Crackdown is a unique take on the genre as its the first game to completely forgo any kind of story and focuses entirely on the gameplay. This freedom opens up the gameworld allowing the player to combat the gangs in any order, and any way they see fit. Similar to Gears of War Crackdown allows for online co-op throughout the entirety of the experience.
At the beginning of the game players choose the kind of agent they want which is purely aesthetic and has no result on the way the agent is controlled. The gameplay customization comes in the way that the player chooses to upgrade their agent. There are four main key areas that can be expanded: strength, agility, explosions and marksmanship. Other than agility, which requires finding special orbs littered around the three islands, the other abilities are enhanced by simply playing the game, usually by killing enemies. Punch/kick enemies to increase strength, run over them to increase driving, and shoot them to increase marksmanship.
Enhancing your agent's powers turns them into superhuman agents that lets them throw cars, jump 30 feet in the air, and drive up the side of buildings. The game world is a virtual playground for your character to use their abilities to take out enemies, or do a variety of other things such as take part in optional races, and try to accomplish any one of the many achievements that are laid out. The main goal in the game is to take down the main bosses that run the gangs. The comic book nature of the game is emphasized by a cartoonish cell-shaded graphical style that uses bold colors.
Downloadable Content
Patch (free) - implements various enhancements around the Crackdown experience, such as making it easier to find agility orbs, and adding new combat capabilities.
Free For All Pack (free) - includes Keys to the City a cheat mode that enhances your agent even more and allows you to spawn items such as exploding barrels and ramp trucks at any moment.
Gettin' Busy Bonus Pack (800 points) - adds new game types, new weapons, and new vehicles all alongside new achievements to unlock.
Full details on the downloadable content available here.
Halo 3 Beta
Limited copies of Crackdown allow you to engage in the Halo 3 Beta which lasts from May 15th 2007 for 3 weeks. You need to have the Crackdown disc in the console for the Halo 3 beta to work, it shows up as an option from inside the game and not as part of the traditional Xbox Live Marketplace.
