CrimeCraft: Difference between revisions – Wikipedia

On Sep 30, 2023

2009 video game

CrimeCraft was a free-to-play online Persistent World Next-generation Shooter dubbed “PWNS” by Ukrainian developer Vogster Entertainment^[1] and published at retail by THQ. The game is set in the near future where the world lies in anarchy and gangs have replaced governments.

CrimeCraft shut down on August 31, 2017.^[2]

Overview[edit]

CrimeCraft was released at retail through an exclusive deal with Best Buy and THQ in the United States and Canada and online worldwide on August 25, 2009.^[3] In late October 2009, CrimeCraft received their first major patch update, which included an unlimited free trial. There have been regular updates to the game since that time to add more content and to fix several bugs that were present in the game at launch.^[4] Input by the community played a role in decisions for the future updates.^[5]

Expansions[edit]

CrimeCraft was periodically updated by the developers, adding new features, maps, gametypes, and community requests to the game. Vogster has released two expansions which include updates as well as extra content.

Bleedout[edit]

Bleedout is the first expansion for CrimeCraft and was released in autumn 2010.

The Bleedout campaign was broken up into episodes that were released weekly for ten weeks. These episodes have a set of missions, as well as art done by illustrators in the comic book industry. Each episode will progress through a small part of the Bleedout storyline and will be free to subscribed players.^[6] There will be a small fee for each episode for those players who do not have subscriptions.^[7] Some new features include: a new questing campaign, Belly Street, reworked style, reputation system that will measure a player’s activity and new items and clothing.

Vogster partnered with American comic book company Archaia to expand on the new Bleedout storyline. Together, they released the Bleedout: The Graphic Novel which featured the artwork of the illustrators that have worked on the Bleedout campaign within CrimeCraft. Artists each contributed their own stylized illustrations to a separate chapter of the novel.^[8]

GangWars[edit]

CrimeCraft GangWars is the second expansion to CrimeCraft and was released in Winter 2011. It introduces a Quickplay Mode, new map La Famiglia Compound, new game mode Core Annihilation and Territory Wars.^[9]

Gameplay[edit]

CrimeCraft revolves around gang warfare, combining role-playing elements as well as an MMO environment.^[10] A large, persistent city acts as the game’s lobby where players can form gangs, accept missions and buy new weapons.^[11] The game consists of game modes which can be broken down into two major categories: PvP game modes, wherein players compete against each other, and PvE game modes, wherein players compete against computer controlled AI bots, as well as Core Assault, which is a hybrid of both PvP and PvE.^[12] Other features include questing, achievements, crafting and gang hideouts.

Lobbies are where players spend their time when they are not in combat instances. The players are able to talk to one another through chat, and barter items with one another.^[13] Players can also join groups, as well as gangs, which are equivalent to Guilds or Clans.^[14] Spread throughout all three lobbies, there are numerous Non-Player-Characters, where the players can either buy in-game items from them, or receive quests. One of the features included is crafting items such as weapons, clothing, and drugs. There is a large list of abilities and equipment each with different pros and cons.^[15]

Players can join instanced battles from the lobbies. These battles are where the shooter aspect of crimecraft takes place, and there is a good amount of diversity in the gametypes. Usually, these matches consist of two teams split into teams of 8.^[16]

Combat modes[edit]

Player vs. Player (PvP)[edit]

Turf War – Two teams battle for control of five points spread out throughout the map. The first team to control all five points, or to have the most points when the match timer runs out, is the winner.
Core Annihilation – Two teams fight through PvE bots and the opposing team to destroy the opposing team’s core. The first team to destroy the opposing team’s core, or the core that sustains the least amount of damage after time expires, wins.
Assault, Capture, and Defend – Two teams fight to capture a single core that appears randomly on the map after each round. After one team captures a core, they must then defend that core from being released. Points are rewarded for the amount of time a core is captured before it finally gets released. The team that captures a core can not respawn until the core is released. The team that accumulated the most points before time expires wins.
Snatch N’ Grab – A typical Capture the Flag game mode between two teams.
Robbery – Both teams start with a safe at their end of the map containing 100K in cash. Players must steal cash from the opposing player’s safe in…