Remember in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory when Charlie finds the Golden Ticket,
and everyone’s so excited that they forget all about the sweet, sweet candy that
the Ticket came with?

That’s sort of what Crackdown is like: everyone’s so busy salivating about
the inclusion of a Halo 3 beta code that they’re overlooking the deliciousness
that’s sitting right under their noses.

Day-Glo Disaster Area
By now, we’re all familiar with the go-anywhere, do-anything style of gameplay
that was popularized by the Grand Theft Auto series. Much of the pre-release
hype surrounding Crackdown pegged it as the "GTA…of the future!"
and in many ways, they were right.

But whether it’s the game’s comic book sensibility–brought to life by its
vibrant visual style and subtle use of cel-shading–or the fact that your character
can jump buildings in a single bound, Crackdown does a lot to differentiate
itself from the granddaddy of all free-roaming games.

You take to the streets of Pacific City to "crackdown" on the unlawful
shenanigans of three gangs which exert a virtual strangehold on the different
districts. You create a character, decide on a starter set of wheels, and dive
into the deep end of a world on the brink of anarchy. Your charter is to bring
peace to the streets while punishing the wicked and protecting the innocent.

Locked and Loaded
Damn near everything in Crackdown is handled well. The aforementioned graphics
are stellar, and in a pleasant twist, the game’s audio pulls its fair share
of the weight. An absolutely killer soundtrack keeps you in the mood to wage
war, and great attention is paid to aural combat cues, making Crackdown a must-see
and must-hear experience.

An ability upgrade system also sees your goon graduate over time from mildly
impressive freak of nature to absurdly nimble human tank, and ever-present icons
and meters on the left side of the screen keep you informed of your progress.
Collect agility orbs from rooftops to jump higher and run faster, master the
use of firearms and incendiary devices to improve auto-aim functionality and
blast radii, pound mercenaries into hamburger until you can throw trucks life
confetti, and upgrade your driving skills with stunts, races, and vehicular
homicide.

Making a Dent
I could find things to complain about–there’s the wonky rag doll physics, the
way gang hit squads sometimes materialize out of the ether, or the fact that
every last baddie in the city knows exactly where you are at all times–and
certainly, these shortcomings would cripple a lesser title.

But the explosive run-and-gun action, dynamic firefights, and vertigo-inducing
high jumps absorb most of the frustrations before they can find a foothold.
Besides, those are all things the developer can iron out in the all but guaranteed
sequel. Crackdown is ridiculously fun, and that Halo 3 beta code might go unused
for longer than you think.

Pros: Fantastic presentation and gameplay. A killer addition to your
360 library.
Cons: A few minor issues that don’t detract from the gaming experience.

Review by: GamePro.com