"Crackdown" on this surprisingly fun game

Superheroes and the concept of super powers have always fascinated people. From comic books and movies, superheroes captivate people’s imagination and almost always leave people wishing for a super power of their own. Whether it’s the power of flight or super strength, people yearn for the ability to do the amazing. Luckily, “Crackdown” for the Xbox 360 lets players fulfill the role of a police agent with super human powers and bust the skulls of the criminals of Pacific City.

Pacific City, the ficitional setting of “Crackdown”, has been overrun by three different gangs and as an agent, it is your job to find and take out 21 different crime bosses in an effort to liberate Pacific City. Each gang inhabits a different section of Pacific City, each which reflects the different gangs themselves. The street gang, drug peddling Los Muertos live in the residential area of the city, the militia-like Volk make the industrial sector of the city their home, and the corporate Shai-Gen live in the skyscraper lined, downtown section of Pacific City. Each gang also has their own array of vehicles and weapons which the player can commandeer and use in his or her fight against each gang.

The most incredibly fun aspect of “Crackdown,” in my opinion, is the way this game ingenious blends role-playing game elements of character advancement with the non-stop action of a summer blockbuster. Each agent is a blank slate which the player can improve at their leisure. Have a tendency to use grenades or rocket launchers to take out your enemies? Your agent’s explosive skill will level up accordingly and the same goes for the other core abilities. The agility ability is unique, though, in the aspect that it is the only ability that is not directly affected by killing your enemies. Various agility orbs, over 500 in all, are scattered all around Pacific City and these orbs let your character run faster and eventually be able to jump as high as 30 feet in the air.

“Crackdown” has taken the sandbox style of gameplay (the ability for the player to progress through the game as they wish) to another level. From the very beginning of the game, the entire map is open for the player to explore which also means players can attempt to take down the games most difficult crime lords any time they wish. While it is not wise to try and tackle the tougher bosses early on, it is still a nice option to have available.

Pacific City is a visually stunning landscape which is filled with life from the streets to the highest of skyscrapers. The draw distance, the distance the player can actually see in the game world, is also very, very high allowing players who seek a high enough vantage point to be able to see a majority of Pacific City.

Unfortunately, there is very little to “Crackdown” in terms of a storyline. Players are given control of a nameless agent of the peace and are only tasked with killing each gang member, which leaves little room for a plot. But even though gamers shouldn’t buy or rent “Crackdown” hoping for an intricate storyline on the level of “Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,” this game still offers up a lot of features to keep any gamer happy.

On top of a huge list of Xbox Live Achievements, “Crackdown” offers players various races, boss time trials and my personal favorite mode, online cooperative multiplayer. Jumping from rooftop to rooftop, firing heat seeking missiles at enemies is incredibly on its own, but being able to do the same with a buddy over the internet adds a whole new dimension to the free form sandbox game. Once players teamed up with a friend, players can play through the entire campaign mode together or simply wreak havoc – both of which are equally fun.

Even though “Crackdown” is quite lacking the story department, it still offers a ton of extra features to keep gamers occupied. Add on top of that the “Halo 3” multiplayer beta invitation, which will begin sometime this spring, sold with the first round of games sold, “Crackdown” is packed with enough huge explosions, bullets and carnage to keep any bloodthirsty gamer sated.