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| | Title:
Crackdown
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System:
Xbox 360
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Genre:
Action
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Publisher:
Microsoft
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Developer:
Real Time Worlds
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Release:
Fall 2006
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Online:
No
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ESRB:
Rating Pending (RP)
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With so many games out there that deal with open worlds, it's hard to find a title that really feels different. Franchises like True Crime and Grand Theft Auto don’t feel very unique when compared to each other. Sure Grand Theft Auto deals more with the crime aspect while True Crime is more of a cop game, but at the core they are about running around in a huge world. Getting around the world is done mostly on foot or through the use of a vehicle and the world, while large and detailed, really isn't all that interactive. At E3 this year another game in the "open ended world" category was being showcased: Crackdown. While there are some similarities between Crackdown and other games in its genre, there are also a few new additions that make Crackdown feel refreshing. I got some hands on time with Crackdown and so far the game seems to be shaping up nicely.
The first thing I really noticed about Crackdown was the unique graphic style it was employing; cel-shading. While not new to the videogame world, cel-shading has never been tried to an open ended world experience. It is safe to say that this is one of the first next-gen cel-shading titles and honestly, it doesn't look all that bad. Everything from the main character, cars, buildings, and enemies were outlined in a very faint black line that really made them stand out amongst the colorful world. Buildings were in every color and size, and the roads and sidewalks all seemed to jump off the screen. While everything was cel-shaded to a degree there was also a good amount of reaction to light off some of the surfaces. While the sun was out the car's exteriors would glow, and the windshields would shine. The result of this is a really great cel-shading effect where part of the time it looks somewhat cartoony, while at the next minute it looks next-gen. Complimenting these graphics were the great explosions and particle effects that were in constant effect during chaotic encounters with enemies. Explosions looked great on screen, and firing effects were pretty well done. As a whole the graphics in Crackdown aren't really all that bad. It won't dethrone Oblivion or Gears of War anytime soon, but for what the team behind Crackdown seems to be going for, they are doing an excellent job pulling it off.
After I got used to the graphics, I jumped right into the gameplay. Players are going to take the role of a new addition to an organization dedicated to ridding the world of crime known as The Agency. The Agency's primary goal is to resolve the issues with the gangs that are causing havoc on all three of the world's islands also known as Pacific City. Like GTA: SA there are three main areas to the world in Crackdown. These areas come in the form of islands. These islands look to be around the same size as GTA's cities if not a little smaller. However, what these islands lack in land acreage they make up in height. Where GTA did not allow any interaction in terms of scaling the buildings, Crackdown has no problem with this. It actually encourages getting up on the tall buildings by making it possible to grab almost every ledge on the buildings whether it is a windowsill or railing. Getting to these ledges is not a problem either since the special agent players are taking the role of has enhanced abilities, one of them being the ability to leap really far. By holding down the appropriate button players can launch themselves into the air. Getting to high locals in Crackdown is actually a very big portion of the gameplay since many of the twenty one missions players will undertake requires getting somewhere high. While twenty one may seem like a small number I was assured that these missions are no small task and require a lot of work to complete. These missions will span all three islands as the new agent to the Agency begins his quest in taking down all three gangs. The further along in the game the more will be revealed about these gangs and the more areas will be opened up. This is a very old formula for pacing of a game like this, but it is honestly the best way to handle large open ended environments.
To safely get through all twenty one missions and survive the dangerous encounters with three gangs, players are going to need some very hefty combat options available to them. Luckily, Crackdown is giving players plenty of options to take out enemies while at the same time employing an Oblivion style way of leveling up the main character's skills that is a first for this type of game. The first and most common way to take out enemies will obviously be through the use of firearms. Targeting enemies is done by holding down the left trigger. A red bar indicating the enemy's health is displayed once he is targeted. To fire the gun, all the player has to do is pull the right trigger. The two firearms shown in the demo were a pistol and an automatic rifle but there is no doubt that the arsenal is much bigger than this. In addition to firearms there will also be the typical grenades. These pack quite a punch and several times I actually caught myself the blast of my own grenade. While these weapon choices aren't as original as the ability to scale buildings there is one refreshing aspect to them; they actually work. Too often have previous open ended world games (GTA) had weapons that were a pain to aim and fire. For the limited amount of time I spent with Crackdown I never ran into this problem. Sure I was outnumbered by numerous gang members but I handled each one with ease. The targeting system seemed smart enough to go after the guy who posed the most threat and firearms actually took out the enemies.
But firearms are not the only way players are going to be taking out the gangs. Crackdown offers at least two more options that are quite entertaining. While one method has been used done to the death the other is quite a blast. Besides guns players will also be able to run gang members over with cars, or pick up objects in the game and toss them at enemies. The running people over is something that GTA made famous and from what I could tell there really wasn't all that much difference in Crackdown. There are only so many ways someone can get run over. The tossing of objects at enemies though is one of the more fun elements in the combat system and makes the gameplay a lot more varied. Since the main character has enhanced strength almost anything is up for grabs to be a weapon. Lamp posts, street signs, and even cars themselves can be picked up and hurled away. A lot of hilarity ensues when a car is picked up that is still full of passengers. They squirm and scream trying to get out only to be tossed across the road. Finding the appropriate target is just the same when firing the firearms. Holding down left trigger targets the enemy and then the object can be tossed.
Crackdown is also employing a leveling up system. Like Oblivion the more of a certain skill is used the more effective it becomes. These skills however must be utilized when taking out gang members to receive any experience. Just firing the rifle randomly at buildings will not level up the skill. When a gang member is taken out orbs that correspond with a certain skill can be collected. This gives a visual representation of just what skill actually made the final blow and gives a good sense of progress for the player. While GTA San Andreas did use a system similar to this, it was rather poorly implemented. The team behind Crackdown has put enough thought into the leveling up system that it makes the gameplay more rewarding and refreshing than anything GTA ever cooked up. As an added bonus the better the main character gets at a certain skill it will become more powerful visually in the game. Get better at driving cars and certain vehicles will evolve and look tougher. Become more proficient in using grenades and their explosions will become larger and more effective. By the end of the game players will have a truly unique agent.
Overall, Crackdown is shaping up nicely. The gameplay formula of an "open ended world" has been used to death; Crackdown has some nice gameplay additions that are surprisingly making the title in some ways, new. Whether it is scaling tall buildings, or leveling up one's skills Crackdown so far is a blast to play. Look for more info on Crackdown as we get closer to its launch date.
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More Reviews for this game: (displayed by authors name)
Cloud890
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