It’s hard to believe that when theXbox 360was first released,Microsoftsat atop the console world. By beating thePS3to market and offering a cheaper alternative with great exclusives, approachable features, and a killer attitude, the 360 was able to establish a lead position it’d hold for almost the next decade.
Sonywould eventually catch up and arguably eclipse its rivals when it came to games worth playing and the capabilities of the PS3 hardware, but for a long time this felt impossible. You could pick up an Xbox 360 for relatively cheap and gain access to epic blockbusters ranging fromHalo 3toViva PinatatoOblivion. The variety was staggering, not to mention that most third-party experiences looked and played better than anywhere else.
But in recent years, Xbox has lost its way. It failed to catch up with Sony or Nintendo for the past two console generations, while its subscription-based future isn’t bearing the fruits it once hoped for. So, where does Xbox go from here, aside from porting its exclusive library to a host of new platforms? Well, it could start by bringing backCrackdown.
Crackdown Was More Than Just A Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta Invite
Developed by Realtime Worlds and released exclusively for the Xbox 360 in early 2007, a lot of people picked up a copy of Crackdown purely because it promised access to an upcoming Halo 3 multiplayer beta. Bungie’s shooter sequel was the most anticipated game ever ahead of its release, with millions of people desperate to get their hands on it. So, bundling access in with a new IP like this was actually a stroke of genius.
Better yet, millions of players were taken by surprise when it came to Crackdown’s signature style of open-world destruction. Before the release of Grand Theft Auto 4, at a time when GTA was still leaning on the stylings of its PS2 entries, Crackdown put you in the shoes of an agent whose job was to stop myriad criminal syndicates located across the fictional Pacific City. you may run, jump, climb, drive, and shoot your way across eight distinct islands, each with its own personality.
One of my personal favourite features in Crackdown is stepping into a beginner-level vehicle and watching it change its appearance and capabilities to reflect your own.
I remember my parents picking up a copy for my brother and me during a particularly quiet time for video games on the Xbox 360, where the only other new offerings were Bullet Witch and Alien Hominid. We needed to playsomething,and it turned out this open-world spectacle was exactly what we needed. It was fresh, exciting, and let us loose in a superhero-laden manner in which Grand Theft Auto rarely ever did. Well, at least not without cheat codes.
A sequel would follow a few years later, but it recycled the same open world and fell victim to the tired trope of adding zombies to everything that made the experience way less fun. Many years later, Crackdown 3 tried to honour the original formula, but after years in development hell, alongside an open world and gameplay mechanics that felt unfinished, this was the final nail in the coffin for a flailing IP. I’m unsure if Microsoft is in a position to revive it right now, but surely a jazzed-up remaster could have just as much impact?
It Was An Xbox 360 Classic That Deserves To Go Down In History
Crackdown rewarded you with more satisfying weapons and abilities the more you played and explored its open world. You’re no slouch as a fledgling agent, able to beat up people while sending them flying across the screen, and your jumping abilities make climbing atop rooftops and getting the drop on your enemies a breeze. And the more you were willing to push the boat out, the more powerful you’d become.
The campaign is split into a number of territories ruled by crime lords and syndicates, each with their own distinct aesthetics and capabilities. Some are a bit culturally insensitive these days, but back in 2007, it was all fine and dandy.
Rooftops, platforms, and similar nooks and crannies were home to glowing ability orbs that, once collected, would grant you experience points. Collect enough, and your skills receive upgrades in real time as you learn to run faster, jump higher, and pack a mightier punch. There is nothing more amazing than realising how much more of the world is now at your disposal after collecting enough orbs, or reaching a point where you may take enough shots to breach an enemy stronghold that once felt impenetrable. No skill trees, no complicated ability descriptions, just seeing and doing until you become an unstoppable powerhouse.
Crackdown resonated with so many people because it presented a level of visual chaos we’d never seen before, while the gameplay mechanics were robust enough to back up every single bit of mayhem we wanted to unleash. Countless agents and gangs could be dispatched to take you down and chances are you could stand your ground and come out unscathed. Yes, it’s simplistic compared to modern open-world offerings, but perhaps this represents something Xbox is sorely missing in its catalogue right now.
As it struggles for relevance and begins a new multiplatform strategy, why not remaster a classic like Crackdown to introduce this franchise to an entirely new audience? It can prove to so many people that Xbox is capable of not just having fun, but is home to properties like this that deserve to be seen and played by so many more people. I don’t want live services nor do I want yet another cancelled project that could have been a masterpiece, but I do want to make a return to Pacific City to cause untold destruction. So make it happen…
