Crackdown Reviews

• Great fun, great game!

  
  By A1Y7EI6VGKWUD3 on 2007-02-20
  This actually turned out to be a great game. A lot of people, myself included, figured it would only sell because of the Halo 3 beta invite included with it and that the game itself would suck. But Crackdown itself actually ROCKS!! This game is great, adrenaline filled fun!
  
  You basically play as a cop with superpowers that grow better as you play. So, the more you jump around, the better your jumping ability gets, and eventually you can jump over buildings. The more you fight, the better your fighting ability gets, the more you drive, the better your character's driving ability gets, and so forth.
  
  It's an open world style game (but please, don't compare it to GTA, it's really quite different!) The guy who created GTA made this game, but the comparisons should really end there. This game is an original take on the open sandbox style of game. In some ways this game is more fun than the GTA games. You have superpowers! You can jump tall buildings! You can pick up and throw cars! In other was, it falls short of a GTA comparison. For one thing it doesn't have as much depth and as many varied things to do. But still, Crackdown will keep anyone entertained for a long, long time, and there's sure to be plenty of downloads to expand the game further.
  
  All in all, this is a great game, tons of fun (just what a video game should be!), and it is well worth the purchase by its own merits! The Halo 3 Beta invite is just a bonus (although a really, really GREAT bonus!) But you don't have to take my word for it; go play the demo on Xbox Live!!
  
  Note on the Halo 3 beta invite: You must own the game disc at the time the beta becomes available (late spring). So, no, you can't buy the game and then sell it and still get into the Halo 3 beta. You must have the Crackdown game disc in your XBox 360 drive to download and play the beta when it comes out.
  
  

• A Fun Cel-Shaded Sandbox Shooter

  
  By A3V6Z4RCDGRC44 on 2007-02-24
  Crackdown is a cel-shaded sandbox style fighting game in the style of Grand Theft Auto and Saint's Row - but this time you're on the side of justice. Sort of. Best of all, you get into the free beta of Halo 3!
  
  It's funny how many people are instantly buying this game just to get into the Halo 3 beta. We of course are thrilled about the Halo 3 part - we are avid fans of the Halo series - but Crackdown actually isn't bad on its own merits.
  
  First, you have to accept that it's cel shaded. The graphics are a little cartooney. They did this on purpose, and if you don't like being immersed in a dirty, swear-filled comic book, you might not take to this game. However, those who enjoy anime, manga and an alternate view of reality will appreciate the more-than-human powers you have here.
  
  You're an enhanced human in a future where three criminal gangs have taken over the world. You get the traditional types of enemies - a wisened old Chinese guy, a Hispanic drug lord and a Soviet mob boss. You get a variety of cars to jump into, a variety of weapons to shoot, and a fairly large world to roam around in.
  
  There are tunnels below the ground, places to jump across roofs, places that you can leap cars across, and much more. As you do things, you gain experience and better skills, meaning you can now shoot better or jump higher. This gives you incentive to build up your talents to get to those just out of reach areas.
  
  The game is pretty lenient - if you hide out for a while, your armor regenerates as does your health. When you die, they just give you another clone of yourself to keep playing with. You activate teleport spots around the world so you can get to places quickly.
  
  The soundtrack is reasonably good - there's a lot of variety here to choose from. The in-game sounds of local Hispanics chatting at you in Spanish, or the high pitched screams of scared civilians, all seem to fit in resaonably well with your cartoon environment.
  
  Graphics are, as mentioned, cel shaded. I enjoy cel shading and found it an interesting take on the GTA world. The HUD is esay to understand - it's clear what part of the body you're targeting and what is near you on the map. You get a mix of Kingdom Hearts orb-collecting with Vice City night clubs, Scarface swearing, and a bit of do-gooding in there, too. Assuming of course that you actually go after the bad guys rather than driving over the civilians.
  
  So where does that leave you? You're not getting top-drama and acting as in The Godfather. The cel shading might annoy some people. But really, for a fun jumping, shooting, roaming-the-world game, this is really quite fun.
  
  

• A Jumping good time

  
  By AY3Y9ROK6LRPI on 2007-03-01
  CrackDown - Circa 2007
  
  
  GOOD:
  - Great Co-op Gameplay allows two players play through the game from start to end. A co-op player can come into the game at any time and leave at any time.
  - Leveling up your characters traits (Jumping, Strength, Driving, Shooting, Explosives) makes your character not only better at that skill but also gives you bonuses (Example: Leveling up your Driving skill gives you not only better control over driving any car, bus and or truck but your Agency Car gets upgraded as well with new abilities, such as adding car-mounted guns, think Twisted Metal)
  - The world of CrackDown has some nice level design and areas both high (like skyscraper roof tops) and low (deep underground bunkers) are well though out and fun to traverse.
  - Access to Halo 3 Beta Test
  
