I don't think anyone had any expectations for the first "Crackdown." Before it releases, the game's biggest selling point was the fact that it came with a beta code for "Halo 3." As it turns out, though, the game ended up gaining a ton of fans, thanks to its open-ended style of play, over-the-top super powers and a general lightheartedness that you don't often see in sandbox games. Surprisingly, it took more than three years for a sequel to be released, and while "Crackdown 2" isn't a bad game, it's far from what I would consider to be worthy of another $60. You can't help but feel that the developers at Ruffian made the fewest possible number of improvements over the first game just to justify putting a "2" in the title.
The Basics
Like the first "Crackdown," you play an Agent, a super-powered law enforcement entity with the ability to leap tall buildings, lift trucks above your head and drive any vehicle you can get your hands on.
Much of the game is simply a matter of exploring the world, collecting upgrade orbs and maxing out your character. There's a larger objective of clearing Pacific City (the same city as was in the first game, now 10 years on) of terrorists and zombie-like "freaks," but these objectives take a backseat to simply bouncing around the world.
The Highs
Fantastic Co-op
Only "Borderlands" has better-implemented co-op than what the developers have accomplished in "Crackdown 2." The game is truly drop-in, drop-out at any time for up to 4 players and even when playing with folks from across the country, I didn't see a single lag issue. It's remarkably fun to bounce around the city, taking on random objectives and advising friends on the location of hidden orbs. The first "Crackdown" offered co-op, but severe limitations and lag made it a much more enjoyable affair when played solo. "Crackdown 2" shines when others join the fray.
Adversarial Multiplayer
Although it's not the main draw of the game, Ruffian included several multiplayer modes for up to 16 players, and they too work tremendously well for short, enjoyable bursts of gameplay. Rocket Tag is the most engaging. The Kill The Carrier-type mode has a single player holding on to a ball, while everyone else is equipped with rocket launchers, trying to stop them and take the ball for themselves. Throw in the ability to jump 50 feet in the air and you begin to realize just how insane the prospect is. Enormously entertaining and well worth your time.
Achievement Assistance
"Crackdown 2" does a good job of helping players along with some of the achievements in the game. The developers have tossed in a radar ping which shows where nearby orbs are located, and there's even a map in the menu screen which indicates which islands have been cleared of orbs. They've basically taken GameFAQs out of the equation for achievement hunters, similar to what "Batman: Arkham Asylum" did with riddles.
The Lows
Boring, Redundant Missions
The main campaign is focused on activating beacons to clear out "freak lairs." Each freak lair requires three beacons and there are 9 lairs in total. There are slight variations in each lair, but not enough to make them feel that unique, so really what you're doing is the same mission over and over and over again in different locations. The first "Crackdown" had interesting gang hierarchies where you'd have to whittle down a gang's defenses and use tactics to take down a boss. All that is gone, replaced with mindless blasting of hordes and hordes of bad guys.
The Same City?
Even though the developers changed some aspects of Pacific City, giving it a more run-down look and placing a few new buildings here and there, it still feels very much the same. This may have been due to limited development time, but if that's the case, more effort needs to be placed on unique gameplay, which "Crackdown 2" doesn't offer. A few new challenges and orb placements here and there doesn't justify returning to a city 3 years later.
General Gameplay Problems
Targeting is a mess in "Crackdown 2," as you'll invariably end up locking on to a car instead of the enemies you want to shoot. Climbing some buildings also has problems, as you'll find that latching on to certain ledges only works half the time. And then there are the freak lairs, which have enemies capable of knocking you down and leaving you out of control of your character for an indeterminate amount of time. Otherwise, everything's just peachy.
What Happened To The Twist?
At the end of the first game, it was revealed that the Agency you were working for is actually a nefarious institution. This twist was unique and interesting and made for a great set-up for a sequel. Unfortunately the twist is never really addressed until the end of the second game and even then it's only used as a set-up for yet another sequel. I understand that the draw of "Crackdown" isn't the story, but if you're going to throw in tidbits like that, at least make some progress with them.
The Verdict
If you've played the first "Crackdown," the sequel will probably make you feel like you're doing the same thing all over again. Same city, same orb-hunting, same side-missions. If you're a new-comer you'll probably get more enjoyment out of "Crackdown 2," but even then you have to accept the fact that the missions are redundant and uninteresting. Your best bet is to hop into a game with three other people and just muck around. If you try to go deeper than that, you'll just end up leaving disappointed.