CrimeCraft

CrimeCraft Review:

CrimeCraft incorporates the expected MMO features but doesn't make them particularly meaningful. Guilds, which are called gangs here, merely open up another way of ranking your performance against other players. Sure, there are hideouts you can buy and new vendors and crafting options that aren't otherwise available, but there's no real gang-specific content or structure within the game. In any case, the server population is embarrassingly low, so there's very little competition or rivalry anyway. Many times I'd log on and find I was the only member of my gang online.

The server density problem also means that you can join instances to find them severely under populated. It's one thing trying to eke the fun out of a two-on-two deathmatch, but it's just aggravating to join an instance queue for something like Safeguard and not even have enough players to compete.

Skills, perks, crafting, achievements and auction houses are also included, but the interface elements that drive these systems are a bit vague, so you have to rely on trial and error to figure out how they work. Didn't know you had to equip a passive skill to get it to work? Didn't know you had to close a window to confirm a selection? Didn't know you had to click on a mission description to find the real description? That's too bad because all of those counter-intuitive moves are business as usual in CrimeCraft.

The game looks good in places but overall the visuals feel a bit dated, which is particularly troubling given that this title is competing against online shooters and MMOs, which are among the most visually appealing genres in the PC catalog. Character models are blocky and the environments are gray and grimy with little visual style. Even the individual instances seem to be designed with an eye towards packing as many crates and old tires into a level as possible.


by Steve Butts