Crackdown

"Become a Law Enforcer -- on Crack!"

Sorry for the terrible pun, but what's a GameFAQs reader review without one? Haha. Anyway, as I share my opinion on this eagerly anticipated (maybe not for the right reasons, but I'll look past the Halo 3 BETA inclusion...) sand box game. Now, the obvious comparisons are always going to lie with Rockstars' Grand Theft Auto, but when I played through Crackdown - I never once thought of anything being ripped from the blockbuster series. Not once. There are a couple of reasons for that; GTA doesn't play as fluidly... and it certainly isn't as much FUN!

Fun is the underlying factor to enjoying a game, which is rather obvious. Crackdown throws this to the player in droves! While the game is admittedly short lived (it's even missing 100 points worth of Gamerscore, which will arrive at a later date via Xbox LIVE, though non-LIVE subscribers may find themselves a little shafted), those 10 or so hours you'll spend playing through the Campaign will rank upon the most fun you've come across in gaming. From being a rather... boring 'superhuman' agent in the first half an hour, once you get your first skill upgrades, you'll realise what will soon be possible.

An important factor in many players decision to buy a game is its looks - Crackdown delivers! It's not cel-shading per se, but it does look very good. Some of the buildings look awesome - the draw distance is pretty staggering for the environment. Also, standing on one side of an island and using a rocket launcher on a car on the other side is particularly fun! The explosions fail to disappoint, especially the larger ones! The only gripe I have with the visuals is sometimes, only when there's a menu up, is the occasional slow down, which can cause you to verbally harass the game if you're a tad frustrated with other sections of the game - being thrown off a 15 story building by a stray grenade isn't much fun, I can assure you!

The main time waster in the game is the levelling system - four stats, which can take a fair few hours to level up to the maximum (which is level 4). The information is always handy on your HUD in the top left of your screen. Okay, so the attributes are: Agility (levelled by collecting Agility Orbs, which there are 500 of and completing Rooftop Races AND other subsidies); Driving (Races, killing gang members in your car and Stunt Markers); Explosives (Killing with rockets/grenades etc); Firearms (do you really need to be told?). The first couple of levels are a total breeze to complete, getting to 3 and 4... not so easy! Definitely rewarding, however, although some may disagree.

While levelling, you may actually bump into the story section of the game! Shockingly... it's perhaps the weakest part of the title. Pacific City has been overrun by 3 street gangs - the Los Muertos, the Volk and the Shai Gen Corporation. Each gang controls a section of the city, which overall is rather large. Nowhere near the scale of some other sandbox games, but it keeps the action never too far away! Anyway, each gang has 7 Generals, who all control certain aspects of the groups upkeep - there'll be two who don't have any real impact, but it's always a safe bet to take'em out. Four of the remaining five all play important roles in your path to the Kingpin - they "buff" the bosses' henchmen. For instance - you take out the guy who deals with their Strength; they'll be easier to kill and deal less melee damage. You take out the Weapons Supplier; their weapons will pack less of a punch etc etc. After taking out these 4 guys, you'll have a clearer shot at the Kingpin - but don't feel restricted to trying him after you've cleared out his cronies! A friend actually took out the Los Muertos Kingpin thinking he was a normal General with only one of the actual guys killed. Freedom is king in Pacific City.

Speaking of freedom - whats freedom without being able to control yourself? Luckily, while playing Crackdown, you don't have to worry about that! The controls are very, very smooth. Each level of your skill makes the controls more satisfying and responsive, so remember that at the start! The control scheme is your standard shoot'em'up affair, you'll get used to them pretty quickly. However, one of my gripes (inevitably knocking off a point in my Score) is poor camera design. If you're in a tight area, the camera zooms into your body, but doesn't automatically align with the way you're facing, leading to some initially slightly frustrating climbs - which isn't good when your game is based around acrobatic ascents. But, you get used to it, and you'd do good to do so, as getting past the small gripes is rewarded when you become fluent with the games acrobatics.

Another annoyance is sometimes there's an uneven piece of ground which can really muck up your jumping speed, which is no great deal when wanting height, but keeping up pace enables you to jump further. This only becomes a problem with the 12 Rooftop Races, and can add a few seconds to your time which never looks good on the fully integrated Xbox LIVE Leaderboards!

Okay - so what else is there to do with Crackdown after defeating the gangs...? Truth be told, unless you enjoy creating MASSIVE explosions and jumping around the city looking for the last of your 500 agility orbs, or the remaining Secret Orbs (300 to collect, gives a minor boost to stats, too)... you've got time trials solo, or via the Co-Op time trial, which is only available on LIVE. Definitely a game for the more... creative Xbox users out there.

So, after a pretty positive review, why 'only' an 8? Well, the short campaign is upsetting, especially for those who don't have access to LIVE, and the uneven ground/camera issues outlined above unfortunately spoil a stellar title that should at LEAST be given a chance by every 360 owner who enjoys a fun, "zone out" pick-up'n'play game.

With promise of free DLC on the way, too, it can only get better!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/05/07