Despite Microsoft’s very clear lack of current generation exclusives, the company’s best move might have been making backwards compatibility a reality. The ability to pop in an old disc or purchase classic Xbox and Xbox 360 titles to play on Xbox One is a generous step towards games preservation and a neat service that is offered for absolutely nothing. Lately it’s been getting even sweeter, with Microsoft adding free Xbox One X enhancements to many of its old titles. Which is even better when incredible games like Crackdown join the service.
I have no love for Crackdown 2, and hold little hope for the third entry out later this year. But the original Xbox 360 Crackdown is a smash hit. It’s a power fantasy like so few games before or after it, giving you a super-powered Agent to wreak havoc with over both criminals and the city they live in. I mean what other game lets you literally throw a semi-truck through another truck and into an enemy compound?
Crackdown is just one of four games added to backwards compatibility yesterday, including The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings (a sorely underappreciated RPG at the time), Fable Anniversary Edition and the first Forza Horizon. Better still is the fact that all four ship with Xbox One X enhancements. That means better anti-aliasing, 4K native resolution output and improved textures if you’re playing on the most powerful Xbox One out there. Without a single cent being asked in return.
The full list of Backwards Compatible Xbox One X enhanced titles now looks something like this:
- Assassin’s Creed
- Crackdown
- Fable Anniversary
- Fallout 3
- Forza Horizon
- Gears of War 3
- Halo 3
- Mirror’s Edge
- Oblivion
- Skate 3
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
It’s a really generous service from Microsoft that certainly earns them some goodwill in the long run. Even if it’s just the same old classics again and again.
Last Updated: February 28, 2018