  BAD:
  - No plot to speak of outside of being a super-cop and killing gang lords.
  - Game is short with only 24 bosses and 3 riots (gang riots happen in each area after all gang leaders are killing in that area).
  - Driving cars feels a bit sloppy even after getting 4 star max driving skills.
  - Outside of foot/driving races, looking for orbs (about 500 in the game), and killing bosses there is not too much to do in the world of CrackDown.
  - The Music in this title is not that great and over all forgettable - mostly generic techno (you only can get music while in a car, while on foot which you spend 90% of the game you get no music - like GTA). Thank god, using Xbox 360 built in "play any song I want at anytime" feature was here to save the day, just before you play a the game put in your favorite music CD, rip it onto the 360's Hard Drive and then later on while playing your game click the Xbox 360 guide button and go to select track (and play your own songs).
  
  IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
  - A Sci-Fi (although near future feeling) Third Person Shooter (Camera behind the player)
  - A go anywhere do anything at any time type of game that we have seen in such games as Grand Theft Auto. The biggest difference is now you play as a super-cop charged with killing criminals instead of a gang member trying to become a gang lord.
  - Jumping plays a big role in the game and jumping roof top to roof top (like the comedic super hero The Tick) is not only fun but opens up a large part of the game space available for play.
  - Co-op gameplay is fun and useful (2 players are able to do things one player could not do alone, example: One player gets into a car/truck and the other player can throw said car/truck well behind enemy lines)
  
  GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
  - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS2/Xbox/PC)
  - Saints Row (Xbox 360)
  - Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction (PS2/Xbox)
  
  
  ADDITIONAL NOTES:
  - The first shipments of CrackDown come with free access/invite to the Halo 3 beta (which starts 5/16/07 and ends 6/7/07); later releases will not have this feature.
  - You can download a character pack for this game for free over XBL Marketplace, this pack will add four new characters to your character select screen.
  - There are Two downloadable packs for this game on XBL Marketplace which unlock seven new achievements and an ability to reset gangs (but keep your level of stats), get a new new ground attack, a new noise indicator makes it easier to find orbs (when you get to the last 20 or so), makes stunt ring more visible, and fixes some minor problems with targeting and camera angles when driving. The first pack is called the Free-For-All Pack which is a FREE and has the Keys to the City Mode (where you will be able to spawn such items such as vehicles, explosive barrels and change time of day at any time. Your characters skill level can be changed to your likeing and you can turn on/off infinite ammunition as well as GOD mode, achievements and game saving is turned off when in the Keys to the City Mode), a new vehicle selection system has been integrated into the agency garage which allows for new colors (such as Blue, Red and Green) for all cars even agency cars and now players can impound any civilian or enemy vehicle and store them in the agency garage as well. The Getting Busy Bonus Pack which sells for 800 Microsoft points ($10.00 USD) has three new vehicles such as the Beach Buggy (with Chain gun), Race Car (Which looks like a wacky go-kart, but is fast), and Armored Car (Looks like the Mini-Tank/Armored Car from the 80's Aliens [Alien 2] movie), This pack also has some new game types (like Stockpile and Rocket Tag) and even has five new weapons such as the Muilt-Grenade launcher, Proximity Mines, Harpoon Gun, Chain Gun, and even a Cloaking Device.
  
  

• Fun game but MIGHT get old quick.

  
  By A1HK81U1MMW18K on 2007-02-20
  I found myself wanting to get this game for the Halo 3 beta but soon after playing the free demo 13-15 times I've decided I want to buy Crackdown for Crackdown. I've read that there are already free content downloads for this game and it's just been released. Maybe this is a good sign that there will be many content downloads for this game that will keep it alive.
  
  For the poster before me... He's a fool. Selling the game right after you sell it? You obviously don't know how the beta works. If one buys Crackdown to get into the Halo 3 Beta, you need to use the disc to login to the Beta when it becomes available in the SPRING. Also... this user obviously doesn't know this is a game that is in another graphic genre. Of course it's not going to look like GTA...
  
  As for the coop, I've heard they are NOT fixing the jumping in the game problem which will suck because people will be blocked when trying to join a coop game. BUT they release of this game today should fix the tremendous lag problem.
  
  If you feel like waiting another 4-8 months for new 360 game that's going to be really fun (other than Virtua Tennis 3) don't get this game.
  
