Crackdown

Rating: R18 – Restricted to persons 18 years and over.
Genre: Third Person Shooter, Action Adventure.
Developer: Microsoft.
Release Date: Available Now.

OK, so Crackdown is gonna get called a GTA clone, but then that’s nothing new. GTA has become more than the name of a game, it’s become a genre in it’s own right.

Free-roaming, living city, crime style games are numerous enough to stop calling them all GTA clones.

They do however all have a commonality; free roaming gameplay, missions to complete in your own time, and plenty of people and vehicles and weapons to ‘interact’ with.

So, Crackdown is a game in the GTA genre, you know what to expect, well expect more. Expect to be totally blown away, because you will.

Crackdown is at the top of it’s genre, because it’s fun to play. It’s an absolute blast.

Let me explain.

You are a cybernetically-enhanced cop, who’s job it is, to rid Pacific City from its three gangs.

But be warned, just because you’re a cop, that doesn’t give you license to do what ever you want – kill too many ‘innocents’ and the cops will try and take you out – and not to dinner either.

So what does a cybernetically-enhanced cop cop bring to the genre?

The ability to leap tall buildings.

Sounds like Superman, but the way you land, and the way the pavement cracks under the impact, makes you feel more like Neo.

Of course, you don’t get to leap tall buildings right off, you have to build your skills by collecting the 500 agility orbs scattered around the city, mostly on the roofs of buildings.

Getting to them isn’t always easy, but it’s always challenging fun.

Along with up skilling your agility you’ll be able to increase your shooting and driving skills along the way.

All of which is essential if you’re going to take out the gang bosses.Graphically Crackdown just blows everything else out of the water, the whole thing looks so realistic, but it’s been given a cartoon makeover, making the whole experience more surreal.

You’ve definitely taken the red pill.

Spectacular explosions, bullets literally whizzing through the air, it’s an audio-visual overload.

Perfect Crackdown isn’t. but it definitely raises the bar to a considerable hight.

Rent or Buy?
Buy, you’ll be wanting to play this over and over again.