I’ll come straight out with this, Microsoft and Xbox ANZ very kindly supplied us with an XBOX SERIES X in their review window. That means we’ve had it for about a week and a half. What follows are my thoughts after unboxing and those first steps with the next generation of gaming.
Don’t judge an Xbox Series X by its cover.
At least until you’ve read a bit.
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Bethesda seem to have their fair share of ups and downs, especially if you pay much attention the media, social or otherwise. Rage 2 was an interesting moment on that roller coaster given its lukewarm reception after a full-on and suitably anarchic promotional campaign.
Apart from the usual web, bus, media ads. It was interesting to see the local community team stacking their chips on more than a few expo appearances. Their Rage2 Tattoo drive certainly got people talking with mixed feelings, and being right on top of release without any sign of review code, obviously set a few reviewers off on the wrong foot.
I have been toying with these words for a while, and its fair to say Rage 2 got short changed in the review period after release.
Give it a go, because once you do – you realise that Rage 2 is the first person Crackdown you never knew you needed.
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A long time ago when the xbox360 was young there were games that defined the console, one of them was Crackdown.
Putting you in the shoes of a super-human Agent, the game had you reclaiming an open world one task at a time and mowing down a hefty roster of bad guys. All sounds pretty familiar, well yes it was, but then there were Orbs and the way you skilled up and the subtle effects that came with those skills, not to mention the small army array of weapons at your disposal. Having recently hit the backwards compatible pile and being free to download I had a recent spin around the original and it didn’t disappoint.
Yes, by today’s standard the open world was fairly bare and the cel-shaded aesthetic wasn’t much to write home about. However, the game had chops, big furry, playable chops and people loved it.
There is a lot to like about Crackdown 3, while it may feel like an older game, it is built using a formula that works and you don’t have to worry about getting chores or conversations. As a great example of keeping it simple we have a Crackdown for people to enjoy, a game that doesn’t get bogged down in drawn out narrative, rather a game that wants you to play it.
Get out there and kick some ass Agents.
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So here we are, a new year and a new slew of games to look forward to. Most have been in the mix for a while now so there are no real surprises here but still an impressive list none the less.
Personally I am looking forward to The Outer Worlds and Wasteland 3 the most, but am also keen have a crack at Anthem and Metro Exodus. And lets not forget that all Microsoft Studios titles will release straight to Game Pass so if you aren’t a subscriber what more reason do you need?
Cheers, Barrie.
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