Crackdown 2 Review
My friend paid $128.38 to play the standard edition of Halo 3 back in 2007. Remember the Halo 3 beta? Remember how you received access to this beta? You had to buy Crackdown for a full retail price of $59.99. You know what my friend did with his copy of Crackdown? He threw it out. He damned it to the abyss of coffee grinds and banana peels and all the stereotypical participants in a standard bag of trash.
Obviously the point in adding the Halo 3 beta to Crackdown was to promote sales for Crackdown, and it worked. Whether you played it or not, you supported developer Realtime Worlds with your purchase.
For those who played it, they were rewarded with having the pleasure of playing one of the better, underrated games of 2007. I never played Crackdown, allowing me to view Crackdown 2 as its own individual game, with no expectations to live up to.
Like its predecessor, Crackdown 2 comes from a new developer, this time Ruffian Games. The sequel is a hybrid, blending third-person shooter, platformer, and an open-world sandbox game. You play as an “Agent” in a city, a cliche setting for a cop, but I digress. Your goal is to assist the rest of your crime-fighting squad, codenamed “The Agency,” riddle away the scum known as “The Cell.” At night the city becomes infested with “Freaks” who are simply more aggressive zombies.
The story is bland, like many other games out. If you’re looking a captivating narrative look elsewhere. You differ from the Agency is that you are a complete badass, going around Pacific City collecting orbs that are scattered in clever areas. With the acquistion of orbs, you become stronger, faster, and more suitable for hardcore action. Does this take the challenge away? Eh, sort of, but that does not mean the action isn’t balls-to-the wall.The game runs perfectly. I did not experience one hiccup throughout my mindless destruction. The gameplay, though, is not without flaws. The targeting system is pretty whacky at times, with shallow and boring melee combat. Platforming isn’t perfect, either, as you will get stuck in awkward spaces and be able to notice that it is not as fluid and natural as say, inFamous.
I love cell-shaded games and Crackdown 2 is no exception. I admit the game does not pull the tactic off as well as say, Borderlands, but game looks appealing to me. In its own regards, Crackdown 2 is a beautiful game. I do admit I wish there was a little more variation in the scenery, but an urban setting limits that. The vehicles, pedestrians, and enemies all lack creativity. It is not much of a complaint, but it would of been nice to know I was not driving the same car I just was in, or being stalked by the same guy in a green shirt, or killing the same helpess scrub I ran into just over on the other street.
Would I say to buy Crackdown 2? No. Would I say to avoid Crackdown 2? No. Crackdown 2, for me, was all-in-all an extremely enjoyable game, one of the funnest games of 2010. If the first game is like this then hell yeah, I am sure I would enjoy that too. I just want to say, disregard review scores. A game’s main purpose is to provide entertainment, to escape your reality. If you enjoy destruction, explosions, and chaotic atmospheres, give Crackdown 2 a try.Final Score: B+
Check out http://www.thewarpzone.wordpress.com
