The release of the first Crackdown was a tough package to pass up. Not only were buyers receiving a copy of a fairly entertaining sandbox game, each consumer also received an invite to the Halo 3 beta. The first Crackdown lacked a lot in the way of presentation, but the gameplay, especially hunting for “orbs” kept Crackdown in a positive light. Cue sequel. Crackdown 2 releases tomorrow, but we have spent plenty of time with the anticipated sequel to tell you what’s improved and what…. hasn’t. The most prevalent crack in Crackdown 2 is the extremely poor attempt at implementing a plot. The first lacked plot completely other than a general setup, which is mostly true for Crackdown 2, but there are a few plot twists found through audio logs as well as some scenes leading up to the ending. These scenes are laughable and feel far out of place. It’s great to have a basis for the game, but Ruffian should have either implemented an arching story or left it out all together rather than dampening the value of the game with the out of place cut scenes. If you played the first and enjoyed it, you probably aren’t anticipating the second for its stellar narrative. No, the star of Crackdown 2 is easily the gameplay. Crackdown 2 feels more of a tuned version of the first, lacking in vast improvement. It’s still a blast to play, especially with the addition of 4-player drop in, drop –out co-op as well as a few 16 player multiplayer modes to boot.
The campaign still has you stomping around Pacific City, as an Agent, a cloned super-cop of sorts as you build upon your powers while cleaning up gangs or Freaks. Freaks are a zombie-like enemy, one of the main additions to the series. Weapons affect Freaks differently than they do gang members, especially if using the new UV weapons. The addition of Freaks, also adds a new type of mission with setting off UV bombs all throughout Pacific City. These are the main missions that will land you at the credits, but you can also clean up gang territories as well as Freak Breaches which are more or less similar to taking over gang territories. Most of each mission type feels very repetitious, lacking in any real variety other than the addition of stronger enemies as you progress. So the lack of variety from the first has been carried over to the second, just split into several repeating segments. Even though the game feels fairly similar to the first, it still boasts strong gameplay mechanics such as the superhuman abilities and the orbs spread throughout the city especially with the addition of the “renegade orbs.” The renegade variations of orbs give chase when you find any of them spread throughout the city, each usually requiring a specific driving or agility level. Each is fairly tough to latch onto, but they add a much needed challenge in obtaining every orb in the game. Another addition is audio logs that flesh out the happenings in Pacific City from different points of view. It’s another item to collect, but that’s really where the joy of playing the game comes from is the plethora of hidden collectibles open to hunt. Along with a few new collectibles, there are a few new abilities to be gained such as the Glide power.
The Glide ability it’s a great addition that allows you to pull out of a hard landing, but it does have a steep learning curve off the bat as its use lacks a tutorial. Arriving with much more grace than the first is the arrival of a four-player co-op mechanic. It works particularly well, free from the lag that plagued the two-player co-op from the first. It is unfortunate the only player who will receive credit for completing a mission is the host, however, the orbs you collect are comprehensive, and so no matter whose save you are playing on, you are always hunting for your own set of orbs as well as character progression. It also feels better playing this game with friends, jumping from roof to roof with 3 others at your side has never felt this satisfying. A new type of orb has been implemented to encourage co-op, known as the Xbox Live Orb. These 80-some orbs can only be collected when another player is in your game and both of you are standing close to the orb. This definitely drives the length of the game in a positive manner, and as we previously stated, seeking out each orb is what makes Crackdown so enjoyable. If you lack a desire to collect orbs, Crackdown 2 is going to be one to stay away from. With a campaign that can be completed in 5 hours without breaking a sweat is disappointing, as this was the case with the first. However, add the orbs to the equation and you’ll spend a good amount of time scouring Pacific City. Another downside to the game is Pacific City itself. It’s basically the same city you saved in the first, with some additional locations as well as changes in notable structures. Other than that, you’ve seen most of it before. It would have been great to leave Pacific City, but the map was one of the lesser of our complaints as Pacific City seemed more intricate than it did the first time around.
Finally, gameplay wise is the competitive multiplayer. You’ve got Rocket Tag, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch. Each of which are fairly fun, but come nowhere close to the shenanigans to be explored in the entirety of Pacific City. Another large weakness in Crackdown 2 is the visuals. While slightly improved over the first, it’s still a weak showing in comparison to most AAA titles, with little progression made since the release of the first. The audio however has made leaps and bounds with the addition of remixed licensed music by artists such as Bob Dylan and R.E.M. Odd selection for 3rd-person gun- fare, but they blend in quite nicely. Crackdown 2 is a lot of things. It maintained the gameplay that was always a blast and a half, while adding more players into the mix. Lag seems to be less of an issue than it was in the first, which dramatically improves the overall co-op experience. However, Crackdown 2 has a myriad of similarities to the first. It can be repetitious at times and the plot is not only ridiculous, but it feels far too forced. Complaints aside, Crackdown 2 is a joy to play. You’ll find the best moments to be had are found when playing with three other people, but it’s still a blast even when searching Pacific City on your own. There are plenty of good times to be found in Crackdown 2 and Ruffian Games should be proud to have made the sequel strong enough to stand on its own, without having to package in an enticing beta key.
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