You know the world of gaming is moving into a new realm of achievement when you start liking games you don't like. Make sense?
Crackdown 2 is basically a shooter, but one with very open gameplay. You jump in as an Agent, trying to reclaim Pacific City from the effects of a virus that has turned much of the population into "Freaks," which is code for weird zombies. Unable to come out in the sunlight, night is a bad time to be around the city, but this gives the Agency an option for a supreme Freak-battling weapon.
The agency has a system in place for harnessing the sun's power, and pinpointing to the Freak lairs, and even the means to detonate a sort of Super Solar pulse, thus eliminating the Freaks once and for all. Unfortunately, there is a kind of rebellion at play in Pacific City. Known as Cell, this group of civilians is out to stop The Agency, and hinders their work at every turn. Your job is to reclaim whatever Cell has taken over, get the city back under Agency control, and wipe out Freaks.
Well, your job is really just to shoot at stuff. Sound fun?
Your focus is primarily on activating the beacons that make up this solar weaponry, but there are several other tasks to accomplish as well, though few of them are ultimately necessary.
Armed with a suit of armor, increasing ability to jump and run, and armed with a wide variety of weaponry and vehicles, the city is yours to explore. Climb to the top of buildings, and leap from rooftops to get around, or take a buggy with mounted machine gun for a ride, either way, you have a lot of city to cover.
What story there is comes to you by way of narration. Theoretically your handler, someone in the Agency is guiding you along the way, teaching how to use your abilities, and keeping you on track to one degree or another. Thus, while a somewhat interesting story, there isn't much story. You get the background, you have your objectives, you blow stuff up.
This isn't a game in quite the same group as things like Mass Effect 2, or Red Dead Redemption, and it isn't really trying to be. If you want a lot of story built in, try those games out, but if you want to throw shrapnel grenades, launch missiles, carry around gun turrets, and wreak untold amounts of general carnage, this is your game.
The question is only whether or not that's what you're looking for. If so, the controls, collectible power-ups, and complicated tasks are worth your time. The multi-player possibilities are very cool as well. You might find it a little tedious to search out those last few agility bonuses, because you can't reach a certain goal until you can jump higher, but overall things progress pretty smoothly.
The final verdict is that this probably won't really excite anyone, except as a multi-player offering. There are some games that make me wonder why they offer a non-multi-player experience, and this is one. The first few hours of play might be entertaining, but the game lacks the complexity to keep you interested on your own. As something to team up and deal out death, however, this one has some strong points.
If you're an action fanatic, you won't go wrong here. Otherwise, you won't last long before you wish there was more going on behind the explosions.
Complete freedom: A spectacular sandbox experience, Crackdown 2 is an explosive tour de force that invites you to explore, experiment, and navigate through objectives with complete freedom to do what you want, when you want. With unprecedented levels of open-ended gameplay in combat and story progression, Crackdown 2 redefines the sandbox style of play with a gripping narrative and more ways to engage in the explosive action than ever.
In a league of its own: With unparalleled cooperative action and multiplayer, the sandbox experience gets more exciting! Evolving the way open-world games are played, Crackdown 2 introduces never-before-seen multiplayer features that will take the genre to new heights. With the ultimate four-player co-op mode, 16-player multiplayer experiences, and an all-new party system, Crackdown 2 ushers in the most exciting open-world experience ever, offering unlimited ways to play and share Pacific City with friends around the world. Engage in dynamic competitive and cooperative multiplayer for double the carnage, action and intensity, only made possible on Xbox LIVE.
Sky's the limit: Serving justice, by any means necessary, Crackdown 2 continues the over-the-top action with ever-expanding skills, more dangerous enemies, and no safe zones. Strategies and tactics will be even more inventive with new weapons and agent skills that grant the abilities to scale buildings, orchestrate massive explosions, and engage in bone-crushing combat with obliterating force. Hit the road, take to the sky or explore underground -- the experience is limited only by your imagination. Whether chasing down enemies on rooftops or dropping from sky-high to ground zero in a matter of seconds, Crackdown 2 is the perfect adrenaline rush for action fanatics.
Sprawling environment: The sprawling metropolis that was once Pacific City is now divided between the Agency, the Cell and the Freaks in a contentious battle between order and anarchy. Divided and expanded with new environments in every direction, the city has never been more perilous. From the rooftops to the sewers, utilize their surroundings to the fullest to take back Pacific City.
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- Crackdown 2 video game review (telegraph.co.uk)
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About Marc Eastman
Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
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