Joystiq

Joystiq E3 hands-on: Left 4 Dead

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-07-16T10:30:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, First Person Shooters, E3

The zombie apocalypse is not funny. Modern civilization crumbles, your friends are eaten alive and those with a pulse are forced to adopt a rather rigorous and unrelenting exercise program, one largely motivated by the desire to stay alive. Shakily counting out your precious remaining bullets and praying that the snarling, undead legion won't find you huddling beneath a desk is hardly a situation worthy of a chuckle. It certainly isn't the basis for a fun party game.

"It is a fun party game, in a way," remarks Valve's Chet Faliszek. The fun party game in question, of course, is Left 4 Dead, a team-based shooter that actually makes Armageddon amusing. Don't get us wrong -- horrible, horrible things are happening to you and three friends. You're all fighting for your lives, living from room-to-room as you aggressively expend ammo, rummage for medical supplies and desperately try not to shoot each other in the back. Good times!

Gallery: Left 4 Dead: EA3 2008

This strange combination of fun and misery, of horror and laughter is ultimately what makes Left 4 Dead such an enjoyable shooter. The urban setting is familiar and the shoot-everything-that-moves gameplay isn't particularly deep, but there's a real sense of camaraderie and playfulness -- even between complete E3 strangers -- that emerges, even if it is largely motivated by your own selfish desire to not die.

"...Left 4 Dead manages to turn the thrill of survival-horror gameplay into a cool, shared experience."

The infected enemies that run, leap and crawl through the environments are tenacious and overwhelming when faced alone, so it's in your best interests to pay attention to the rest of the survivors. Where are they? Check for the green silhouettes that appear as soon as the characters are obstructed from view. Do they need help? Knock hunter zombies off them with the melee attack, or protect them when their vision is obscured by a stream of nauseating vomit. Oh, yes, expect to see this hilarious message more than once: "Friend vomited on -- defend them!"

It doesn't take long before the shotgun blasts are drowned out by fits of "did you see that?" giggling, shouts of crucial advice -- "It's behind you!" -- and castigation for people running too far ahead of the party. "You should heal yourself," you might advise a visibly limping team mate. You're not doing it because you're nice, mind you, but because slow characters are a terrible liability. Remember, a dead team mate means less firepower!

"It doesn't take long before the shotgun blasts are drowned out by shouts of crucial advice..."

Another thing Left 4 Dead gets absolutely right is pacing. Fighting off a constant stream of creatures can quickly become exhausting (just like real life!), so it's just as well that the action is frequently punctuated by safe rooms. Filled with ammo, medical supplies and glorious silence, these areas signal the end of each map and give players a chance to catch a break. "People love to prepare," says Faliszek, pointing out the room's wealth of weaponry and its clearly marked exit. There's little doubt as to what will happen as soon as you barge out of your temporary haven -- but you'll be ready.

It's a great roller coaster ride, one that is best experienced with friends. That way, you can hear them taking a deep breath as you climb up the track, and let out an ear-piercing scream as you plunge down again. Though its central mechanics and presentation may not stand out in a single-player game, Left 4 Dead manages to turn the thrill of survival-horror gameplay into a cool, shared experience. Even the apocalypse is fun with friends.

Left 4 Dead is out on November 4th for Xbox 360 and PC. Check out precious previous previews here and here.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Diablo 3 to emphasize cooperation, PvP to be included

Jason Dobson — 2008-07-04T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Action, Online

Whether calling it out for being too colorful or even too conservative, Diablo 3 naysayers have certainly not lacked for ammunition to sling at the action RPG since it was made all official like late last month. Now pessimists can add another rock to the pile, with Blizzard poster Bashiok writing on the official World of Warcraft forums that the Diablo 3 devs are working to discourage online skullduggery, and that multiplayer will focus primarily on cooperative play.

Explained Bashiok, "We have a large focus on cooperative play for Diablo III, and the mechanics and design decisions related to multiplayer are likely going to be based on supporting and encouraging it as much as possible, and not breaking it down." However, PvP will apparently have its place in the game, as Bashiok baited forumers by adding, "That doesn't mean that PvP won't have its own focus, but those are details and features we aren't yet discussing." So for now it looks like PKers will need to find another outlet for their griefing ways, perhaps by venturing outside into the sunlight for a rousing game of Freeze Tag.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Prince of Persia co-op: 'possibility' being explored

Christopher Grant — 2008-06-10T11:35:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

In an upcoming interview with Videogaming247, Prince of Persia's "community development manager" Chris Easton apparently backtracks from producer Ben Mattes' assertion that there would be no co-op support, despite the clearly cooperative gameplay between the prince and Elika, his deadly new ally.

