Notoriously know for “That game with the Halo 3 Beta”, Crackdown turned out to be a pretty solid game. It made collecting things fun, and featured co-op through the entire game while allowing you to be a bad-ass agent for Pacific City. The story was second, and the gameplay came first giving you one goal: Take out all the enemy gangs. The second one is more of the same, but that is a good thing.
Crackdown 2 doesn’t stray too far from its predecessor, instead it amps up everything that the first game contained. There are still orbs to collect, but now finding them is a bit easier and new types are available to collect: Renegade and LIVE Orbs. Renegade orbs float away from you and require great agility or a nice car to catch up to, and LIVE orbs are collectibles containable only through online play. All the orbs still boost your skills, and are somehow still really fun and satisfying to collect.
The Game takes place 10 years after the first one, and things haven’t been to great for those that live in Pacific City. During the day Peacekeepers engage in firefights with Cell, the new unified gang in the city, and once the sun goes down, Mutated freaks populate the city and take out anything in their way. It is your job as a new agent to Rid the City of the Freaks by detonating beacons that will destroy their hives underground. To complete this task you will need to level up your skills to best prepare for the challenge that the freaks can sometimes bring.
The announcer is back and better (or worse) than ever. He gives you an overview on everything in the game, and now even speaks about when you unlock an achievement in the game.
The original Crackdown had fun multiplayer with the co-op, and the Crackdown 2 doubles the fun with 4-player support. Friends can jump in to your game at any time and assist you complete your goals, or just be there to goof around with. Even in the big world of Pacific City with four players running around, the game seems to run smoothly at all times. This is a great reason to have Xbox Live Gold. Competitive multiplayer is here as well, and 16-players can engage in combat with lock-on assisted support. It seems to play well enough, but the Co-op is the coolest way to play this game with others.
Leveling up your skills once again gives you great new tools and skills to use. Get to level 5 with agility and you get to glide around the world, and maxing out your Driving will grant you the keys to a tank. When you start out the game, you will seem barely better than a peacekeeper, but once you level up, you will get around Pacific City and take out enemies with ease.
Overall Crackdown 2 changes a little from the first and keeps a lot of what we remember. The awesome sounds of orbs and the sometimes annoying announcer are a constant element to the game just as we remembered. If you loved Crackdown, you will love Crackdown 2. If you didn’t, you may want to pass on this game. I thought Crackdown was great myself and enjoyed Crackdown 2 just as much.
Developer- Ruffian Games Ltd.
Publisher- Microsoft Games Studio
Friday, July 16, 2010
