Crossout Review: Into the Post-Apocalypse on Iron Monsters

Back in the early 2010s, many of us tried online tank games at least once. The genre was so popular that Gaijin added combat vehicles to its flight simulator War Thunder and then set out to create another similar project — this time featuring post-apocalyptic machines in the spirit of Mad Max. The game was entrusted to Targem Games, the developers of the space action title Star Conflict. In 2017, Crossout finally left closed testing and impressed players with its unusual vehicle-building system combined with fast-paced action. Nearly nine years have passed since then, so let’s take a look at how the game is doing today.

Crossout greets the player with a battered SUV. The game shows that you can swap out parts in the garage, but it’s tempting to put the wrench aside and hit the "To Battle" button as quickly as possible. Early on, customization is simple — strap on a couple of guns and you’ve got an upgrade. But the bizarre vehicles you encounter in matches spark curiosity, and your old pickup gradually accumulates new parts, revealing the hidden depth of a builder you can easily lose yourself in for hours.

Building a vehicle in Crossout is pure joy, like LEGO for adults. How do you make sure your rusty monster doesn’t fall apart after a couple of hits? How do you fit in all the engines and fuel tanks? The game gently nudges you to strip the vehicle down to its chassis, offering helpful tips and putting a powerful construction system in your hands. It immediately points out issues like exceeding weight limits or lacking weapon energy, making vehicle building accessible. If you enjoy this kind of creativity, games similar to Minecraft will let you craft even more incredible things.

For newcomers, the developers added a build assistant and ready-made blueprints. In theory, the AI assembles basic models from parts in your inventory and hands them over to players, but in practice the results are far from perfect — too generic and poorly balanced. Without some fine-tuning, taking such a vehicle into random matches will likely end in failure. Blueprints from other players are slightly better, but they often require many rare parts and tend to be more creative than practical (for example, recreating a real tank or a mechanical dinosaur from Horizon Zero Dawn). Either way, you’ll need to use your head and spend some time tinkering with the builder yourself.

Experimental creations are tested in a test drive mode. The proving ground sits just outside the hangar and helps you quickly evaluate handling and find good firing angles for your weapons. After a few painful battles in good-looking but flawed machines, you’ll get used to testing them right after building. Want a real racetrack instead? Check out a подборка of the best racing games.

Crossout builds revolve around two parameters: power score and durability. The first determines the overall strength level of a vehicle for matchmaking balance, while the second governs its survivability in battle. The obvious thought is to stack on as many heavy parts as possible, but the game doesn’t work that way: bulky components will quickly fly off if they’re attached haphazardly to weak mounts. You need layered structures with dozens of parts that support one another and form an unbreakable frame against enemy fire. Ideally, you want to build the lightest machine possible so you can get matched against weaker opponents.

Speaking of weapons, Crossout features many fantastical guns, but early gameplay still brings strong flashbacks to World of Tanks. Machine guns evoke the low-tier firefights in that game, shotguns work like high-explosive shells, and sluggish cannons like the "Judge" recall the methodical gameplay of tank destroyers. If you’ve played similar games, that experience will help a lot. Crossout turned what seemed like an impossible tank-player fantasy into reality: endless rushing, a fierce head-on assault. It also introduced combined weapon setups, which are rare in this kind of game.

New players will definitely have questions about how quickly new parts are unlocked. Several main and secondary factions handle that progression, and the items you want will likely belong to each of them. They unlock one by one, which makes the process noticeably longer. Reputation bonuses from cosmetic parts speed up leveling, but sometimes they make the vehicle worse. For example, huge flags or holographic ears often get in the way of the camera and block your view.

You can get used to the features above, but one drawback stays annoying throughout the game: the unbearably long crafting time for parts. The developers were poorly inspired by mobile games and brought real-time construction into the game. Even basic items take five minutes to make, while epic and legendary components can take anywhere from several hours to a full day. Skipping crafting is not really an option, because you often lack crucial items like a fuel tank or an energy generator needed to mount new weapons. It creates a strange feeling: you have the resources, but the upgrade is unavailable. In-game coins are often too scarce for a quick purchase, and farming them takes a long time.