Easton told the site, "There are no plans for co-op as of now, but we may explore the possibility" - which, according to our Noncommittal Marketing Speak to English dictionary, puts the chances of co-op being added into the game somewhere between "not happening" and "potentially not not happening." For what it's worth, Joystiq would like to throw its full support behind adding more gameplay options to highly anticipated games. We know that sounds radical, but that's just how we feel.

Gallery: Prince of Persia (2008)

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Too Human video explains co-op mode

Alexander Sliwinski — 2008-05-30T13:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360

Microsoft just sent out a press release stating that a video showcasing Too Human's co-op mode is now available on the Xbox Live Marketplace. Silicon Knights' president, Denis Dyack, and design director, Henry Sterchi, host the video and explain how the ~~four-player~~ two-player co-op will work.

Of course, if you don't want to do the whole download thing, we've also conveniently placed the video after the break. Be prepared, it's almost 15 minutes long.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Haze PSN demo hits in Europe, coming to US tomorrow

Jason Dobson — 2008-05-07T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Action, First Person Shooters

It's been a long time coming, but Ubisoft's Free Radical-developed shooter, Haze, has finally been given the demo treatment, with the publisher sending word that a single and multiplayer-flavored demo is now available over PSN in Europe and that the same hors d'oeuvre will make the rounds in the U.S. starting May 8.

As if offering apology for Haze's numerous delays, the demo will include both a sampling of the game's single player campaign called "Salva Region," as well as "drop-in drop-out" co-op multiplayer for up to four players online or over a LAN, or with two players via split-screen. We're sure that there is some "coming out of the haze" joke to be made here, but honestly, after months of waiting we're simply all joked out.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Haze gets May demo, slightly earlier release

Kyle Orland — 2008-04-15T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, First Person Shooters

Haze's hazy path to becoming an actual, released game became a little more concrete today, with Ubisoft's announcement of a May PSN demo and yet another new release date for the somewhat issue-prone first-person shooter. Surprisingly enough, the new May 20 date is actually three days earlier than the previously "definite" May 23 release (though that may have applied to Europe only). It might not seem like much, but after more delays than we can count (not literally), any move in the other direction is a welcome announcement. Will this release date be the final one? As the Magic 8-Ball might say: "Outlook hazy, try again later."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Sierra and Radical Entertainment remove multiplayer from Prototype

Griffin McElroy — 2008-03-29T15:00:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360

Those who harbored desires to go on Crackdown-esque romps through New York City with a genetically mutated pal will undoubtedly be crushed to learn that developer Radical Entertainment and publisher Sierra have decided to scrap Prototype's multiplayer mode in order to encourage players to truly delve into the single-player storyline, and, more truthfully, so they could meet their original Fall 2008 launch window.

Radical's Tim Bennison defended the decision in an interview with TeamXbox, hinting at a possibility of co-op functionality in post-release DLC, and confirming that "multiplayer will definitely be on the table from the start" when, should the game be well-received, it comes time for a sequel -- which we can only guess will be titled Reference Design, followed by the critically acclaimed Initial Model, and then the action-packed conclusion, Finished Product.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Metareview -- Army of Two (Xbox 360, PS3)

Ludwig Kietzmann — 2008-03-06T23:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Metareviews

Despite a suspicious silence accompanying its (delayed) arrival, EA's smack-talkin' shooter seems to have mostly delivered on its promise of consistently cooperative violence. Unsurprisingly, most reviewers seem to agree that a one-macho-man army is at a disadvantage in Army of Two, with the lone experience highlighting some of the game's flaws and unremarkable design. It might be worth a look if you and your BFF have already blasted everything in Halo 3, Crackdown and Gears of War.