  

• Crazy Fun, Like A Comic Version Of GTA

  
  By A143P0NKQDNWYL on 2007-02-21
  I found this to be an interesting game in the sense that it reminded me of the game Mercenaries and GTA3 in the sense that it is free roaming while also having elements of mission-based combat. The jumping is insane and with the first powerboost you feel like a superhero and invulnerable to anything as pedestrian as a rapid succession of bullets, but then you are quickly humbled be the firepower of a gang hitsquad. Yes you have to take cover, yes you will probably die a few times taking on odds that are not in your favor. I found it easier just go around kicking the gang members instead of shooting them. When your strength rises to the level where you can pick up a truck and throw it a few yards, punching and kicking adversaries turns into comic slapstick what with the Havoc-ragdoll physics at work. The city-scape is amazing and has the endless feel. The city seems more South American to Eastern European. The citzens don't really interact, they aren't mindless though, they run when bullets start flying. The gangs are not too dumb, especially as you advance in stats, the gangs actually get more sophisticated and deadly weaponry to deal with your enhanced genetics. Sometimes just rushing the main bosses and smacking them down does more than ducking and shooting at them. I don't agree that this is a Saints Row knock off. The graphics are next gen and the game is geniunely fun to play especially on-line which is where the game seems to shine the most. It's definitely worth the buy!
  
  
• Like a kid in a candy store...
  By ACUYXGCMWVF7S on 2007-04-02
  Crackdown is a euphoric, addictive rush that, unfortunately, doesn't last as long as you wish. The premise is a Grand Theft Auto-style game set in the near future. The originality of this game is what sets it apart from, and makes it in many ways better than, most GTA games and GTA clones. This game is essentially a super-hero game, with the player controlling a genetically-enhanced crime fighter. Remember how in GTA you would die the instant you touched water, or if you fell from a height of over 3 feet? Well in Crackdown, you can jump OVER buildings, lift buses to hurl them anywhere you want, and you get better at everything simply by using your skill. Remember the original Matrix movie? This is what it feels like. The more you shoot, the better shot you become, same with driving.
  Simply leveling up (a typical RPG element) works wonders in this game, meaning that simply jumping around the city beating up gang members is a blast.
  
  The GOOD: Non-linear missions. No more fed-ex quests or escorting missions. You are tasked to take out major crime bosses. You can bump them off in any order you wish, and your actions have logical repercussions: take out the Russian mafia's gun supplier, and the grunts on the streets will have less lethal ordinance. Awesome, addictive superhero play- jumping around a city has never been this much fun. The graphics, reminiscent of "A Scanner Darkly" are awesome. Just plain fun action all around.
  
  The BAD: Way too short. Once you kill off all of the gangs... there's nothing to do. You can run around the city, but with no baddies to fight, it gets old quick, since your character is all leveled-out by then.
  
  Bottom Line: Original, addictive and a blast to play.
  
  
• Buy it even without the Halo 3 beta
  By A36918M1NH3U7O on 2007-02-25
  Ok I admit it one of the reasons I bought this was for the Halo 3 beta. Well Microsoft surprised me and made a great game!! Crackdown is a blast. First ignore anyone review that writes it is a GTA ripoff. The only thing similar is it is an open environment game and you can drive around if you want. My favorite part of the game is jumping around the city finding agility orbs so you can jump farther and higher. I don't even drive the cars I jump around the city. You can increase you agility, firearms, driving, explosives, and strength. As you increase your skills you open up the game to even more mayhem. As a bonus any time a friend can jump in online and help. People who are slamming this game are missing the fun of the game. It's a fun diversion from Gears, Rainbow six and the like. It also has mini things to do like agility races, driving races and things. It's a great way to spend hours. I will be buying crackdown 2 without any Halo beta that's how good the game is
  
  
• Fun Game That'll Keep Us Entertained Until The Next Big 360 Exclusive..
  By A362CADYOPUBI7 on 2007-02-21
  I know most people only bought this game because of the Halo 3 beta, which is really funny considering you have to own the crackdown disc to use the invite (a lot of people thought that they would just get the code and sell crackdown) but the game merits enough on it's own to be well worth a purchase. I mean, we've all played through and beat Gears on all the difficulty settings, and this game is the perfect filler for those times when you dont feel like playing Vegas online. It's unique, its original, and most importantly it's what a game should be. Fun.And to the idiot who said that it was a lame copy of Saints Row..dude Saints Row wasn't even good. If anything, THAT was a 10X bigger rip of GTA then people would ever consider this to be. And as for the next gen graphics comment you made? It's cell shading. It's supposed to look how it does, duh, and im pretty sure they did a damn fine job with it. The beta IS a REALLY nice bonus for buying this, and since it's limited it may be worth the purchase now. But don't blow crackdown aside completely as a game, it holds up very well on its' own and the multiplayer rocks. The next exclusive we have to look forward to, and with Gears, Vegas, and now Crackdown, I'm sure people'll be pretty busy. Pick it up now.
  
