First Impressions: Crackdown
So, Crackdown finally loaded up for me. I kid you not, I was waiting for it to DL all damn day. But I finally got it on my hard drive, and after FINALLY completing the main quest in Elder Scrolls IV. All I can say is… not bad.
I have no idea what the story of the game is, outside the fact that you play some sort of bionic cop trying to wipe out the gangs of “Fictional City” (my personal name for it, not the actual name). What I liked about the demo was just how easy it was to jump into, especially for a game with the surprising depth that Crackdown has. As you progress through the demo, shooting baddies, blowing stuff up and just plain exploring, your character will level up specific attributes, such as your strength, your driving abilities, and your skills with firearms.
I only played one mission with the demo: An apartment complex where I was supposed to kill this ganger princess. But from playing the game in a sandbox-like mode, I think it can be said that MOST of Crackdown’s missions will be the basic shoot-that-guy formula. Now, I DID find a couple of racing activities, but I kept getting told I wasn’t high-enough level.
A few knocks on the game: The mission structure seems kind of broken (as in “so loose it’s confusing”). The combat can get repetitive. While the option of targeting a specific limb is cool, in the end it’s still run-and-gun. I don’t want to include graphics, but this game isn’t… it isn’t Xbox 360 quality, let’s leave it at that.
And if you’re wondering about Co-Op, it’s more of the same.
Overall, I’m now officially interested in Crackdown. I may not love it when I get it, but it has it’s moments when it can be true fun.
