Metareview: Crackdown 2

by Alexander Sliwinski on Jul 6th 2010 2:00PM

Crackdown 2 left us with the feeling we were missing something -- like, an entire sequel's worth of content. It appears we weren't alone for the most part. Then again, if you've got AOO (agility orb obsession), you'll be too busy to care. Chase down the review orb links below for the full content:

Eurogamer (80/100): "Besides, they're offset by everything that Ruffian gets right: the masterful way the developers have turned simple neighbourhoods into set-pieces; the moments where nightfall triggers neon signage that reveals a hidden pathway up the side of a skyscraper; the way in which a chain of seemingly random Agility Orbs picks out a perfect racing line of superhero bounds from one chimney to the next and off into the horizon."
IGN (75/100): "The new additions, specifically the expansion to four-player co-op, are welcome, but this hardly feels like it was worth the three-year wait. It's mostly just more of the same, in the same city, with the same shortcomings and a slightly expanded set of missions. Crackdown 2 feels uninspired and rushed, and it certainly doesn't feel like a full sequel."
Game Informer (73/100): "Yes, the fights with gang leaders got old after a while in the first game, but they instilled a sense of progress. Without them, you're just jumping around ruined versions of the same old places, tracking down nearly 1,000 orbs, and working through the same pair of "kill 'em all" story missions until the credits roll. Crackdown is still ripe for an ambitious sequel, but this Crackdown 2 thing clearly isn't it. What a squandered opportunity."
1UP (B-): "There's no question that Crackdown 2 is a mere shadow of the first game, which stands as an absolute classic. The sequel feels more like an ambitious user mod than a true follow-up."
Giant Bomb (3/5) "There's a narrow subset of people that will absolutely love Crackdown 2 for it's "it ain't broke, so we didn't fix it" approach to sequel development. ... If you're in that group or if you're just looking for something absolutely mindless to do with a few online friends, Crackdown 2 is practically perfect for that."

Crackdown 2 (E3)

Source: Metacritic

Tags: Crackdown-2, microsoft, Riot-Act-2, ruffian, ruffian-games, xbox

Reader Comments (51)

While I liked the first Crackdown at this point in time I have to much on my plate to worry about picking this up.

No skills for kill for me this go-round

My copy is arriving today. All of these reviews are kinda bumming me out, but since I loved the first Crackdown I suppose there are worse things than C2 being very similar.

@Trojan yeah...like ruffian working on crackdown 3 -.-

Why can't games just be fun? This game is FUN! & that's all that matters. It doesn't need a story, it doesn't need too much new things. Crackdown wasn't broken so they didn't fix it. This is probably the worst reviews for a great game. If people read this comment. This just goes to show that you should never listen to a reviewer, try a game for yourself & you may like it. Don't listen to anyone else's opinion.

@Prboi except for your opinion, I guess

@Uncontrol I'm just saying, I feel this game is fun but they say it's not. If I can have fun with this game then that shows that you shouldn't listen to a reviewer. I'm not saying you have to like it, just try it for yourself. People are always saying "I guess I'm not getting this one" just because it didn't get a high rating. Don't you hate when people criticize something you like?

@Prboi

So games, or more specifically sequels I guess, don't need stories or innovations? Or variety in gameplay? Or graphical improvement & variety? That's a great approach. Let me know how that works out for you.

@Prboi

Except the key to actually using review scores is to follow a reviewer enough so that you know if your tastes tend to jive with that reviewer. Games, and gamers, have such variance that no one reviewer will ever writer a review that every reader agrees with.

I didn't particularly enjoy Crackdown 1. Played it for about an hour, got bored, and moved on. The reviews that have come out make sense to me, this is a game that I should pass by, based on my previous experience with the sequel. So these reviews are accurate for some gamers. That's the nature of reviews.

@Prboi
Where do they say it's not FUN?

The scores would point towards that is indeed quite FUN, but that it's lacking in INNOVATION and FRESHNESS.

The consensus seems to be that a perfect opportunity was squandered and that the game could have been much more. Nevertheless, I think everyone concedes that the game is indeed FUN.

I can't say I'm surprised how this game turned out since it got very little hype. Even the Devs and publisher knew it was going to be underwhelming but still solid.

@Prboi Well, yeah, it looks fun, about as fun as the first game we went through three years ago. The real question is, what justifies a $60 pricetag? More of the same?
I think not.

@Prboi

Some people like me have low attention spans. I don't really see that as a negative though. I like a constant mix up.

@neftones Your reading comprehension skills need some work. A game doesn't need any of those things to be fun. It just needs to be fun, which is a supremely subjective thing.

"Don't you hate when people criticize something you like? "

Not since I was like 17 or so. Life's been significantly better since then. Look into it.

@Prboi

I really like the first one...sort of a surprise. And you're right, it was really fun.

I played the demo for this one, and I did not have fun. I was instantly frustrated at the shooting/aiming/controls of the game. I had fun jumping around and getting agility orbs, but fighting bad guys frustrated and annoyed me.