  
• Not Just for the Halo 3 Beta
  By A13LMN3NAN1XP4 on 2007-02-22
  I'll be honest, I was more inclined to buy this game because of the Halo 3 beta invite. However, now that I've started playing, I can't stop. I'll sit down to do one or two things for 20 minutes and then four hours later I haven't eaten dinner and it's time to go to bed. It's a very open world. Climbing buildings and jumping from rooftop to rooftop is a big part of the game, so if you see a building and you're thinking "I bet I can get up there", then you probably can. It might take some thinking and some delicate maneuvers, but it just goes to show how well this game was put together. The demo doesn't do it justice. If you're still skeptical, rent it. You'll be dying to own it once you have to return the thing.
  
  
• halo 3 beta and crackdown AWSOME
  By A2RRP15F5GNRP1 on 2007-02-24
  Sure lots of people just want this game for the beta . i just wanted the beta at first. So when i knew the beta would not launch until spring i was a little disapointed but when i played crackdown it was so cool and i knew it would last me till the beta starts .this game has it all a good storyline cars a big map online skills you could increase and savilians you could kill for fun . This game is worth every penny
  
  
• Play it for the jumping alone.
  By A2PDBP7DSP6WUP on 2007-02-25
  Without the jumping abilities you get in this game, it would be very average. The shooting isn't all that great, and the driving kind of sucks. But it's extremely fun to jump this high. This game feels more like an open world platformer than action game. There some good city design that gives you good reasons to jump all over the place. And there's also rooftop races which are fun. Even with average shooting, the action is fun because there are so many guys shooting at you at once. It gets intense. The upgrade system is cool too. My weapons are at level 2 right now, and that causes a guy to go flying when you shoot him. I'm eager to see what happens when my explosives experience levels up. This game also feels alot freer than other open world games. The missions come up as you approach certain areas, rather than the missions dictating what parts of the city you visit and in which order. This is definitely worth playing if you like GTA type games, or if you like platformers.
  
  
• Just Plain Fun
  By A2IDK7P9RNSPY6 on 2007-02-22
  I'm not usually a huge fan of sandbox games (I played GTA III, VC, and SA but never got into them) and eventhough this game has its flaws (lack of depth, shallow story, etc,), it is insanely fun. FUN FUN FUN. Last night, I spent 8 hours playing co-op with a friend (had 1 hr of sleep before work) and we have not had so much fun with a game in a long time. Most of the time we ran around hunting for agility orbs and causing mass chaos. But the funnest part of the night was when we found a couple of mobile ramps and tried to execute impossible jumps, mid-air collisons, and movie-style explosion scenes. My friend was the camera man and I was the driver, which coincidently allowed me to earn the "stunt driver" achievement. I'm sure we will eventually get tired of the car stunts, but as we continue ranking up, I am ceratin that we will find new "activities" to entertain us. Oh, yeah, eventually we might finish the campaign as well =)
  
  
• Crackdown= one of the funnest 360 titles
  By A3VOH5MH8J7Z72 on 2007-02-23
  I played the xbox live demo several times and was hooked. There is nothing better than gathering orbs, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, driving sweet vehicles everywhere and causing insane explosions while taking down ganglords. This is the free roaming game I always wanted. There is so much to do that the entertainment is only limited to your imagination. If you think the game is boring than you might have a boring imagination because really the game is about creating the fun, not having it spoon fed to you like a story-path based game. Swim, jump, climb, drive, throw, shoot, ect... this game rocks. I have spent many an hour playing Crackdown and I am loosing sleep--that's a good sign. (Oh, and the first release includes an intvite to Halo 3 beta) Not why I bought the game but a nice touch. They should advertise the game like the Milk companies do- "Got Crack?"
  
  
• Its Cool That Finally the Mobsters(Gangsters) are the Ones Getting Blown Away
  By A1XEURHL26CJ12 on 2007-02-27
  This game is really fun, some official reviews have been too harsh on this game. One reason its got a bad wrap is just that with a little more, time and features this game could have been really FANTASTIC. Like adding versus multiplayer matches. We are never satisfied these days.
  
  I marvel at the detail here, the mechanics of the jumping are great. There is so much beautiful work here.
  
  What I am really enjoying in this game is not being on the side of the criminals, not having the streets filled with prostitutes with all the wonderful things they say. I couldnt believe the things they would say in the Demo of Saints Row.
  
  There is also no good reason to kill civilians and you feel you are trying to protect them.
  
  Finally a game where we get to take down the gangs, one that does not venerate the gangs and the gang culture. Saints Row was also beautifully made but it was glorifying that gang lifestyle which is a problem for so many of our communities and the bad language of Saints Row was awful.
  
  This game is totally worth the money and you get into the Halo 3 beta test which should be fun too.
  
  Recommended.
  
  
• Phenomenal game
  By A2Q8TF2JSMUJIL on 2007-02-26
  This is GTA, without all the overhead of plot and missions. Just tons of fun running around the city, blowing everything up, and upgrading your character.
  
