Does this game really even need and introduction? It's the sequel to the surprisingly good game, Crackdown (amazing, isn't it, the way numbers work.) Crackdown's real strong point was, it really didn't pretend to be anything more than it was. It was a somewhat standard third-person shooter of the time (some might say a pre GTA IV GTA clone), in which you play as a gawd damn superhero. Many people were, I believe, excited about the second, only to be sorely disapointed.
The Story
In Crackdown 2, you play as the Agent, who works for the Agency, who is attempting to take out the freakish monsters, the Freaks, and the terrorist cell, the Cell. Gotta love the way they name things in Pacific City. You have to regain control of certain locations to charge nine bombs to drop into Freak lairs, and take over certain tactical locations to wrest control back from Cell. But wait! There's more! No, actually. I lied. That is LITERALLY the extent of the plot. And every single instance of these is exactly the same in the way you do it. Charging system- kill four Cell nearby, stand on pad, destroy obstruction. Detonation Sunburst- defend it from acid-spitting freaks. Tactical locations- kill a certain number of Cell. That is LITERALLY all the story entails.
The Gameplay
Much like Red Dead Redemption (my last review), Crackdown 2 gives you innumerable things you can do. Collect the Orbs scattered across the rooftops (which helps level up your Agility skill), run footraces (which also helps level up Agility), race in a car (which levels up the Driving skill), defeat Freak breaches (which really does nothing), level up your skills, chase renegade orbs on foot or in a car, collect audio logs, et cetera, et cetera. The point being? There's no point to this game. It's a toybox. There's no REASON to jump a car onto the heads of the Freak horde, but there's no reason NOT to. There's no obligation to do ANYTHING. It's amusing at first, but it quickly grows old.
General
The game looks dark and slightly apocolyptic, but it's literally copied, builing for building, from the original, though certain buildings are crumbling and falling apart, and the Agency tower has been expanded considerably. The game boasts the same aesthetic appeal of the first, cell-shaded like, but somehow changed. They're no longer charmingly elegant. They're terribly cartoonish, and the explosing simply look like a comic book's. Although the visual style is decent, it doesn't have the charm of the first game's.
The auto-aim is literally IMPOSSIBLE to use. But there's no way to turn it off. "No," I found myself repeatedly saying, "I don't give a DAMN about that civilian car a mile away, I want the Cell with heavy armor and a gawd damn machine turret ripping me to peices!" The game literally refuses to aim at anything SHOOTING at you the first try.
There's literally two people with a name that you ever see. You and Catilina Thorne, leader of Cell. And your name is Agent, so it hardly counts. You have a man, the Director, yapping in your ear CONSTANTLY, and as your progress past "trainingwheels and diapers" level of ability, he stops being helpful in any way, form or fashion.
The ledge detection in this game is so sketchy, it could draw Mona Lisa with it's eyes closed. (witless jokes? I feel like a certain famous "reviewer") You actually have to jump on the ledge to see if it counts as a ledge. More than once, I plunged to my death because the next in a series of windowsills I had JUST jumped up apparently had baby oil spilled all over it's surface by some careless resident looking out the window.
The skills in this game are nicely implemented, even if it is a very basic system. The skills are Strength, Agility, Driving, Firearms, and Explosives. Each of these can be increased to a maximum of five, before you reach some odd singularity where no matter how much experience orbs you get, you can never get to that next point to put you over "100" and get you level six. *sigh*
The vehicles in this game are rather basic. You've got Cell vehicles, which have decent speed and armor, all rounders if you will. Then you have civilian vehicles, which are about as useless as they sound. Finally, you have the Agency vehicles. The Cruiser, an all-rounder if there ever was one, the Buggy, a fast and manuverable turret. Really. Then, you've got the Supercar, a fast, sleek monster of a car that can throw other cars out of the way (driving under them), the SUV, which has a jump functionality to reach stunt rings. And, then the behemoth of the lot- the Tank. Pretty much what you'd expect. Slow, lumbering, heavily armed and armored. Last but CERTAINLY not least- the Agency Helicopter. It's something of a joke, extremely lightly armored but withv serious firepower. The thing literally blows up if you set down at more than five miles an hour.
Overview & Final Scores
Crackdown 2- An overall weak game, though a good amusement for ten hours or so, if you play it slowly. If you didn't like the first one, this one is marginally worse. Avoid it like the plaugue.
Story- Wait- What story?
Gameplay- Pretty good gameplay, if somewhat riddled with bugs and slight ledge issues, as well as being the exact carbons copy of Crackdown 1.
Weapons- Good variety, although certain weapons (the homing rocket launcher) are about as cheap as you can get, and the aiming is shot.
Vehicles- Excellent variety, even if it is a little... Predictable. Amusing extras, though.
Voice actors- May as well be nonexistant. Only the Director is heard regularly, although citizens and Cell do speak, and the audio files. Although it's good voice acting for the most part, you never actually hear much of it.
Main selling point? The climbing. Certainly the best part of the game, even if it does have some problems.