Crossout’s modes are like those in tank games, but more arcade-like. And there are far too many of them. At first, it’s hard to figure out where to start: missions, raids, clan battles, and events are all thrown at you. You build an armored vehicle, but not every mode will let you use it. The developers also added fuel restrictions for some reason — a mobile-game-style energy system. It’s not as bad as the parts grind. Gas can be replenished for free, but you’ll need to install an explosive fuel tank and collect it little by little from winning battles. These artificial restrictions are frustrating.

The most fun mode, and the main one too, is missions. Player matches use familiar formats like base capture or control points, and they can be either single-life or respawn-based. Unlike similar games, Crossout is all about fun, and tactics take a back seat. Matches are very fast and aren’t focused on kill statistics; above all, they’re there to earn resources for new parts. Regular battles last only a couple of minutes and deliver a ton of excitement. Respawn modes take longer, but they still fly by. Even an hour of play a day is more than enough.

Raids are a bit duller. In them, teams of players drive to points on the map and destroy waves of mobs. The fights drag on for dozens of minutes and demand full concentration from everyone, or your vehicle will be torn to pieces. Raids often feel like a waste of time. The rewards aren’t that generous, and reviving in battle costs fairly expensive repair kits. The only really positive experience comes from the high-level raid "Invasion", where you encounter unusual leviathans built by other players and controlled by AI.

The hottest matches happen in clans. In the basic "Confrontation" mode, players earn weekly ranking points in quick matches with random allies, while "War" is for alliance members. Getting into a clan isn’t easy, because clans добывают a unique resource: uranium. For access to rare relic parts, players give up weekly ranking duties, and anyone lazy gets kicked quickly. If you want to save your nerves, it’s better not to go there — or create a guild with friends.

Events are more interesting to play. They stand out thanks to unique rules and don’t feel like the other modes. One week, players race each other in tiny cars; the next, they stage brutal PvP battles in indestructible walkers. Every time, events surprise you with something new and genuinely exciting. The main secret is that the events are designed by players themselves, and the best ones are chosen by the community.

But the mode that really stands out in Crossout is Adventure. It hides a large story campaign with dozens of missions, characters, and simple dialogue. The protagonist recently lost his memory and ended up in the middle of desert canyons. A scavenger nicknamed Munch introduces himself right away and assigns missions — mostly fights with other survivors and cargo searches.

New players will appreciate the campaign. It slowly introduces the game, teaches you how to shoot off wheels and enemy weapons, and generously rewards you with resources for your first crafts. Random patrol-destruction tasks do a good job of preparing the player for serious battles later on. There isn’t much narrative depth here, though, but if that isn’t enough, check out the best story-driven games on PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox.

As a free-to-play project, Crossout makes newcomers wonder how much monetization affects the game. Does fun come at a cost? In the early stages, progression is sweetened by bloggers’ referral links. The game lets you claim all currently active gift packs at once. The best one, the "Winter Set 2024", includes a car, an armored aircraft, a walker, and three days of premium time. The racing car is especially good. It dominates at 3,200 power score with three machine guns and quickly earns reputation points.

The game gradually gives you new parts, but by level 10 progression slows down. That’s when the long crafting times for new vehicle parts start becoming a real problem, as mentioned earlier. The in-game market, badge exchange, and resource sales help you earn coins, but only partially improve the situation. You need to play a lot and preferably be in a clan — without uranium, you won’t see relic weapons. Ideally, you’ll also buy premium and a battle pass.

The good news is that even on a free account, you still get the full experience. A clumsy vehicle you successfully build from scratch will feel far more rewarding than inaccessible masterpieces. It’s easy to lose yourself in the builder for dozens of hours, and the fast matches keep coming one after another, pulling you in with the variety of weapons and tactics. Time flies while playing, which makes it one of the best free PC games. Even half an hour can deliver a lot of excitement, which is rare for games like this. And an endgame that lasts hundreds of hours isn’t necessary for everyone.

Crossout is an excellent free online game. It wins over newcomers with a Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic setting and exceeds expectations in terms of gameplay. Its arcade battles emphasize momentum and are just as intense as War Thunder or World of Tanks, while its detailed vehicle builder opens up near-limitless creativity and adds depth to the gameplay. There are no random outcomes here: you set up every bolt yourself and determine the result.