  
• It's called CRACKdown for a reason!
  By A2ZYHROYENYYKK on 2007-03-09
  This games is called CRACKdown for a reason - you will quickly become obsessed with finding agility orbs all over Pacific City! This game will consume you. One minute you're on your way to wipe out a mob boss. . . but wait. . . what's that up there on that rooftop? An agility orb? Up up and away! Before you know it, you're scaling a building. . . bounding to a precipitous ledge to get the glowing green agility orb (the crack in crackdown!). But wait! What do your wondering eyes behold? ANOTHER AGILITY ORB three rooftops away. . . and then another. . .and another! The rooftops become fields of beckoning orbs. Soon you forget about the citizens crawling along on the ground below you as you leap from building to building. But you're not free from the bad guys. Not by a long shot! A well placed rocket can knock you off your rooftop quest and send you falling, flaming to the asphalt below! And so it is in the game of crackdown.
  
  I bought this game solely for the Halo 3 beta invite. I didn't really expect this game to be nearly as fun as it is. I thought I might enjoy it, but now I can highly recommend the game solely on it's own merits. There are a lot of achievements in this game that you can get through normal gameplay, however, there are some that require you devote time solely to them. The rooftop races are an example. Throughout each gang area of Pacific City, there are things known as rooftop races that require you to race from one location to the next. This is almost like slalom racing in skiing. You will have a starting point and there may be 30 or so green gateways that your agent must pass through in a set time period. A lot of these races will show you locations of orbs you haven't yet discovered and locations of crime bosses you've not yet brought to justice.
  
  Crackdown is a much better game than I'd ever expected or hoped for. It's well worth the $60.00 and I don't say that lightly! The language in the game is NOT appropriate for children. There are several of the major, spicy cuss words peppered throughout this game (read that as the "S" word and the "F" word). Usually these cuss words are uttered by many of the henchmen as you are infiltrating their stronghold. The violence isn't anything beyond what you'd see in a rated T for Teen game like COD2 or Halo 2. The coarse language is what prevented me from buying a copy of the game for my son.
  
  Perhaps the only weakspot I found in the game (aside from coarse language) is the lack of a multiplayer option. If two people want to play the game at the same time, they need to have two Xbox 360s. In other words, you can only put the smackdown on crime with your best buddy if you have two 360's system linked or if you hook up via XBL. That's kinda silly. Although I'm a fan of splitscreen gaming, but it does need to at least be an option.
  
  In short, don't think of this as purchasing a Halo 3 beta invite with a free version of crackdown. Think of this as a great game worthy of purchasing all by itself! You won't be sorry!
  
  
• Outrageous
  By A3CI7VNMK8GC7D on 2007-12-19
  I don't intend for this to be one of the reviews that you base your purchase off of. I just want to let everyone know how this has helped me out and how ridiculously exhilarating it is to play. First of all, I never thought anything of this game. But when my son Ian got diagnosed with cancer (Leukemia), I was trying to find something that would distract him from the facts. Well it just so happened that I had just recently bought a 360 for myself and Ian, when we realized this horrible thing. So, I bought another 360, and two copies of Crackdown so I could talk to him, and play with him online when he was in the hospital. He absolutely loved it, and it gave me and my wife chills hearing his laughs through the mic every time we played. The game definitely did its job, and Ian was entertained for hours on end. Unfortunately, Ian passed away on December 2nd. However, I am just happy that he could do so doing something he loved, with the people he loved most. What I'm trying to say is that this game will entertain any kid, and even adults no matter what the situation. Best regards to everyone. Love you forever Ian.
  
  
• The game that GTA IV should have been
  By AYLSA7N8J63AO on 2008-07-08
  I bought this game when it came out, and I literally couldn't stop playing it. I ended up selling my XBOX 360 becasuse I was convinced I had a real problem. Then 6 months later I bought a replacement XBOX 360. A week later I bought Crackdown again, but kept it under control.
  
  Great game. Giant open-world platformer, kind of like everything good about Spiderman 2 and GTA III rolled into one. The powerups and achievements are doled out in such perfect operant conditioning that (for me at least) you can't turn it off.
  
  
• Snooooore.....
  By AP07U67GFM8U on 2007-02-25
  God this game is boring. GTA1, the original was even better than this. You drive around...you shoot...you jump. Ooh and it's all cartoony. But that's it. Mind-numbingly repetetive. Will be taking this back for a refund I kid you not.
  
  
• Crackdown... the ultimate way to relax
  By A3K91X9X2ARDOK on 2007-02-28
  I absolutely love this game and have been playing nothing else since I purchased it. It's basically Grand Theft Auto meets the Matrix. I say that because it has the entire open world feeling that GTA has mixed with the sensational feeling of jumping from one rooftop to another. This is one of those games where you can actually feel how high up you are, especially when you realize that you're not gonna make it to that rooftop that you thought you could reach. As your character levels up and you start jumping higher, throwing farther and shooting more accurately, the game just becomes ridiculously entertaining.
  
