Crackdown Released

Today, Crackdown came out in stores, and I picked up my copy. I know I complained about Microsoft packaging the Halo 3 beta with the game in my first post, but that was before I played the demo. After trying it out, I was hooked.

Some call it a GTA clone, but it's actually not. The story is pretty basic; you're a genetically altered super soldier who works for the sole crime fighting organization left, known only as the Agency. You use your skills to assist the cops (Peacekeepers) in fighting gang violence around Pacific City. There are 3 gangs in the game, Los Muertos, The Volk, and the Shai-Gen. By taking out low ranking gang bosses, you can weaken their forces, ultimately allowing you to take out the kingpin. However, you won't just be handed missions and told where to find your target, and then move on to the next. Instead, while exploring the city you will be updated with information on nearby gang bosses, who you can then choose to eliminate or not. It is possible to take on the kingpin before eliminating the underlings, but it will be considerably more difficult.

Another aspect that makes this game unlike Grand Theft Auto is that it allows the player to level up like an RPG. There are five skills you can level up: Driving, Firearms, Strength, Agility, and Explosives. Each can be leveled up by killing gang members in a particular way, except for agility, which is leveled up by collecting orbs on the rooftops. There are also vehicle races to increase driving ability, and rooftop races to increase your agility. These aspects alone have provided me with hours of entertainment so far, and it's only the first day. I can't explain how enjoyable it is to jump from rooftop to rooftop exploring Pacific City.

After playing the full version of Crackdown for a number of hours, and experiencing the normal rate of skill leveling, I'd give Crackdown a 4 out of 5, for a game with solid gameplay, great cell shaded graphics (it looks like a freshly inked comic book), and an expansive world to explore. This game is a definite buy.