Review
Release Date: 02.20.2007
Platform:
Xbox 360Developer:
Real Time WorldsPublisher:
Microsoft Game StudiosReviewed by
Mikey Dowling on 3.8.2007
| Review Rating: 9/10 | User Rating: 6.88/10 |
Picture a sandbox game reminiscent of the
Grand Theft Auto series. Now toss in a main character that could have been taken from the old cartoon “C.O.P.S.” Stir until smooth, and you get yourself
Crackdown from
Microsoft Game Studios and
Realtime Worlds, an open-ended gaming experience that has more in common with a super hero game than it does with
GTA. You will kick untold amounts of ass in this game. And you’ll do so from the start. The more you do of the ass kickery (and the more stylish you do it), the better your character will get at it. And all the while, you will be known as nothing more than “Agent.”
In
Crackdown, it is your duty as a genetically enhanced super cop to bring life in Pacific City back to normal by eliminating the three major gangs that inhabit each of the three islands that make up the city. How you go about eliminating the gangs is up to you. Each of the three gang kingpins have several subordinates (captains) that help them keep their gangs going strong. If you take out the captains first, not only will your chances against the kingpin improve, but you’ll also cripple the gang. For instance, take out the captain that does the recruiting and there will be fewer reinforcements to be called on. Take out the captain that controls the munitions, and the gang will have less powerful guns to use against you. No real mission structure here. Just get rid of the criminals. Simple.
It does give the game a wash, rinse, repeat feel since you do the same thing on each island. But as you progress through the different islands, the gangs become tougher as their weapons improve and their total numbers grow. To help better combat the enemies, your character is able to grow in five different skill areas: agility (helps jumping and running speed), driving (lets you control cars better), explosives (ups the effectiveness of explosives), strength (lets you punch and kick people harder and pick up objects that couldn't normally be lifted), and firearms (helps with accuracy when using guns). You can build your stats anyway you see fit, but you’ll probably want them maxed out as fast as possible so you can run, jump, drive, shoot/blow up/kick criminals like a champion. And, you’ll be doing so with some of the most precise controls that have ever been seen in this genre.
Realtime Worlds needs to be commended for making Pacific City one of the best environments when it comes to just having fun in. Whether you’re looking for one of the 500 agility orbs, searching every building for one of the elusive 300 hidden orbs, driving from check point to check point in a road race, racing the clock as you jump roof to roof in the roof top races, or just going around from building to building taking out the criminal element, there is never a dull moment. It’s fairly easy to get caught up in the open-ended aspect of the game.
Crackdown isn’t just about the gameplay (though it is good to know that so much care went into making sure that it has among the best in that department), the game also looks amazing. Taking cel-shading to the next step and doing it incredibly well,
Crackdown reminds you that next-gen is here on a constant basis. When you’re running around taking out enemies a dozen at a time with plenty of civilians and Agency (your fellow cops, just not super men like you) around, all the while noticing that you can see the tall buildings or mountains on that island
way over there, you may find yourself exclaiming, "Whoah!”
What will keep you playing
Crackdown once you've toppled all of the gangs and brought peace to Pacific City? Most likely, it will be the achievements. Going a bit into the unconventional in terms of what you can do to make your gamer score grow,
Crackdown has a bevy of achievements that will keep you coming back for more time and time again. Toss in the ability to turn crimes on and off at the start of the game once it’s completed to get the achievements that involve gangs and such, and you have yourself a good amount of continued enjoyment. And with promised downloadable content still coming that will offer up 100 new achievement points (the game shipped with 900 initially), you may get a few more good hours out of the game.
The only major problem with the game is that once you have done all there is to do (defeated all the gangs, and finished off the achievements list) there isn’t much incentive to keep going. You can’t restart the game unless you delete your agent altogether, and the bosses don’t come back when you turn crimes back on - just gang members that appear on the street. Hopefully there will indeed be some additional downloadable content that will help to spark more life into the game. Otherwise, the wait for a sequel will probably feel like a long one. But that is only a small complaint that doesn’t detract from the great experience you’ll have while actually playing the game.
Crackdown is a must own for every Xbox 360 owner. Even if you pick it up so you can play that other big game from Microsoft whose beta can be accessed from the
Crackdown disc, you won’t be disappointed.
Grand Theft Auto IV should learn a couple of things from this game before making its debut later this year.
