In
Crackdown 2, vehicles are much more integral to the game. As well as cars and trucks, there are also helicopters at your disposal. Using vehicles is still optional, but they are woven into the game much more seamlessly this time around, and being in a car makes you that much more less susceptible to Freak attacks. Plus mowing them down is satisfyingly gory.
The seemingly subtle changes in gameplay have affected the personality of the game considerably.
Crackdown 2 is an altogether more frenetic affair than its predecessor, and one that favours the bold. The snooping sniping approach that I often took to the first game is often simply not possible, circumspection simply gives the Freaks the opportunity to maul you as you prevaricate. While their attacks are fierce if you stand by inactively, they are massively susceptible to mêlée attacks, and so frantic close-quarters action can be surprisingly effective. The result is that the game feels more involving and frenetic. Whereas the first game felt like a series of linked missions,
Crackdown 2 feels much more like a cohesive campaign.
Progress in the campaign
Crackdown 2 is largely similar to its predecessor, though instead of attacking the bases of a range of gangs, your aim now is to deploy 'Project Sunburst'. To do this you must activate a number of Absorption Units, which are reasonably well defended, and then enter a freak lair and deploy a beacon. Once the beacon is dropped, you must defend it from Freak attack until it can be brought on-line and detonated.
The game is open world but, like the first one, progress is actually fairly linear - if you go after targets that are too far out of your zone of influence, enemy resistance is simply too great to give you a reasonable chance of success. You can extend Agency control by taking Cell strongholds.
Each stronghold has several Tactical Locations, and you must take all of these to control a stronghold, and return the rule of law and order. To take a location, you must rush to its centre, amid fierce Cell fire, and call in a helicopter. Then you must eradicate Cell resistance to make it safe for the choppers to land. Taking merely some locations in a stronghold will enable Cell to regroup and take back the others. Once a tactical location is taken, it can be used for a helicopter drop to replenish your weapons supply. Any weapons gathered from fallen Cell and returned to a tactical location will be added to your armoury.
The biggest change between the two games, though, is the multiple-player aspect. The first game was an unapologetically single-player affair. While it was an excellent example of that style of gameplay, the current vogue is for multi-player games, especially in the FPS genre.
Crackdown 2 grasps this nettle firmly, delivering a multi-player experience that, while not quite revolutionary, is extremely satisfying. Up to four players can play co-operatively in Campaign mode, dropping in and out of one another's games ad hoc. The help of another human controlled agent can make tricky missions a whole lot more manageable. For Death Match and Player vs Player games up to 16 players can compete simultaneously. The result is a chaotic and fun multi-player experience that will appeal to the many lovers of this style of game.
Conclusion
A few frustrations with the usability of the console stop this being a solid gold game. But there are no such frustrations with the game itself. It takes the rather anti-septic but compelling concept of the first Crackdown game and ramps up the excitement and action to make it an altogether more visceral experience.
SPOnG Score: 89%
