Console: Xbox 360
Release Date: 9th July 2010
Players: Story Mode – 1-4 player Co-Op / Multiplayer – Up to 16 players
You struggled your way through hordes of foot soldiers, thugs, gang runners, small fry crime bosses to the heads of some of the most powerful crime families and syndicates in the city – not bad for a genetically engineered crime fighting super cop. Leaping tall buildings, throwing cars 30 feet into the air and taking down a gang using only your fists – all in a day’s work for one of Pacific City’s best Agents.
Unfortunately the peace you brought in the first Crackdown game hasn’t lasted and Pacific City has fallen into chaos once more and this time round, you have more to deal with than just simple minded crooks.
Plot
Crackdown 2 is set ten years after the first game and having restored justice and taken down the crime organisations wreaking havoc on the city, the people of Pacific City enjoyed a somewhat short lived era of peace. The Agency responsible for creating you hire a new scientist, Dr. Catalina Thorne, however it is uncovered that the good doctor has been running unauthorised experiments and is fired. Furious and hell bent on getting revenge, Thorne, infects the current batch of Agents with a genetic virus which turns them into monstrous killing machines and then she destroys the research laboratories, destroying the Agent program in the process. To top it all off the psychotic doctor releases the ‘Freak’ virus into the general populace, mutating citizens and turnings into twisted mutants who lurk in the dark sewers until nightfall. With no new Agents and the Agency crippled, crime returns to the streets of Pacific City and Catalina continues her reign of terror practically unopposed. It is up to you as an Agent to stop the mutants, the new crime lords and bring Catalina and her ‘Cell’ group to justice, if Pacific City is ever going to see peace again.
Gameplay
Ruffian Games were well aware of the success of the first game and have done very little to change the style of gameplay in Crackdown 2. You still play in a free roam sandbox style city and you will still have to collect orbs/experience points to level your Agents abilities.
There are some new things to get giddy over though – the sequel will allow for greater customisation of your character unlike the first Crackdown. Our favourite abilities have also been tweaked so we’ve got some new stuff to play with – you will be able to jump higher, and ‘dash’ (Agility was our favourite in the game). You will have the usual arsenal of guns and vehicles as well as some new future inspired looking ones and even a ‘special’ helicopter!
As the Agent you will have to contend with human criminals, bullets or fists work rather well on these squishy beings but at night you have the force of the ‘Freaks’ to contend with and will need special UV guns to take them down.
The challenges are back as well, running and car races were a big feature in the first one and have claimed their spot again in Crackdown 2.
Multiplayer
Multiplayer gets a revamp for the return of the game – for one Ruffian games have dropped the system link from the first game according to a rumour that Peter Connelly, a Microsoft Producer stated in an interview “It would’ve taken a half-day of work, for something that only a tiny percentage of gamers will ever use.” – Of course this is unfounded and we really hope they haven’t dropped the system link feature.
Other multiplayer settings include a 4-way co-op and the chance to go head to head with up to 16 players.
Crackdown 2 is coming to an Xbox 360 near you on the 9th of July, so get ready to play powered up genetically enhanced super crime fighting soldier once more!
