• March 5, 2007    Home > Game Reviews > Verdict

    Crackdown

    One small step for an agent, one giant leap for 360.
    Version
     Xbox 360    		Developer
    Realtime Worlds    		Publisher
    Microsoft    		Genre
    Action

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    Page 2

    Clearly, Realtime Worlds knew this was going to happen. The game is structured around the Achievement system and they've even held back on 100 points so that they can see what the community gets up to before they send down another tablet of instructions.

    "The constant stream of Achievements is one way in which Crackdown shows off its impressive pacing."

    The constant stream of Achievements is one way in which Crackdown shows off its impressive pacing. Another is the finesse with which character advancement is handled. Sprinkled throughout the city are hundreds of glowing power-ups. Collect enough of them and you'll become more agile, your skills improving step-wise from good-enough to godlike.

    Ledges that are just out of reach when you born into the world are easily vaulted later in the game, and the more you improve the more you'll notice how important - and fun - the vertical dimension of the city-cum-playground is.

    "It's without question one of the most fun games on the Xbox 360 or any other platform."

    Your avatar - and since you can switch your agent at any point, it's really just that - changes as you grow your character. You might notice this during the solo mode but it's once you join a co-op game with someone of lower level than you that you're struck by just how much your body has changed.

    The co-op mode, incidentally, is handled superbly. At first you might not see the point of it, since you're essentially just playing in someone else's city for a while. It's up to you to find ways to have fun in your shared city, and the sandbox nature of the world makes that easy. The developers seem to have noticed this. Don't be surprised if some of those last 100 Achievement points are set aside for the co-op mode.

    There's no denying that at one time many people thought Crackdown might not be all that good, particularly when Microsoft said the game would be coming with the Halo 3 demo. They couldn't be more wrong. Crackdown brings you a living city to play with however you want, and it's without question one of the most fun games on the Xbox 360 or any other platform, for that matter.

    Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL
    9.0 8.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0


    THE VERDICT:     There are a lot of good games on the Xbox 360 but there are few that are as genuinely fun to play as Crackdown. The feeling you get from soaring higher and higher into the air as your character develops is intoxicating, and I actually found myself regarding the real world in new ways. I noticed ledges I never saw before and looked for jumpable gaps between buildings. I've never been too concerned with Achievements but Crackdown has made a believer out of me.

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    Video Coverage
    (Latest Videos & Video FAQ)
    PLEASE DO NOT DIRECT LINK TO ANY MEDIA FILE ON KIKIZO
    DescriptionDur.SizeDetails
    Crackdown
    E3 2006 trailer    		 01:05 16MB DF, SD, 16:9
    640x360p30
    2.3Mbps
    Crackdown
    Announcement trailer (hi quality)       		1.46m 38MB HD, 30, CAM
    800x448
    3.5Mbps
    Peter Moore Interview
    Extensive interview with Xbox boss    		 24:22 217MB CAM, ED, 16:9
    856x480/60p
    5Mbps
    Chris Lewis Interview
    Xbox EMEA boss exclusive feature    		 14:46 148MB CAM, ED, 16:9
    856x480/60p
    5Mbps

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