Crackdown (video game)
Crackdown | ||
---|---|---|
Composer(s) DJ Krush | | |
Series | Crackdown | |
Engine | RenderWare | |
Platform(s) | Xbox 360 | |
Release | ||
Genre(s) | Action-adventure | |
Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Crackdown is a 2007 action-adventure game developed by Realtime Worlds and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360. Crackdown was conceived by Realtime Worlds' founder, David Jones, who also created Grand Theft Auto and Lemmings.[2]
Set in the fictional Pacific City, the player controls a biologically enhanced Agent, tasked with defeating three crime lords and their organized crime syndicates. The Agent's abilities improve by defeating both crime lords and their top subordinates, as well as by completing optional activities, such as street races and scavenger hunts. The gameplay is nonlinear: instead of following a rigid mission sequence, players are free to select the approach to completing their missions and activities. The game features a two-player cooperative play mode via
Crackdown, initially planned for release on the original
Plot
Crackdown takes place in the fictional metropolis of Pacific City, whose three districts are divided among eight total islands. The city is controlled by three criminal organizations: Los Muertos (which means "The Dead" in
Throughout the game, the player roams Pacific City, systematically eliminating the leaders of the three gangs. Upon defeating the gangs' Kingpins and generals, the Agent must put down a final riot by the remaining gang members in the area which after completion will cause that district to be almost crime free. Once all three gangs are fully exterminated, in the closing cutscene of the game, the Director reveals to the Agent that there was an ulterior motive for the Agency's actions: the Agency had secretly empowered the three gangs in the first place to instill fear in Pacific City's residents, thus creating a need for the Agency to control the city, and acceptance in the populace when they did take over. The Agency Director's comments suggest that the Agency was merely using Pacific City as a test and will replicate this plan in other cities across the globe to create a New World Order.[5]
Gameplay
Crackdown is a
Much like other sandbox games, the player uses melee attacks, guns, and explosives to fight the opposing forces, and can run, climb buildings, jump across rooftops, or use vehicles to navigate the city. Crackdown features a series of character-based skills that can be upgraded to increase specific traits that can be used in combat, driving, or on-foot agility.[4] These skills include: "Agility", which increases the Agent's ability to jump, run, and swim; "Driving", affecting how well he can handle a vehicle and upgrades it; "Explosives", which affects the power and range of explosive weapons and explosive power; "Strength" that increases the Agent's strength, namely by increasing his ability to lift and throw, as well as how hard he can strike an opponent and increases health; and "Firearms", which improves the character's aptitude with weapons. Crackdown's skills make few concessions to realism: character abilities are similar to those of comic book superheroes or cartoon characters. This concept is further highlighted by the ink-like outlines drawn around in-game characters.[8]
Skills are usually improved by gaining
The entirety of Pacific City may be explored from the start of the game, allowing the player to locate the hideouts of each General and Kingpin, which can be made easier by accessing supply points scattered around the city.
Crackdown features an online two-player
Development
Crackdown was envisioned to exceed the gameplay of
Wilson stated that development of the game began in 2002 with a target release in 2005 on the original Xbox.[10] Nine people were involved in the initial development for twelve months with plans to expand to 35 during full development.[10] By February 2004, they were able to provide a playable demo, but recognized there were still several challenges with the game's progression. For example, the team introduced "skills for kills" where skill points were only rewarded for killing foes instead of allowing the player to gain them by less risky opportunities. They also included the frequent reporting of the player's current chance of success for a player of defeating a Kingpin to prevent the player from being frustrated by trying to fight Kingpins beyond their level.[10]
By 2004, Microsoft brought the team the Xbox 360 hardware and suggested moving the game to that system, with a release date in the spring of 2006.
Microsoft found that by October 2006, the game had fallen into the bottom 30 percent in test player reaction of all games currently in testing, and the bottom 50 percent in interest, though the numbers improved after a month.[10] To help the struggling game, Microsoft decided to package the Halo 3 multiplayer trial with the game.[10][12] "It was a great boost", said Wilson.[12] Jones also was positive about the tie-in with the Halo 3 trial; "We kind of knew Crackdown would need as much help as it could get to get into players' hands ... Like we've always said: It's a game player's game. It's not something that's going to sell in screenshot. So [the Halo 3 beta] was good".[13]
Pacific City within the game consists of 495 "city blocks" which the player could travel among, according to
Promotion
A Crackdown demo was released via
Every pre-ordered and specially marked copy of Crackdown included an invitation to the beta test of the highly anticipated Halo 3. The Crackdown game disc was required to download and launch the Halo 3 beta through the in-game menus.[20] On 10 April 2007, Bungie announced that the beta would become available for download for those that own this copy of Crackdown on 16 May 2007.[21] This beta was playable for three weeks from when it was downloadable.