I was planning on getting this one, especially because of the zombies and agility orb finding help in the game, but after playing the demo I have changed my mind.

I am bummed!

@Prboi I agree sort of... I read into reviews and don't always take them so literal as I know what I like and don't like. Crackdown 2 is a game best played with friends and nothing more. It's not the best and it isn't the worse you could do.

Haha the scores are so incongruous with those comments, much like Joystiq's score for the game. Review scores suck.

@Uncontrol agreed, reviews are dumb, play the game, pay $7 from blockbuster and rent it. OR use Gamefly... or work at a Gamestop and wait for a used one to come in. ;p Cause reviews tell you the jist of things, play it yourself and see how it goes. Hell, reviews said the .Hack//GU series was trash and it's one of the best game series I've ever played. It's all personal opinion. ;p

@(Unverified) & plus there's a demo out so it's not like you have to go out of your way to try it

And the demo can be played over and over for thirty minutes at a go. After three times through, I saw what I can estimate to be 70% of the games world, and maybe 50% of its content. Unfortunately, from what I'm reading, the content sort of repeats over and over... which makes me a sad panda, because what I was playing wasn't that compelling (the zombies are not a fun enemy, at all).

Game definitely went from buy to rent for me after the demo. Thus is the danger of putting out a demo in the first place I guess, but it's a shame because I adored the first game.

While I can see that its more of the same. Its been long enough that that wont bother me THAT much. I still look forward to CD2. But it is a shame that they didn't do much with the original formula. I hope post patched and DLC help improve this game.

@Arsenic13 since i didn't play the first one more than a few hours i am far from tired of the formula. i've played Crackdown 2 for about 6 hours now and it is a blast! yes it is fairly repetitive and no it isn't very different from the first. but i am ok with that. i just love sandbox games like Crackdown 2 and Just Cause 2.

First one was...okay, but let's face it. People only bought it because of the Halo 3 beta. Whoever at Microsoft Game Studios thought a sequel could stand on its own is sadly mistaken.

@Imperial

Wow, really? There are still people ignorant enough to *still* think that? Obviously some people did, but you're giving Halo too much credit.

Let me put it to you this way: I'll take Crackdown over Halo 3 any time. I admit the news about the sequel is kind of disappointing, but yea, I would have bought the first one even if it didn't come with the Halo 3 beta. So there.

@Imperial
I bought it because it gave me the opportunity to throw cars at people. Because of Crackdown I will never play a normal Sandbox game again. Sure, GTA is fun, but if I can't leap up to the top of a building with a car in my hand, it's not as fun as it could be.

@Morph156
So CD1/CD2 or Prototype?

crackdown 2 sucks. just like the first one.

oh! look at me! i haz superpowerz!

pfft. license a better first-party game microsoft.

@PlayboyX

You know you might want to go to the doctor its not healthy having so much sand in your vagina.

The Crackdown franchise while maybe not anything spectacular to some people it has its fair share of fans. Some love it, some hate it in the end what it counts down to if you go to try it just have some fun with it.

If I could get it for around $30 flat, I probably would...

$20 for sure... but no way am I going full price. Not a chance.

Enjoyed the first one, enjoyed the demo, but not enough to drop $80 (Canuck bucks) on 'er.

@Doos
Man, you've got that right.

$60 would have been ok-ish, but this is just greeeeeeedy.

...bah!

Why couldn't Just Cause 2 support Co-Op!

(sigh...also waits for somebody to pull the 'just cause' quip)

@ShadowXIII

I know! That game is so perfect for co-op! So many vehicles with mounted guns and such. Every time I switch back and forth I think "damn I need another player!"

some ppl expect too much and will always be disappointed. i dont pay much mind to reviews that set the bar way too high

if you didnt like the first game dont play the sequel cause surprise! its more of the same, just slightly improved like most games.

All i need from Crackdown 2 are agility orbs and an open world to patrol. everything else is just filler between high jumping skyscrapers

it seems like Crackdown 2 could have just been a $15 DLC expansion for the first one. Play in a destroyed version of the same city, throw in some zombie monsters, 9 or so defend the generator missions and 4 player co-op, sounds good to me.

what i don't understand is all the unadulterated love for the first game. 1UP says it, "...stands as an absolute classic." really? i mean it was fun and all, but i don't think i'd go that far.

oh well, a fun rental for a gaming dry spell then.

Such a shame ='(

So its a game that if you love the gameplay mechanics, then the second game will make you happy. If you already played the first then you will be very familiar with the second. If you have friends then the second game will be a total joy to play.

Some reviewers really love the game and some hate it. I guess you need to find out what matters the most to you when reading those reviews since they are all over the place.

Loved Crackdown 1, 2's demo did nothing for me... I canceled my preorder and will apply it to Dead Rising 2 instead.

