Despite the setbacks and delays, Crackdown 3 has put the franchise firmly back on solid ground and that is mostly because of the exceptional work and dedication of developers Sumo Digital. They have not only addressed all of the shortcomings of Crackdown 2 but they have improved upon the core gameplay and the experience itself. Crackdown’s future is so bright the cigar chomping, slave driving, blow hard, sour puss of an Agency Director would be cracking a smile if he could. Good things come to those who wait and Crackdown fans have certainly had to do that.
If you came late to the series, never played V2 and are a fan, Sniper Elite V2 Remastered is a must-play and a great deal with all of the bundled items including the DLC. For those who have followed the series since the beginning, V2 Remastered does look much better and play much better but whether you wish to play through the same adventure again is a matter of personal taste. Just be aware that the gameplay is exactly how you remembered it, a far cry from the sequels.
Throughout his lifetime, I have introduced my technological spoiled Generation Z son who has grown up on blockbuster movie quality games like the modern day sequels to Halo and Call of Duty to the more simpler Time Pilot, Pac Man, Defender, the arcade, Atari and ColecoVision games I grew up with. He often placates me with a polite…That’s cool, dad!..before turning on his game console with its 4K resolution and Dolby sound. What he doesn’t understand is that there is often beauty in simplicity. What really matters always is not the graphics or the sound but how fun a game is to play in the first place. The 16-bit art style, the gameplay, the cut-scenes, even the music makes Stranger Things 3: The Game a perfect sequel to those adventure games of the past. If you grew up with them as I did, you will appreciate Stranger Things 3: The Game on a far higher and different level than someone who might not have still, if you are a fan of the series and adventure gaming in general, just living out, playing out those famous scenes may be worth the $19.99 bargain price tag.
GoldenEye. God of War. Halo. Super Mario Odyssey. Games worth buying an entire console to play are a rare breed. Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is not one of them. That is not to say it isn’t a great first entry by Team Ninja as it is. For Ultimate Alliance fans the 10-year wait has certainly been worth it. With the minor slip-ups in the development though I cannot recommend investing in a Nintendo Switch just to become part of the Marvel universe no matter how fun that might be for fans of the Marvel universe.
You won’t find many games like this. The mirroring of reality and history, the pensive and sober presentation (unlike the over-the-top Far Cry 5) puts you in a different headspace as a gamer if you’re earnest about the experience from the moment you step into the jungle. If you want to experience something that is distinctive, a far cry from what you might be used to, The Church in the Darkness will give your conscience a workout. The weighty subject matter is not for everyone, however.