  The graphics are awesome. I love cel shaded graphics myself and while this slightly cartoony look may put off some of you, I think it's a big part of what makes this game work. It's amazing how you can stand on the highest point in the game and look down at the entire world before you and still see tiny cars in the distance and people milling about. The physics are really nice also, employing ragdoll physics and real world physics so people collapse realistically after being filled with lead and cars flip over in a believable manner after being blown to smithereens. And speaking of explosions, let's just say there are many, they are usually huge and they're really loud.
  
  The in game sound is really nice and if you remember what the gunfire in the film "Heat" sounded like during the heist scene, it sounds just like that. Another reason to get yourself a surround setup if you don't alrteady have one.
  
  Online co-op is great and has a kind of Gears of War thing going for it in that you can jump in someone else's game and help them complete missions if you choose. Playing in this type of game with another player is a very satisfying experience. The controls are nice and tight and even though there might be a slight issue with locking on targets you may not necessarily be targeting, it's still more than adequate for the games purposes.
  
  This game boils down to eliminating the bad guys and collecting stuff scattered across the map. Rarely has it ever been this much fun. While there isn't as much to do as in GTA: San Andreas (let's face it though, I don't really think delivering pizzas would make sense in this game), there's still a lot of searching, collecting and wiping out of scumbags to make this game a hell of a good time.
  
  Highly recommended.
  
  
• Way overrated, does not live up to the hype
  By A3PICMZJVSEEFZ on 2007-03-29
  I was hearing how incredible this game was, how it's way better than saint's row or grand theft auto. So, I borrowed the game from my work and I decided to play it. Wow, is this game overblown. Only fun the first couple hours and then becomes terribly repeative. Once you max out your guy, what the hell is there to do? Plus, enemies constantly respawn, so most of the time you get shot off of a building and die. I'm at the end of the game right now, fighting the WANG guy and I screamed out in protest. I've beaten Gears of War on Insane diffuclty, but this game is just downright stupid. Plus, there is no storyline, you can get all of the achievements within about a day or two, and the graphics that everyone is raving about is not even on par with better games like Gears of Rainbow Six Vegas. Don't believe the hype, this game isn't all it's cracked up to be.
  
  
• Crackdown
  By AHI6ISSSZKNQX on 2007-10-09
  While I did enjoy playing this game the first time around, I found to my sheer and utter disappointment that I cannot start over and play it again. This is a MAJOR design flaw in the game. If you do not have Xbox Live, you cannot download the update to reset the city's crimes. I have done substantial research online to find a way to reset the game so I can play it again, but every single post, including posts from the game designers at Microsoft, state that you need Xbox Live (Gold membership) to get the update. They even boast that the update brings more features to the game, BUT once again, you need to purchase the wireless network adaptor for ONLY $100, not to mention a GOLD member subscription. I am EXTREMELY dissatisfied with this answer. I do not have Xbox Live nor do I see a need for it, especially at the price they want you to pay for it. I will never buy another Microsoft made video game again. Sorry Halo 3 - but I don't trust your juvenile group of game designers anymore.
  
  
• Absolute waste of time and money
  By A2YTXTX2FTV7BH on 2007-02-25
  So let's see: Microsoft has decided to bolster sales of Crackdown, its pathetic "Grand Theft Auto" rip-off, by letting anyone foolish enough to buy it on the "Halo 3" beta. Sorry, but that stinks. This game is absolutely horrible, and completely unfun, unless of course the idea of running down pedestrians in various types of vehicles still appeals to you a decade after GTA. This game isn't worth $19.99, let alone $59.99. Shame on Microsoft for this, and shame on me for falling for it.
  
  
• Fun
  By A2W36OONSDMA03 on 2007-02-26
  This game is pretty fun. Its hook is the ability to build your characters strentgh, agility, driving and firearm abilities. The cities are pretty life-like with people, cars and realistic highways. The downfall here is the game is too short and too easy. An advanced gamer can easily beat this game in 1 day if determined. The collecting of orbs and gaining achievements will probably give the replay value a week or two longer.. But after that its doubtful anyone will play it again. There is no multiplayer "Versus" support.. there is a co-op mode, but that becomes pointless after completing the game/achievements. The creators will do well to make the sequel longer and more multiplayer involving. Grand Theft Auto with a superhero touch.
  
  
• Crackdown- 20+ hours of the same thing.
  By A1W6H70GCZMRLH on 2007-03-10
  First of all, a note to the parents: This game is rated M for blood, intense violence, language, drug content, sexual content and I'm sure they've come up with others. I'd like to take this time to say, this rating is stupid! I had my mother watch me play this game for about 20 mins and she found nothing wrong with it (or at least nothing as severe as they make it sound). Blood is there, and violence is there, but drugs and sex? Not really... Anyway, to the review!
  
