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CrackDown Review by Simon

Review written by forum member Simon

Review, in a nut shell. By Forum Member Simon


Crackdown, released earlier this week is a major hit so far. Is it because with it, comes a Halo 3 Beta? Or was it purely the goldness of the demo that hit the public?

Crackdown is a sandbox game, meaning it’s a whole living and breathing world, all about freedom. A place for gamers like ourselves, to chill out and do what we wish we could in the real world. Well Crackdown certainly proves that, and could be every gamers dream.

Your role in the game, is playing as a special agent, or ‘super cop’, and save the world of crime, hence the name Crackdown. But what makes this game so different in the playing style to the specials like Grand theft auto, or possibly Saint’s row? Three words, Super Human Abilities. The ability to leap 35 feet into the air, while in the air, throw a lorry at innocent bystanders.

You start the game as your basic super agent, with no name. Each time you log on to crackdown, you are free to change the difficulty and your super agents appearance. However, the in-game appearance changes due to your ability levels. When you first start, your abilites are nothing too special, being able to hop a few feet and maybe run as fast as your grandma. But that’s what makes crackdown so special, the amount of time and effort it takes in levelling up will make you keep coming back for more, let alone the saisfaction when you DO level up. The demo showed us a 30 minute trial of what our powers could be like at there full potential. Sure it was nice, being able to have these powers but for a mere 30 minutes? It wasn’t enough. But that’s the idea, to make you want to buy the game, so you can get all your stats up full could take weeks for the average gamer, if not months. But a dedicated Crackdowner, this could be just a week. As well as being able to explore the magnificently done cell shaded environment. But can you, as a gamer, come back purely to get your ranks up? I know I couldn’t. That’s why the developers have included a story mode. Didn’t notice it? I am not surprised.


Image courtesy of Gamespot

Yes, a successful sandbox game is one where freedom is essential. You are able to tackle a mission, in any way possible, finding tricks and techniques to use to your advantage. That’s where games such as Grand theft auto and Saint’s row succeeded. Crackdown offers a very subtle story mode. Why you ask? Because the developers have tried to make a game, with too much freedom. It’s not about the engaging, well script story mode. It’s simply about driving, running, jumping and swimming around the city. Anyhow, that’s where crackdown fails. A story mode with no plot is not really a story mode at all.

Crackdown though unlike previous GTA games, and the successful Saint’s row or in fact ANY previous sandbox games, offers a complete co-op mode. A fantastic one too. The game suffers from extremely small, if no moments of ‘lag’ despite its large size, and you are able to play with a friend, or a stranger over Xbox Live and tear down the city together, doing exactly the same stuff as you could on your own. With hundreds of races planted accross the map, you can spend hours at a time just cruising or killing your pal. With a great list of achievements to complete (Body Juggler, Use explosives to keep a body up in the air for 10 seconds), and the fun gameplay, the game will keep you coming for more. The game is smashes the likes of ‘Superman: The Videogame’ to a pulp, and certainly gives Saint’s row an extreme run for its money. With lots to do, great cell-shaded visuals and lovely open ended play, this could be the purchase for you, unless you’re looking for an in depth story mode.

A quick summary,
Visuals > 88% - They may be cartoony, but they are perfect for the game.
Sound > 78% - Good sound effects. While driving, the occasional good tune, but no rocky radiostations.
Gameplay > 95% - A large amount to do, from races to collecting agility orbs, offering a fun amount to do.
Value for money > 89% - This game will take you more than a weekend to complete. Plus, a free Halo 3 Beta. What more do we need?

Overall, a solid 85% offering a good length of enjoyment.


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