Crackdown: Not Just Another Grand Theft Auto Clone!

Let me begin by saying that I have never liked the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) games. Not because they are violent, inappropriate, or degenerate. In fact, I love those aspects in games as much as I love them in movies. Fact of the matter is, I think the GTA games are just boring. For the uninitiated, GTA and some of its brethren are "sandbox" games, meaning that you are free to roam the in-game world and do various things without furthering the plot or progress of the game. In theory, I like the idea of sandbox games, but find very few, aside from role-playing games (RPGs), that I enjoy. Crackdown has become the exception to that!

Initially, I had no desire to check out this game, because of my distaste for GTA. I finally gave it a try, and I love it. In Crackdown, you assume the role of an agent whose task it is to rid the city of various gangs. You begin by taking out lower ranking members of the gangs, but eventually take down the leaders. You fight these gang members by various means, from throwing stuff at them, hand-to-hand combat, knocking them off ledges, firearms combat, and crashing into them with vehicles. There are other, more creative ways to inflict pain as well, such as rolling boulders down mountains into them.

What initially pleased me with this game are the graphics. When I had seen screenshots and commercials, they didn't appeal to me much, but once I picked up a controller and was moving around, it just felt right. The quasi-cell shading in the games is u used in fantastic animations that really give you a sense of running, driving, and jumping.

As I mentioned earlier, I play RPGs. This is another area, where I was surprisingly pleased. Crackdown has many RPG elements to it. Throughout the game, you are able to gain experience in certain areas, such as driving, shooting, agility, and strength. As you use these abilities, you increase your abilities. You see, you are a genetically enhanced agent, who has the potential to have super-human abilities. As you progress, you are able to "leap small buildings...," pick up huge objects, etc.