  
  "Shortened" Review is at the bottom titled "OVERALL SUMMARY"
  
  
  Crackdown is a typical "sandbox" game. (A "sandbox" game typically involves a player controlling 1 character with 1 major objective and they can complete it in any way they want while roaming the entire map)
  The big story is that there is a city which is composed of 3 islands- each island controlled by a different major gang. The "Agency" (the police) have created clones, capable of growing into large, powerful and talented agents to fight these numerous gangs. (The player plays as the clone. They choose 1 of about 6 different body types)
  
  Gameplay: The bosses breakdown into a pyramid style. The kingpin (leader) is at the top, 4 followers in the middle of the pyramid and 2 minor gang bosses at the bottom. This is where some freedom for the player is brought in. They can choose to attack the kingpin right away, but will probably be killed for the first couple of tries. Or, they could kill the "underlings" first. Each boss is incharge of something. Gang member fitness, weapons, vehicles, explosives, gang numbers, etc. Taking out a leader, let's say the weapon's leader, would have a major impact on the other gang members. Now that the weapon's dealer is gone, instead of snipers and rocket launchers, gang members only have pistols and shotguns. There are 5 basic skils: Agility, Strength, Driving, Explosives, and Weapons. Using these skills to kill other gang members incrases them. For example, a level 1 in explosives, might have a grenade explode with a radius of about 4 feet, whereas a level 4 in explosives (max) has an explosion radius of about 20 feet. You may also grab cars of your choice (even if someone is already driving them!), throw almost anything you see on the screen and, if you choose, kill innocents (however, the agency will send an endless supply of agents to hunt you down- making this path undesireable).
  
  Graphics- Not much to say here. 50% of the players will love them, 50% will hate them. The sky is realistic enough, along with the buildings, but the characters arn't realaistic, but more comic book-like. Explosions are fun to watch as the physics engine is very good. (ex. When an explosive goes off a trash can flys 100 feet, a car only goes about 5.)
  
  OVERALL SUMMARY:
  This game is a police verison of Grand Theft Auto with numerous weapons, races, cars and areas to explore. The graphics and physics engine demonstrate their true power brilliantly. The achievements range from incredibly easy (finding 1 supply point) to incredibly difficult (find all 300 hidden orbs). It's fun, addicting, and a way to kill some time until some of the stronger sellers come out later in the year. My only complant is that the game is very repetitive. Reborn --> Kill gangs --> get some skills up --> do something stupid & die --> Repeat. Overall, if you have $60 buring a hole in your pocket, this probably the best game to spend it on.
  
  
• Lame Game
  By A2FQ37TCQWDMK2 on 2007-03-11
  The game isn't really that great. There are no characters at all, you're just some super solider brought to life to bring the cities gang problem under control. You have random thugs for each of the three gangs you need to take down, then there are General who provide a certain duty for the gang (cars, weapons, etc) and when you take them down the King Pins are weakened, and these are your main targets. But none of these "characters" really have anything to them. Basically, no story.....
  
  Targeting really blows on this game. You press a button to lock on to a target, but my guy would lock onto a car or a random target far off, instead of the three thugs blowing holes in me. It takes forever to turn around.
  
  I found myself bored with the game after a few hours.
  
  
• Digital crack
  By A115DGP19JC56Z on 2007-04-01
  Another title that impeded me from turning the power off. Crackdown is a solid game that deserves high marks in the sandbox genre.
  
  Storyline: You play as an agent in a crime ridden city. There are 3 districts, each controlled by a gang that is progressively better armed/organized and more aggressive as you go along. Your character has progressive abilities granted by genetic manipulation. This is brought together decently well considering if you are playing this game, the story is just an excuse to do what your doing, so the story does it's job.
  
  Acheivements: Some of the achievements are gimme's, but not as much so as in other games. The acheivment system rewards players for doing what any sandbox player would do anyway granted these abilities. Ig, there is an acheivment for climbing to the highest point in the city, and then another for jumping off and landing safely in the water below. Half of these acheivements will be acheived simply by playing through the game, the other half will remind you of the acheivements on Dead Rising, sans the morbid humor.
  
  Gameplay: It's not hard to get started, the narrator tells you what you need to do, and then you get off to a start. You will find yourself slaying gang members in no time. But there is more to the game than that. You do races on foot (more difficult than it sounds), and in vehicles. There are things to find, and you are encouraged (in the form of acheivement points) to make massive explosions happens and wreak havoc on vehicles and such. Also, the narrator does not push you to move on with the missions, he lets you do whatever without badgering you to press on with the story, and even lets you know when there are races nearby you. While I spent the first hour killing bad guys, I spent the next four just seeing what I could do, and because I was earning points towards my abilities, it wasn't a waste of time.
  
