This isn’t the RTS you’re looking for
As a fan of Real-Time Strategy games like StarCraft and the Command and Conquer series I kinds knew what I was in for when I booted up Crossfire: Legion. Which is the latest release in the Crossfire universe of games, but unlike the other games which are all shooters in nature; Legion comes in as the franchise’s first RTS. If you haven’t heard of the Crossfire brand don’t worry you aren’t alone. The Crossfire games are hugely popular overseas and with the launch of Crossfire X on the Xbox Series systems they had hoped to garner the same success in the west. Based on what I played of that game; they have a mighty long way to go but I guess someone thought that an RTS could sell and so here we are.
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms: PC
Price I’d Pay: $9.99
Crossfire’s two primary factions are Global Risk and Black List. Global Risk is a paramilitary force of peacekeepers, they utilize traditional tactics and weaponry with a few exceptions of some near future tech. Black List are the global disruptors and use guerilla tactics both factions see themselves as the good guys in their conflict in typical fashion. Crossfire: Legions introduces a third faction called New Horizon, which uses mechs and futuristic energy weapons.
The issues start to arise in just how similarly the Global Risk and Black List factions play. Unlike the warring factions in StarCraft, which is my absolute favorite RTS game where each faction required a wholly unique playstyle and approach; the only faction that offers some variety in Legion is the New Horizon. Their usage of mechs and area of effect attacks help them to stand out from the pack.
The campaign in Crossfire: Legion is really just more of an extended tutorial; it can be completed in roughly 10 hours but doesn’t do anything new or exciting. Consisting of mostly shuttling force from location to location will wear thin and the poor AI makes it feel like shooting fish in a barrel. This usually wouldn’t be an issue because lets be honest the majority of us get these RTS games for multiplayer. To pit our masterful strategies against a human opponent is the true test. Well sadly most of the audience seems to have dried up for Crossfire: Legion. During my review I was only ever able to play on two multiplayer matches, each took me more than 15 minutes before I was finally connected. While there were no technical issues during the match but the fact that it took so much time to find someone is absolutely bonkers and I highly doubt a typical gamer is going to wait that long between matches, IF they can even find one.
Crossfire: Legion does a great job of evoking great memories playing better games in the RTS genre. It does very little if anything to innovate and leans heavily on the tracks that many other games have laid before it. But what hurts it most of all is the fact that there is NO A.I. matchmaking, which means that if players want to play the game, they must use the multiplayer option which seems to be on its way to being abandoned at this point. So that leaves players to repeat a lackluster campaign filled with generic characters (whom they utilized some top tier talent such as Ashly Burch who is wasted here) and cliché plots. Crossfire: X was my first introduction to the world of Crossfire and as you can read in my review it was a terrible first impression. And now with Legion being the mess that it is I think I may not give Crossfire a third chance to disappoint me.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