Downloadable content
On 19 February 2007, a free downloadable pack was made available for the game. The pack includes four new playable male agents, three of whom have unique, upgradable headgear.
Two packs of downloadable content were released on 10 May 2007.[23][24] The "Free-For-All" pack, which is available free, adds a mode called "Keys to the City" to the main menu. It allows the player to impound any vehicle and store it at the Agency and allows the player to enter a "Keys to the City" mode that allows them to alter the Agent's statistics or create several items, and other effects, but disables the unlocking of achievements and saving of progress within the game. The "Gettin' Busy" bonus pack introduced new vehicles, new weapons, new side missions, and a new street racing activity. By September 2007, the "Gettin' Busy" pack had been downloaded from Xbox Live around 200,000 times.[12]
The May 2007 title update and downloadable content were linked to a glitch which reset a number of players' saved games when they played the game's co-operative mode. The developers apologized for the glitch and offered a temporary workaround, however, saved games already lost to the glitch were not recoverable.[25] On 16 May 2007, a further title update was released, resolving the issue, in addition to fixing issues with access to the Halo 3 beta.[26]
After Crackdown 3's release, the downloadable content for Crackdown and the game itself were made available for free.[27]
Soundtrack
The main theme of the game is "Paradise Bird Theory" by DJ Krush.
Crackdown features over 100 tracks of
Reception
Aggregator | Score |
---|---|
X-Play | 5/5[7] |
Crackdown received generally favorable reviews by game critics who praised the open-world approach. Reviewers commented highly on the graphics of the game, both in its detailed city and large
Crackdown was not expected to be a good game, due to it being tied to the anticipated Halo 3 multiplayer beta.[12] However, the game surpassed many expectations; in his review, GameSpy's Gabe Graziani asked readers the rhetorical question; "Notice that I didn't mention the Halo 3 beta offer during this whole article? That's because it's completely irrelevant when looking at Crackdown, it's a solid game that delivers exactly what it promises: a giant sandbox to blow the crap out of".[35]
The game was named the 2007 BAFTA "Best Action and Adventure Game" and "Best Use of Audio".[38] and also won the "Best Debut" award at the 2008 Game Developers Choice Awards.[39] The game received the Innovation Award at the 2007 Develop Awards, held by Develop magazine.[40] Game Informer listed it as one of the top 50 games of 2007, citing its unique experience and several other elements. They listed the agents as the number eight top heroes of 2007 and climbing the tallest building in the city as the number nine top moment of 2007.[41]
Sales
Crackdown premiered to very strong sales. During the week of its worldwide release of February 2007, it was the top selling Xbox 360 game in North America, Japan, and the UK.
Sequels
Wilson and lead designer Billy Thomson had previously confirmed that Crackdown was designed from the outset to be a long-running series of games,[47] stating that sequels for the game are very likely to be produced, especially if Crackdown performed well commercially.[47] However, during the Industry All Stars event in September 2007, Wilson confirmed that Realtime Worlds was not working on a sequel to the game, saying "Microsoft was a little late in stepping up to the plate to ask for Crackdown 2, and by then we had already started working on bigger, better things".[12] However, then-corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, Shane Kim, stated that Microsoft still holds the intellectual property rights for Crackdown and that a Crackdown sequel was still a possibility.[48] Realtime Studios manager Colin MacDonald clarified that if they have the resources after completion of APB, they could approach Microsoft to discuss a sequel.[49]
At Microsoft's E3 conference on 1 June 2009, it was announced that Crackdown 2 was released on 6 July 2010 in the U.S. and Canada and on 9 July throughout the rest of the world. Crackdown 2 received mixed reviews.
A third title in the series,
References
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- ^ Campbell, Colin (2014-06-09). "New Crackdown heading to Xbox One". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2014-06-09.
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- ^ Realtime Worlds. Crackdown.
Agency Director: Who do you think supplied Los Muertos? Who do you think turned a blind eye to the Volk's activities? Who do you think was Shai-Gen's biggest supporter? Who do you think ran organized law ... And ran it into the ground? The people had to experience firsthand absolute anarchy before they would accept unconditional control. You are the portent of a new world order, Agent. Pacific City was only the beginning.
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{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Stewart, Kemuel (2008-06-01). "E3′ 09: Crackdown 2 Debut Trailer". GamerCenterOnline. Archived from the original on 2009-06-06. Retrieved 2008-06-01.
- ^ McWhertor, Michael (16 August 2017). "Crackdown 3 delayed to 2018". Polygon. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2017.
- ^ Plante, Chris (6 June 2018), "Update: Crackdown 3 delayed to February 2019", www.polygon.com, archived from the original on 26 July 2019, retrieved 26 July 2019,
(Update - Thursday, June 7, 7:30pm) : Microsoft - "Crackdown 3 will be launching in Feb 2019."
External links
- "Official website". Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 26 January 2007.
- Crackdown at MobyGames