Game Reviews

Epic's oft-repeated motto for Gears of War 2 was, "Bigger, better, and more badass." For Ruffian's follow-up to Crackdown, it feels like the motto was, "Don't rock the boat." Here is a sequel that feels near identical to its predecessor in just about every way. The open world action formula is the same. The game's location is the same. The graphics look about the same. And the shortcomings, well they're about the same too.

Is it fun? Yes. That hasn't changed either.

Of course, not everything in Crackdown 2 is identical to its predecessor. There's four-player co-op now, some new weapons and gizmos, a few new vehicles and missions, as well as a 16-player arena combat mode. And, of course, there are more orbs. Tasty, tasty orbs. But before we get to all that, let's take a step back to get everyone up to speed.n the years since the events of Crackdown 1, mutant freaks have destroyed much of the beautiful Pacific City. Marauding terrorists who call themselves The Cell have done their best to destroy the rest. The city is on the brink and it's up to you, a superhero member of the Agency, to restore order so that the good citizens can go back to life as usual. That's the introduction you'll get at the start of Crackdown 2, and you pretty much won't get any more exposition outside of collectible audio logs until the disappointing finish. To say that Crackdown 2 has a story at all is being generous.