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> Results: Crackdown
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The ESRB Says:
Blood and Gore: GamerDad says "You're soaking in it!" Intense Violence:And pretty much nonstop too! Sexual Themes:There's a shallow subplot and, as I recall, one of your targets is a serial rapist. Strong Language:You'll hear the S word a lot, and some other bad words. Use of Drugs: Some of the gangs deal in street drugs and your genetically enhanced cop can use other drugs as powerups. The game isn't pro-illegal drug use however. Because of its explosive weapons, superhero-like powers and enormous 3-D city, "Crackdown" can best be described as "Grand Theft Auto" ("GTA") on steroids ﾖ except now you're a genetically enhanced agent instead of a criminal. Sure, you can still carjack vehicles, shoot down gang members and take on dozens of non-linear missions ﾖ but you're discouraged from abusing your power, such as driving over innocent pedestrians. After you select from one of the available agents at the beginning of the game, and then choose your first vehicle in the Agency garage, you're introduced to the story surrounding three rival gangs who have turned Pacific City into an urban battleground. You also learn about the game's role-playing game-like "level up" feature that lets your character upgrade skills over time and experience, in one of five categories: agility, driving, explosives, strength and weapons. Savvy players can work their way up to a 4-star rating in each of these areas. Finding the 300 well-hidden orbs in the city can also help to increase your skill ratings. Within a few hours, your agent will be able to perform over-the-top moves such as jumping from rooftop to rooftop, throwing criminals a couple of hundred feet or pulling off daring behind-the-wheel stunts. Played from a third-person perspective, the game resembles a colorful graphic novel with its "cel-shaded" visual style. And more so than in past "GTA" games, the "Crackdown'"s Pacific City is quite vertical, so players will be able to climb, hang and scale walls, ledges and boulders in order to best explore this huge city and perform the various missions. More than 100 licensed songs and 5.1 surround sound add to the overall immersion factor. Have a friend over? They can pick up a second Xbox 360 controller and partake in the fun with the optional cooperative mode, allowing two agents on the scene. Another incentive for picking up the game: access to the coveted "Halo 3" multiplayer beta program; from the "Crackdown" main menu, click on Downloads and the "Halo 3" beta option can be found ﾖ though it'll be grayed out until the program is ready.  
Crackdown isn't as offensive as some M-rated games (it has a silly cartoony feel) but you can run down pedestrians and bad guys (kill too many pedestrians and you'll get your fellow super-agents gunning for you) and there's plenty of digitized blood and gore to raise alarm bells in most parents. The game is about killing, and really it's only about killing. It helps that, as Schwarzenegger would put it "They are all bad." You are the good guy at least. There's a lot of bad language and a subplot with a flirty sexual theme. The game is endlessly challenging and relentless, but the overall experience still feels hollow. Sort of like playing Grand Theft Auto and never playing the missions, just fighting the cops over and over again. Okay, the super-hero component is very cool and kids would enjoy the liberation from gravity and taking on all kinds of bad guys is empowering... but you can get the same thrills from better, less bloody, games. Kid Factor by Andrew Bub This review edited by Andrew Bub Comments? Chat about it in our forums! Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us | Buy This Game Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Crackdown |
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