@(Unverified)
Good choice, hopefully the same won't be said of DR2.

Here is a handy form you can use for any of your comments from now on:

"[Negative or deceptively positive statement],[negative statement]."

And this one will save even more time with a few of them.

"- - - - -, too bad - - - sucks."

You can thank me later.

I've already confessed my love for Crackdown 1 and 2 in other articles, but is anyone else noticing something interesting here? I can't remember a game getting such mediocre scores from the critics, yet being so vehemently defended and dividing the gamers. Sure, you always have trolls attacking a game and fans arguing back, but really this seems much more sharply divided than I've seen before.

Just curious, maybe the fact that I like both games is coloring my outlook...

I like the "it ain't broke, so we didn't fix it" approach. I enjoy these type of games anyway...so i'm all for Crackdown 2. Though not entirely sure i'll pay £40.00 for it...

its kind of funny that if Ruffian had completely changed the crackdown formula. people would bitch about that too. and say crap like, "this isn't the crackdown i know and love! what did they do?!" seems like Ruffian was in a lose/lose situation with the original being a "love it or hate it" type of game. so its sequel, oh well.

@tubb311 Agreed.

I was really disappointed by the demo of Crackdown 2, so much so that I put in Crackdown last night to make sure I wasn't crazy - I'm not.
It took a while for me to really nail it down but here's the problem with Crackdown 2: There's no personality. Instead of a mixed bag of over-the-top law enforcers we've got cookie cutter clones, they removed the gang leaders(and their wonderfully cheesy intro movies), and the transforming vehicles - and all those things were important, they added spice to everything. I leveled up my Driving skill to see how the Vehicles would change, I changed the Agent I would use each time to see how they each progressed, sometimes I'd abandon my game just to check back on my favorites after I got an Agility or Physical level up. It was faster, slicker, they really seem to have lost something in Crackdown 2, which is more than anything else, just sad.

@SteamPunkJin

except for the lame bosses and the actual transforming of vehicles, you can do all that. i too was disappointed by the demo, but knew the first game enough to know that a 30 min demo isn't enough to sell this game's high points. the one thing i think needs work, in CD2 , is the auto aiming. doesn't seem quite as crisp as CD1. hopefully they ca patch it.

I absolutely loved Crackdown 1 and after playing the demo for Crackdown 2 and reading its reviews, I can't even imagine spending full price on it.

That is the sign of a bad sequel.

@JasonA

i also loved the first one, and i'm loving this one too. maybe you should try renting it or something, because i think the demo didn't do the full game justice. and from what i can tell reviewers are idiots.

Honestly, I enjoyed the hell out of the first one, and the sequel brings the same gameplay back, but it also adds a bunch of online modes that add to the longevity of the game for me. I could stand a little more innovation, but honestly, I'm content w/ my purchase.

Wow, it sounds like Crackdown changed more from Crackdown 1 to Crackdown 2 than what Pokemon has changed from 1st to 4th gen!

Crackdown is a perfect example of how review scores suck. The game is much more fun than many games that got higher scores than it. Many of the things that people complain about in Crackdown (lack of story missions) would actually make it less fun.

If you don't have gobs of unbridled fun playing co-op Crackdown with a friend, then one or both of you are just not a fun person.

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Crackdown 2

Metareview: Crackdown 2

Crackdown 2 (E3)

Reader Comments (51)

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:06PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:07PM Trojan said

Posted: Jul 7th 2010 6:15AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:07PM Prboi said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:10PM Uncontrol said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:13PM Prboi said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:18PM neftones said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:20PM Courtney said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:23PM Mmmmz said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:24PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:42PM Tiptup300 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 3:41PM MrWolf said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 4:46PM jrr said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 5:50PM Mal F4cti0n said

Posted: Jul 7th 2010 11:37AM Johnny Neat said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:09PM Uncontrol said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:13PM Drago Dracini said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:17PM Prboi said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 6:31PM BananaBoat said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:11PM Arsenic13 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 5:07PM kojo87 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:13PM Imperial said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:27PM WiredKnight said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:32PM Morph156 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 6:05PM Mr Numeros said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:16PM PlayboyX said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:30PM Stevetrop Man of Mystery said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:19PM Doos said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 3:05PM RyanS said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:22PM ShadowXIII said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:29PM WiredKnight said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:23PM Red Son Rising said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:23PM Gashlycrumb said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:27PM Cerberusguns said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:31PM Machiavellian79 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:39PM Usr666 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 9:56PM Cerberusguns said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:45PM MrAlex said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 2:46PM MrAlex said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 4:06PM The Tim said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 4:40PM Kal El said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 5:00PM tubb311 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 7:39PM TakeCTRL said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 5:02PM SteamPunkJin said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 8:42PM tubb311 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 5:15PM JasonA said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 8:47PM tubb311 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 8:29PM whatthegeek said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 9:41PM Androu1 said

Posted: Jul 6th 2010 10:28PM Vcize said

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