A Deathclaw's opinion? Rent it if you liked the first one, or you didn't play it. Or maybe go rent the first. Buy it if you LOVED the first one (it's actually pretty much the same gameplay). Avoid it if did NOT like Crackdown 1.
The Story
In Crackdown 2, you play as the Agent, who works for the Agency, who is attempting to take out the freakish monsters, the Freaks, and the terrorist cell, the Cell. Gotta love the way they name things in Pacific City. You have to regain control of certain locations to charge nine bombs to drop into Freak lairs, and take over certain tactical locations to wrest control back from Cell. But wait! There's more! No, actually. I lied. That is LITERALLY the extent of the plot. And every single instance of these is exactly the same in the way you do it. Charging system- kill four Cell nearby, stand on pad, destroy obstruction. Detonation Sunburst- defend it from acid-spitting freaks. Tactical locations- kill a certain number of Cell. That is LITERALLY all the story entails.
The Gameplay
Much like Red Dead Redemption (my last review), Crackdown 2 gives you innumerable things you can do. Collect the Orbs scattered across the rooftops (which helps level up your Agility skill), run footraces (which also helps level up Agility), race in a car (which levels up the Driving skill), defeat Freak breaches (which really does nothing), level up your skills, chase renegade orbs on foot or in a car, collect audio logs, et cetera, et cetera. The point being? There's no point to this game. It's a toybox. There's no REASON to jump a car onto the heads of the Freak horde, but there's no reason NOT to. There's no obligation to do ANYTHING. It's amusing at first, but it quickly grows old.
General
The game looks dark and slightly apocolyptic, but it's literally copied, builing for building, from the original, though certain buildings are crumbling and falling apart, and the Agency tower has been expanded considerably. The game boasts the same aesthetic appeal of the first, cell-shaded like, but somehow changed. They're no longer charmingly elegant. They're terribly cartoonish, and the explosing simply look like a comic book's. Although the visual style is decent, it doesn't have the charm of the first game's.
The auto-aim is literally IMPOSSIBLE to use. But there's no way to turn it off. "No," I found myself repeatedly saying, "I don't give a DAMN about that civilian car a mile away, I want the Cell with heavy armor and a gawd damn machine turret ripping me to peices!" The game literally refuses to aim at anything SHOOTING at you the first try.
There's literally two people with a name that you ever see. You and Catilina Thorne, leader of Cell. And your name is Agent, so it hardly counts. You have a man, the Director, yapping in your ear CONSTANTLY, and as your progress past "trainingwheels and diapers" level of ability, he stops being helpful in any way, form or fashion.
The ledge detection in this game is so sketchy, it could draw Mona Lisa with it's eyes closed. (witless jokes? I feel like a certain famous "reviewer") You actually have to jump on the ledge to see if it counts as a ledge. More than once, I plunged to my death because the next in a series of windowsills I had JUST jumped up apparently had baby oil spilled all over it's surface by some careless resident looking out the window.
The skills in this game are nicely implemented, even if it is a very basic system. The skills are Strength, Agility, Driving, Firearms, and Explosives. Each of these can be increased to a maximum of five, before you reach some odd singularity where no matter how much experience orbs you get, you can never get to that next point to put you over "100" and get you level six. *sigh*
The vehicles in this game are rather basic. You've got Cell vehicles, which have decent speed and armor, all rounders if you will. Then you have civilian vehicles, which are about as useless as they sound. Finally, you have the Agency vehicles. The Cruiser, an all-rounder if there ever was one, the Buggy, a fast and manuverable turret. Really. Then, you've got the Supercar, a fast, sleek monster of a car that can throw other cars out of the way (driving under them), the SUV, which has a jump functionality to reach stunt rings. And, then the behemoth of the lot- the Tank. Pretty much what you'd expect. Slow, lumbering, heavily armed and armored. Last but CERTAINLY not least- the Agency Helicopter. It's something of a joke, extremely lightly armored but withv serious firepower. The thing literally blows up if you set down at more than five miles an hour.
Overview & Final Scores
Crackdown 2- An overall weak game, though a good amusement for ten hours or so, if you play it slowly. If you didn't like the first one, this one is marginally worse. Avoid it like the plaugue.
Story- Wait- What story?
Gameplay- Pretty good gameplay, if somewhat riddled with bugs and slight ledge issues, as well as being the exact carbons copy of Crackdown 1.
Weapons- Good variety, although certain weapons (the homing rocket launcher) are about as cheap as you can get, and the aiming is shot.
Vehicles- Excellent variety, even if it is a little... Predictable. Amusing extras, though.
Voice actors- May as well be nonexistant. Only the Director is heard regularly, although citizens and Cell do speak, and the audio files. Although it's good voice acting for the most part, you never actually hear much of it.
Main selling point? The climbing. Certainly the best part of the game, even if it does have some problems.
A Deathclaw's opinion? Rent it if you liked the first one, or you didn't play it. Or maybe go rent the first. Buy it if you LOVED the first one (it's actually pretty much the same gameplay). Avoid it if did NOT like Crackdown 1.