Crackdown

Even before the game hit shelves, the senior designer on Crackdown told Computer and Video Games that he'd like to work on a sequel. During an interview in the latest issue of CVG, Stephen Iannett mentioned some ideas for Crackdown 2.

We've learnt some lessons and if we did do Crackdown 2... I'd love to see it happen.

I think again it comes to how you can really choose how you approach the missions, and I'd really like to turn the contrast up on that. I'd really like to look at giving the players so many options at how they can do it.

[Realtime Worlds ponders Crackdown 2 @ CVG]

Here's the new TV spot for Crackdown. It looks like it was inspired by Scared Straight.

There is a lot of talk about how the initial shipment of Crackdown will include an invite to the Halo 3 beta. It seems like a plot to encourage sales, but if you've played the Crackdown demo that went on Xbox Live last week, you may agree that the game might be good for more than just an invite. You take on the role of an Agent, a genetically enhanced supercop with several special abilities. Your goal is to restore order to crime infested Pacific City through the use of brute force. Your agent's abilities will improve throughout the game, allowing you to jump farther, run faster, and throw larger objects.

The demo allows you to roam one of Pacific City's islands, run entirely by a single gang. To start, you pick one of three agency vehicles. The supercar (my first choice) is very fast and has excellent handling. Its low profile design causes other vehicles to slide over it and fly into the air after a collision. The Agency SUV easily rolls over vehicles and other obstacles. The Agency Truck Cab plows though obstacles. I'd only recommend this one if you're planning on causing a lot of collateral damage.

Microsoft announced two new ways to grab a spot in the Halo 3 multiplayer beta program. Specially marked copies of Crackdown, an Xbox 360 title scheduled to release on February 20, will include an invitation. When the Halo 3 beta program launches in spring, Xbox Live Gold subscribers can use the Crackdown disk as a key to download the multiplayer beta. It seems like a shameless way to sell more copies of Crackdown, but there's no doubt it will work.

The official release date for Crackdown has been set to February 20. Crackdown is an action-driving hybrid that charges you with task of cleaning up a city overrun with criminals. You'll play as a genetically enhanced "agent" capable of leaping up to rooftops and lobing cars groups of baddies. When I played an early version at E3, its third-person view open environment reminded me of Grand Theft Auto--only Crackdown is futuristic and you're playing as the good guy.

On January 18th, the single player and online coop demo of Crackdown will be available for download on Xbox Live.