It's almost time for the release of Crackdown 3, but if you aren't familiar with the series, now is a good time to go back to the series' roots with the original game. Major Nelson with Xbox Live announced you can get the original Crackdown free right now. You can get it on the Xbox One as a backwards compatible title. Go to this link to download it now on your console or search for it on the Xbox One's store.
The original Crackdown has a legacy behind it. Many people bought it just to play Halo 3's beta, which came with a copy of Crackdown. Still, it captivated players with its large, open-world gameplay. You could traverse Pacific City and fight crime by jumping and running at superhuman speeds. Vehicles and third-person shooter combat also added to its fun factor.
Crackdown 2 came out a few years later in 2010, but ever since the series has been dormant. Crackdown 3 has had a rocky development cycle. It received multiple delays, originally slated for 2016. Now the release of Crackdown 3 is less than two weeks away.
When you're done trying out Crackdown, be sure to give the Crackdown 3 Wrecking Zone Technical Test a whirl too. It's coming only for Xbox Insiders, and it launches tomorrow. Here's the description of the mode from the announcement:
Wrecking Zone is built on brand-new technology that utilizes the cloud in ways never been done before, enabling players the ability to destroy entire buildings and cause mayhem on an unprecedented scale.Crackdown 3 will be the first time the series appears on the PC. February 15, 2019, will be a simultaneous PC (Windows 10) and Xbox One launch and is on Xbox Game Pass day one.
Quick Take
I'm glad that they're giving Crackdown some more attention. At one point, I didn't think we'd see the third game release after so many delays. Now, Microsoft is making the first game free. I'm sure it's to gauge some interest for the third title, but the first is a legitimately good game that is still fun today. If anything, give that a try.Do you like the Crackdown series? Excited for the release of Crackdown 3? Do you plan on playing Crackdown free? Let us know in the comments below!
