Crackdown

"Many Great Ideas, but Rough around the Edges"

INTRODUCTION

Crackdown is an open-world style game that was released in 2007. The game sold decently due to the inclusion of a beta key for Halo 3, yet it also garnered a small but loyal following of gamers who craved the experience.

Although Crackdown might appear to be reminiscent of the Grand Theft Auto series (one of its creators was actually involved in the game), the game actually works best viewed as a platformer. Jumping and climbing around the environments are when the game shines, and it is this aspect that will make or break the game for you.

Coming to this game more than two years after it's release, I'll be reviewing this game from the perspective of someone considering picking up this title (most likely at a discount), while trying my best to judge it by the standards of its time (not today).

STORY & CHARACTERS – 5/10

Crackdown takes place in a fictional city set in the near future overrun by crime gangs. In response, law enforcement agencies have genetically engineered a super-solider with incredibly abilities. It is the job of this “agent” (the main character of the game) to improve his abilities and clean the city up, single-handedly.

Don't worry if this story doesn't grab you right away…it's not especially good. The target of every single mission in the game is identical: Go to location X and kill a gang boss. Each gang boss inhabits a certain area, and there are usually a few different ways to tackle each situation. Each boss is actually given a detailed profile with a little intro and outro movie, but it is nearly as difficult to care about these as it is the nameless, silent main character.

Part of the reason the story suffers is because the game can be completed in any order you choose. Although they vary in difficulty, you can go after any gang boss you choose at any time, meaning that events in the game can't really be linked in any sequential order. Having the freedom to tackle the story in any order you choose sounds good on paper, but in practice the game suffers badly because of it.

GAMEPLAY – 8/10

Crackdown's saving grace is its gameplay, which is quite fun. Your character has a few basic abilities, each of which can be improved. Some (such as shooting) improve with use, while others have certain requirements (e.g. running over gang members improves your driving skill). By far the most fun of these are the agility orbs…secret green orbs hidden throughout the city. The more you get, the higher you can jump.

This is the mechanic that makes the game. As you collect more orbs and gain the ability to jump higher and higher, your character bounces from rooftop to rooftop. Different ledges and surfaces can be grabbed to add to the platforming experience. Moving through the city in this way really makes you feel like a super hero, and is by far the most memorable part of the game.

This contrasts quite sharply with Crackdown's driving, which is quite frankly terrible. The controls are clunky even once you've leveled up your driving ability, but to start out with they are outright awful. I'd honestly advise just skipping the driving portion of this game entirely, as it nearly ruined the experience for me before I decided to set it aside.

Combat, which consists of both shooting and melee gets the job done, but feels uninspired. Most of the weapons feel the same and none of them have the really “oomph” that makes great weapons in games so memorable, and melee combat is a simplistic button mashing affair.

The game takes place in the imaginary Pacific City, all of which is accessible from the beginning of the game. The various environments vary little, but some of the taller buildings and harder-to-reach sections do add some variety. Despite the presence of civilians and cars driving around, Pacific City doesn't feel especially alive, and could have benefitted from some more character.

The game does feature an online co-op mode. But it requires you to restart your game. The mode is glitchy (especially compared to what's available today) and basically not worth trying. Even if you are in it for the achievements, you should be warned that these are buggy and often don't register.

GRAPHICS & SOUND – 7/10

Crackdown was released not long after the launch of the system, so it deserves some leeway with regards to quality of graphics. Nonetheless, the game contains many vestiges of the previous generation (messages in the game use a very plain font that appear in a square blue box). Luckily the game took a cell-shaded approach to the graphics, so while the game does not look especially good (nothing holds up to close scrutiny), it retains some charm and doesn't become a real sticking point.

The sound in the game works, but is not notable in any way. The game uses a selection of licensed music (mostly electronic) that you will instantly forget. The game features a narrator with a gameshow announcer-styled voice that gets a little annoying as the game progresses, and the sound effects do their job, but don't make any kind of strong impression. Gunshots are especially poor, having no “pop” or overall feeling of impact.

REPLAYABILITY – 7/10

Crackdown is not an especially long game. Completing the main quest will probably take you seven or eight hours. There are some foot and vehicles races to complete, as well as finding secret orbs (different from the aforementioned agility orbs). The former holds little interest, but the latter is actually quite entertaining. Even after completing the game, you may get a few more hours of fun trying to collect these and fully max out your stats. But after that, it is unlikely that you will ever come back to the game.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION

Considering the era in which it was made, Crackdown is a really interesting attempt to make a different kind of open world game. Its graphical style gives it visual longevity, and while the story and much of the gameplay falls flat, the parts that work well end up creating an entertaining experience. Ultimately, if you play the game as a platformer and concentrate on the collectible orbs, you will have a lot of fun with the title. Given that the game can most likely be found at a bargain price these days, it is worth purchasing for a few days of fun.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 07/15/09

Game Release: Crackdown (US, 02/20/07)