PC code provided by Blackbird Interactive
With so many games coming out lately, it is impossible for them all to be winners. In 2022 we had some phenomenal games, some terrible games, and some that lay somewhere in the middle. Crossfire: Legion from Blackbird Interactive is one of those games. An incredibly pretty RTS that plays like Command & Conquer, with none of the addictiveness or memorability, Crossfire: Legion is unfortunate to be lost amongst big-name titles and bland early-access titles.
Story
The campaign for the game is actually the better part of it. The story it tells is generic but solid, detailing the clash between the domineering military company Global Reach and the freedom fighters/rebels Black List. The characters are okay, with pretty cutscenes and enjoyable missions that see players utilize different units in a variety of ways, training the players to use the different abilities and commander powers available to them. Fairly short, around 8 hours or so, it was a little weird that the campaign plays almost entirely different from the multiplayer/skirmish side of the game. Over the course of the campaign I was barely building, and the multiplayer requires QUICK building similar to Starcraft and the aforementioned C & C. With that being said, I enjoyed the campaign and found it fun, albeit slightly predictable.
Gameplay
In my Early Access First Impression, I was bothered by the lack of unit control (No formations, weird pathing, and awkward targeting). Unfortunately, that has not changed. Playing through the campaign had me recognize it early, and going into the skirmishes after was a big bummer seeing it feel the same as almost 9 months ago. Some of the changes saw a sort of deck-building system where each faction has more units than you can bring into a match, requiring you to pick what units you like to use. This is a mixed system, as I found that it led me to utilize strange strategies to fight my enemies with certain builds, and if I brought the wrong units I found myself unable to counter certain enemy strategies.
As mentioned above, going from a story with objective-based unit combat to a full-fledged base-building and army-creating game was abrupt and doesn’t feel too good. New players to the genre might struggle to figure out the systems and almost require hotkeys to even stand a chance of winning online. However, fans of the classic RTS genre will find a bit of fun once they get an idea of how to play the skirmish style.
With each of the factions, you also have a vast difference in playstyles and utilizations. Global Reach has the standard ‘Western’ like army, featuring rifles, bazookas, tanks, artillery, and aircraft. Black List is more stealth-based, with abilities that hide units or jam enemy abilities and fast-moving attack jeeps, other vehicles, and aircraft. New Horizon, the last faction, is one of the more interesting with futuristic Mechs, laser weapons, and basically lightsabers. These asymmetrical factions are fun, but I regularly found myself outplayed because of their different units.
Again, while it may seem like I’m hating on the game, it was fine. Nothing groundbreaking or horrible, and while I had issues with some of the gameplay activities I also had plenty of fun while playing. As someone who tends to play different styles of RTS games, I couldn’t help but wish for some other features to be implemented that made this game feel more modern. As I previously mentioned with the pathing, targeting, and formations issues, this feels like a classic RTS. Whether that is good or bad will be up to the players, though I definitely didn’t enjoy this one as much as I have other RTS games in 2022.
Audio and Visuals
Once again, big props to Blackbird Interactive for making a very pretty game. It sounds great and looks great, and some of the sound effects were blowing me away. Explosions look visceral and are differentiated between types of weapons, and hearing a commander’s ability go off was always intense. In the same vein, the visuals are wonderful, including the cutscenes and cinematics in the campaign. Each of the factions has their own aesthetic, and the maps look great as well.
Replayability
I say it in almost every one of my reviews, but this one is up to the player. In my case, I played through the campaign once, played a few skirmishes against the AI, and tried my hand in multiplayer lobbies. Your mileage may vary, but I played the full release for only a dozen hours or so and felt like I didn’t need to play more. Fans of classic RTSs will probably spend much more time getting involved, building their decks, and trying different strategies in online lobbies. For me, however, there’s not much there to keep me invested beyond my first few matches as each faction. The campaign, while fun, does not have enough content to warrant repeat playthroughs.
What It Could Have Done Better
Beyond things I’ve mentioned already, there’s not much that can make this game truly sing. It fits perfectly in that weird middling category of “fun enough to be fine, not enough to be great”. Things that could potentially improve it would be more varied game modes, additional campaigns, and more factions, but realistically that could also make it feel bloated and even a little unbalanced depending on what your opinion of the game is. As a reviewer, it is tough to play a well-made game that clearly had a lot of care put into it and say not much can fix it, but I am doing just that.
While some of the most enjoyable parts of Crossfire: Legion are the fights, these fights lack tactical thinking and instead reward finding the best units and throwing them at the enemy. Most of my time in the skirmishes was spent trying to build and expand while I built units and set a rallying point at a nearby crossroads to stand and protect against enemies. It felt like trench warfare at times, pushing my units up to the next chokepoint and building defenses in case they fell. Arbitrary unit caps and the lack of formations or stances also keep this game from being a tactical gem, instead becoming a point-and-click adventure. Replacing the unit cap with a different system or creating more neutral capture points could alleviate some of this tedium.
Verdict
It’s fine. Really, though I seem to have slammed it over and over again in this review, Crossfire: Legion is just fine. Not good, not bad, but the secret third thing that gamers hate to admit exists. Some people will probably spend many hours on it, others will dislike it, but most will probably do what I did. Play through the campaign, have some fun online, and then put it down and delete it off their PC. I would recommend going to Youtube and watching some gameplay before buying it, but I can’t say definitely either way if it will be worth it. Some games, unfortunately, fall through the cracks, and Crossfire: Legion will do just that.
Crossfire: Legion is available now on PC via Steam. Check out the release trailer below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
