3 games were meh, Xbox is just going tto be okay with releasing sub par titles for all their games. Which is just not true, which is why I gave a list of higher quality games that will hit the service.

[Atticus_finch]

You can't resonably expect people to agree with you. We should not pretend that this low quality games, that were hyped Beyond belief, are not a reflection on MS and Xbox one. And you think it's appropriate to continue waiting in case any of their new, far off, hyped games pay off.
Simply understand that you deserve much more than what MS has done this gen.

[AK91]

I think it is sadly.

[DaGR8JIBRALTAR]

U gotta be out of your damn mind, you're trolling right now right?

[Imalwaysright]

This game's quality has absolutely nothing to do with gamepass.

[HighPlayer28]

This shows just how much game reviews and game journalist fuel console wars. CD3 is a fun game if your a fan of it but I bet majority of these reviews and troll comments are coming from those who never was interested in the series.

[psuedo]

All netflix movies suck. Some of their shows are good.

[2pacalypsenow]

If that’s the case, then Nintendo
And Sony have nothing to worry about next gen.

[FallenAngel1984]

You can just tell Microsoft planned to change their publishing name last week to divert attention away from Crackdown 3 flopping

[Kostche]

but this is the future of CLOUD gaming

[Artemidorus]

Let's hope not because the finished product looks worse than previous footage.

[Imortus_san]

"Crackdown 3 could be the future of Xbox games, for better and worse" - Forza Horizon 4 proves you are full of shit.

[jlove4life]

Im glad game pass exist for situations like crackdown 3 online destruction worst than last gen red faction did it way better but clowd powah glad it cost me one buck for 30 day trial because all the delays and to me i wouldn't pay 19.99 for This it might as well been an indie title

[Saranya]

This game made from external studios, i get it.

[Profchaos]

Playing on my PC it looks and feels like saints row 4 had a baby with crackdown 1.

The controls will get boring really quickly right mouse button left mouse button repeat the auto lock seems to be overdone and you need to push the mouse so far up to aim for the head your honestly better off not using the right mouse button just to add some fun to the game.

[talocaca]

Nintendo: A delayed game is eventually good, a bad game is bad forever.

Microsoft: We've delayed and hyped this mediocre game for years. Let's just release it anyway and try to move on.

[ILostMyMind]

I thought this was common sense already.

[3-4-5]

It's the last of the remnants of the Don Matrick era.....

This won't be a trend going forward, but to be honest, it never interested me in the first place. I never played the other ones and Crackdown was always a B level IP anyways. Never been a bit mainstream thing.

[NeoGamer232]

I am looking forward to playing it this weekend.

So, many games focus on engaging story, RPG elements, etc... Crackdown is just fun. Hopefully Crackdown 3 continues the tradition.