  Graphics: These graphics aren't designed to truly shine on a HDTV, but they still look good. What catches your eye is when your on top of a tall building and you notice the draw distance. You can see cars driving from a far distance away, and there is no 'fog' in the distance. It will draw the whole city, and it looks even better at sunrise and sunset. But that is a fleeting moment. Rest of the game still looks good, and is testament to the power of the 360. The most gratifying explosions make you just itching to use the rocket launcher on anything.
  
  Sound: The sound works, thats all I can say. The deep base of the explosions and the distinctive sounds from different weapons and even cars works well with a surround system. If you and the cops are having a block-wide gun battle with a gang, the surround will make you think your playing Call of Duty 3.
  
  Didn't Like: The soundtrack. It's weak but who cares? Anyone who gets this will play the game for two minutes before he plays his own gang-busting soundtrack. So, actually, it's good the designers didn't waste too much disc space with the tracks. Also, I'm a cop, and I can't arrest anyone? In True Crime: Streets of L.A., you can at least search people and interact a little more with the civilians. Speaking of civilians, they have no desire to save themselves. When you are having a gun battle and the gang members are just piling in, you eventually have to shoot off a rocket or toss a grenade into the crowd of enemies to save yourself - at the expense of a few hapless civilians who don't seem to care that bullets are flying anywhere. This isn't so bad, except the cops that are helping you suddenly get pissed and try to shoot you. Driving is kind of a pain sometimes. The engine for vehicle handling makes almost everything handle like a warthog in Halo 2 with a drunk team-killing partner behind the wheel. You WILL run over people in everyrace if you intend to win, and even if you don't, none of these vehicles brakes respond very well so good luck not hitting a car on the road even when you are trying to drive normal. Fortunatly, the cops don't stay mad for long and will forget your transgressions, and the skill penalization is far outweighed by the gain (unless you are JUST killing civilians, then you don't gain any skills). There is one graphics error that appears every once in a while. Sometimes the game forgets to draw a car, and you will see a person sitting on air doing 40 - kind of humorous.
  
  I can't say if any of these has or has not been fixed by any of the 3 patches since it's release, as I can't get on xbox live in Afghanistan due to poor connection speed, but except for the soundtrack, all those I'm sure could easily be fixed.
  
  
• Best XBOX 360 Game
  By A19WR71FT3LZ76 on 2007-04-05
  When I first played this game, I was hooked. I am a huge fan of sandbox games like these, and the ability to jump 30 feet in the air. My first disc broke because of my faulty XBOX 360, but I spent $60 more on a new one. It was definitely worth the money.
  
  The possibilities in this game are endless--you can swim, jump, scale buildings, drive, shoot everything, and even shoot car tires. Once you beat the first few gangs, you will have a good time getting your athletic, driving, explosive, firearms, etc. skills up.
  
  For those hardcore gamers, you will earn most all of the achievments with ease. The online play is great, and almost completely lag-free. Occasionally, cars will become invisible (glitch) where the drivers will appear to be floting in mid-air. Fortunately, this makes gameplay all the more fun. You can kick the cars and watch the drivers go sailing off into the distance.
  
  I recommend this game to fans of Saint's Row and Grand Theft Auto. This game is actually better than both of them, though. Now I look forward to playing my XBOX 360 nearly every day.
  
  
• It's okay.
  By A2KG9B8ZLVX3YH on 2007-05-18
  It's a "Grand Theft Auto" type of game. In that it's a fairly open world. It was disappointing that some places I couldn't go in to and I thought I could. Meanwhile, there were plenty of places they created little nooks and crannies just so you never know which one will hide and Orb. You honestly start to feel as if somebody went "click happy" with placing the orbs. It'll take longer to find those last few orbs than it will to find the first half of them. For that reason alone it gets held back.
  
  Also, the 800 points they want you to shell out for the downloadable content, that's $10 if you buy the points straight from Microsoft, is stuff that SHOULD have been included in the game! Then on top of it there are a few new achievements that were added that you HAVE to have the downloadable content to get them! The saving grace about all that though is that if you do co-op with somebody that has that content purchased, then you can use that stuff that would otherwise be locked to you.
  
  If you aren't renting/buying this for the Halo 3 Multiplayer Beta, then you really shouldn't bother with it. It's an insult that they are charging extra for stuff that should have already been included with the game.
  
  
• Fun, but not worth 60 bones.
  By A2TWDMVJ0VFE4O on 2007-06-02
  Crackdown can be fun, but it is rather shallow. The new downloadable content increases replayability of this game, but I suggest waiting for a price drop. I suggest waiting for a price drop to 30 bucks or less.
  
  

• Crackdown (Prima Official Game Guide)
• The Official Xbox Magazine [1-year]
• Electronic Gaming Monthly
• Play

• BioShock
• Halo 3
• Gears Of War
• Dead Rising
• Grand Theft Auto IV