Culture

Platforms: Xbox 360
( 3/5)
 
    Crackdown 2 is a sequel to Crackdown, one of the first sandbox games on the Xbox 360. Crackdown was an odd game in that few reviewers gave it better than average reviews, but it nevertheless appeared on their lists of personal favourites. This was largely due to its sandbox features, where the player is allowed to goof around as a police officer endowed with superpowers, destroying and killing whatever they want and eventually taking on several gangs in order to attack the big enchilada in charge of everything. (similar to Mercenaries for PS2, but as a cop with superpowers and far more goof-off power.)
   You may wonder, “WTF! This is a review of Crackdown 2, NOT its predecessor, so why the description of the first one?” This is simply to point out how disappointing the second one is in comparison. Where the original game was able to thrive despite repetitiveness, the sequel fails. The multiple gangs have been replaced by one, the missions remain repetitive, and many of the technical mechanics, such as climbing, remain troublesome. This is to say, some of the things that made the first game great in its own way have been omitted, and some mechanics that could have been improved have been ignored.
   This is not to say that Crackdown 2 is a bad game! The fuck-around aspect is just as appealing, and being able to play four-player co-op makes it even more fun (especially with some drinks). While the technical aspects of the game remain lacking, the key attributes that lead to the first one's success remain intact (i.e. you can launch people, and crush them with huge object, or even their own estranged family members).
    Crackdown 2 is not a good game by traditional standards, but if you want to unleash some mayhem in a city, it's a BLAST.