You start the game as a newbie in the world of super agents, moving up is easy enough but to complete many of the missions in the game you must be at a certain “level” in your training and abilities. This may sound like a RPG and to be honest Crackdown has many of the same aspects that grace the great RPG’s of today’s gaming world. Not only does your character get you around the world by running, jumping, and sometimes flying but you can also jump in any car and cruise around Pacific City. That is cool enough but add in the “transformers” effect that cars do when you get in them and this game is just amazing. The world is wide open so getting around without mastering the art of driving is just improbable and a waste of time, plus these cars are so cool how can you pass that up? The graphical department is something gamers will surely argue about, it is a style that can easily be mistaken for shoddy graphics. The comic book style look of Crackdown is something that is very rare in the industry and for one I am happy to see a game that looks this good. The explosions and car transformations are beautiful to the eye, as are the fluid movements of the characters and the scenery (draw distance) of the city itself. Of course if realistic style graphics is your thing then Crackdown probably will not appeal to you, but for gamers like me that have been itching for a game straight out of the comic book world I cannot wait for this game to hit store shelves.
Xbox Live Achievements, something that has became an obsession of many gamers around the world, don’t sit there and act like you didn’t rent King Kong just for the 1000 gamer points. Crackdown has boasted that there are over 50 secret and not-so-secret achievements hidden throughout the game. These achievements range from things as simple as exterminating a gang from Pacific City to juggling a person with your rocket launcher or seeing how far you can fall to your death. Easily the most exciting aspect of Crackdown is the fact that the entire single player mode can be played online with a partner or co-op as some of you may know it. This feature will make the replayability of Crackdown go through the roof, as the game will be different depending on whom your partner is over Xbox Live. Currently Crackdown is scheduled for an October 2007 release, stay tuned to Planet Xbox3 60 for a more through hands-on preview as the release date approaches. This is one of the few sleeper hits for the Xbox 360 to keep your eyes on.
