5 Games That Aren’t Worth Trying on Game Pass
Now that you’ve seen the best Game Pass has to offer, lets look at some of the worst:
5. Crackdown 3
The original two Crackdown games came out on the Xbox 360 to fairly high praise. They were enjoyable titles and Crackdown 2 improved on everything the original created, but the same can’t necessarily be said about Crackdown 3. Crackdown 3 was delayed so many times that it became an industry joke, but I never expected the game itself to be a joke as well. My hopes were fairly low after all of the delays but Terry Crews’ inclusion in the story peeked my interest but I wish it hadn’t. The open world of New Providence is quite lifeless, the driving mechanics are painful and the stage design is subpar. The story is a basic cops versus robbers story that doesn’t improve on the formula set by the first two titles but rather continues what the second one did.The online multiplayer was supposed to utilize the power of the cloud to feature limitless destruction but the game doesn’t utilize the cloud for much other than saves and the destructibility in the multiplayer is more like watching LEGO structures collapse than it’s like watching the demolition of a building. After several delays, Crackdown 3 wasn’t worth the wait.
4. State of Decay
State of Decay isn’t what I’d call a bad game but it’s on the list as a result of its sequel being on Game Pass as well and it improved the formula in nearly every way. This game released on the Xbox 360 in 2013 and if you give State of Decay 2 a try, you can see the difference rather quickly. State of Decay implemented cooperative multiplayer but State of Decay 2 was built with co-op in mind, making it a better experience with friends. State of Decay 2 is far from perfect, including noticable bugs and glitches after almost two years on the market, but the original State of Decay has aged even more poorly. You can tell it comes from the Xbox 360 with the cluttered UI and clunky combat, which are two ways the sequel improved the formula. If you’re a fan of survival horror or zombie apocalypse stories, you may still want to play State of Decay but for anyone else, I recommend skipping straight to the sequel that’s also available on Game Pass. State of Decay 2 is State of Decay’s worst nightmare.
3. Banjo & Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts
If you were a fan of the original two Banjo & Kazooie games on the N64, I have great news for you: Rare Replay is included with Game Pass and both of those titles are included in the package. Sadly, you’re going to want to pretend that Banjo & Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts isn’t on the subscription service as it shares very little in common with the original games. Nuts & Bolts is more about building a racing kart than it is about collecting puzzle pieces. The characters that were once charming and playful have become creepy and lifeless, with the visuals being improved in nearly every way in the wrong direction. The world of Nuts & Bolts had potential but the gameplay and story were lackluster, especially for fans of the original games who expected another collectathon. If you’re wondering why so many fans were looking forward to this title releasing back in the day only to turn quiet upon the release, it’s because Rare made a terrible mistake.
2. Metal Gear Survive
Metal Gear Survive doesn’t deserve to be classified as a Metal Gear game. It’s more like a buggy survival horror game where you rinse and repeat the same method of killing zombies, rather than surviving on the fly like in Dead Rising, Dead Island or State of Decay 2. The idea in Metal Gear Survive is to kite zombies into a fence, then stab them with a polearm from the other side of the fence. Zombies have never been more brainless than they are in Survive and they make the concept of a zombie apocalypse more laughable than scary. Hideo Kojima left Konami just before they released this Metal Gear atrocity and it’s no surprise that he did if he knew what they planned for his franchise.The game includes co-op multiplayer and it may be the only way to enjoy the experience. The story of Metal Gear Survive is non-existent, the characters are boring and the gameplay is repetitive. Metal Gear Survive is a Metal Gear title in name only.
1. Perfect Dark Zero
Perfect Dark Zero is my definition of a disappointing follow-up. As a dedicated fan of the original title on the N64, I was looking forward to the prequel when it released for the Xbox 360. After a long wait, I was devastated and since I threw my physical copy back where it came from, I hoped to never see it again. Unfortunately, the release of Rare Replay ensured that it would not only be on the Xbox One in some form, but it also guaranteed its presence on Game Pass. Most sequels take was the original title did and improve on the formula. This is the case with other games on Game Pass such as State of Decay 2, Middle-Earth: Shadow of War and Wolfenstein 2 but it is far from the case with Perfect Dark Zero. Considering Rare Replay brought the original Perfect Dark to the Xbox One, I implore anyone who’s curious about the franchise to only try the N64 original updated graphically for today’s generation. Even gamers who are curious about the story of Perfect Dark Zero are recommended to avoid playing the actual game and I’d refer those gamers to reading exerpts about the game or finding videos about it on YouTube rather than playing it for themselves. Many gamers have been burnt by a sequel at some time or another and this is the antithesis of a sequel, prequel or anything else resembling a quality game.