IGN (79/100): "As a single player experience, Army of Two is a fine game -- one that manages to provide a fun, engaging time despite its length, AI issues and elements that don't seem fully implemented. However, it's really co-op play and multiplayer where the game stands out, and these two modes will most likely keep you playing for a long time."
Game Informer (75/100): "Like dysfunctional characters in a buddy flick, Army of Two has some annoying problems, but if you just want a fun cooperative experience, it gets the job done and delivers sizeable thrills you won't find anywhere else."
Eurogamer (70/100): "Any level of the current co-op king, Halo 3, has more spectacle and incident packed into it than the entirety of Army of Two; more that you'll want to relive in company over and over again. Bearing the strong Vs. mode in mind, it would be wrong not to warmly recommend this as a smart twist on a stupid shooter, but perhaps it should have taken itself a little more seriously after all."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New site chronicles co-op gaming

Kyle Orland — 2008-01-28T19:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo DS, Sony PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Microsoft Xbox 360, Competitive Gaming

Sometimes you just get tired of killing your friends. Many game-makers might find this shocking, but it's true -- sometimes you want to band together with your buds to take on the world (or the computer-controlled AI, at least). Unfortunately, unless you're willing to scour the web for news of co-op modes, you might find you can't get no cooperation if you tried.

Enter Co-optimus, a new site founded by Evil Avatar Editor-in-chief Nicholas Puleo to gather together information on all forms of co-operative gaming. The site currently lists over 120 co-op games for current systems, including over 100 released in 2007. It's a great resource, but we're a little bummed that the site doesn't list older systems yet. You haven't lived until you've seen a "co-operative" game of Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers turn into a battle to throw your partner into as many enemies as possible. Good times.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Eidos dates Conflict: Denied Ops for February 2008

Jason Dobson — 2007-12-20T12:28:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters

No doubt in a rush to get a new game - any new game - on store shelves so it can wash its hands of the whole Kane and Lynch debacle, Eidos has announced that it will release Conflict: Denied Ops for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PC on February 12, 2008.

The game is the latest from the "conflict" obsessed folks at Pivotal Games, and will allow one or two players to simultaneously control a pair of gun-wielding supermen, not unlike the aforementioned Kane and Lynch. Pivotal's Conflict series of games are not exactly known for overwhelmingly positive scores, and if our earlier impressions hold true, the same fate awaits Denied Ops, though hopefully once reviews begin rolling in no writers will find themselves on the business end of a pink slip. If so, perhaps Gerstmann needs a roommate?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Halo 3 split-screen wastes 16:9 HDTV edges

Zack Stern — 2007-09-25T21:04:00+00:00

Filed under: Culture, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online

Gamers with HDTVs are often aspect ratio nerds. And a few Halo 3 co-op HDTV players have begun complaining about wasted space in the left and right margins of 16:9 (A.K.A. 1.77:1) screens. The issue is about dividing screen space in single-console games with less than four players. As-is, Halo 3 leaves black margins on the sides of the screen.

With two players, by our measurements, the game runs each perspective at a CinemaScope-busting 2.7:1. While that view makes better use of the space than two stacked 1.77:1 frames, why not let gamers choose to run across the entire width? If it's a competitive advantage in multiplayer games, gamers should be able to use it in the co-op mode.

With three players, the top window fills the same 2.7:1 frame, while the bottom two stay at the original 1.77:1 ratio. In four-player games, everyone gets the 1.77:1 view.

We're too far into the HDTV transition for games to be wasting screen space or having other perspective issues. We understand that designers want total control over the gaming experience. But we players want to use every pixel for which we paid.

[Thanks, Dustin]

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Gearbox's Borderlands revealed on Game Informer cover

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-08-15T11:59:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online, RPGs

With a tag line like "Diablo meets Mad Max," how can you not take the bait? Gearbox Software's Borderlands is the cover story in the September issue of Game Informer. Described as an RPG-shooter, with 4-player online co-op support, Borderlands appears to mimic the space gansta aesthetic that was so brilliantly captured in the dusty Gibson films of yesteryear -- not unlike id's new project Rage. How Diablo elements play into the dune buggy battlin' should be explained once the full cover story has been perused.

Developer Gearbox has earned critical props for its Brothers in Arms games, which are often overlooked in the rotting heap of World War II shooters. The latest in that series, Hell's Highway (due in November), showed great promise during an E3 demo, but once again, was lost in the swirl of game previews, and has an uphill battle at retail, facing a very competitive holiday lineup. But if Gearbox stays dedicated to top-tier technical and production qualities, as seen in Brothers in Arms, than Borderlands could be the commercial success this studio is capable of developing. This is one to watch.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Halo 3 co-op is offline, for now

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-07-18T11:57:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, First Person Shooters, Online

"We're not dumb. We know that people want it," Bungie's Frank O'Conner tells EGM. But according to CVG, leaked info from an upcoming EGM article suggests that what we want ain't what we'll get. The development team is still struggling to bring Halo co-op onto Xbox Live. "I think the biggest problem for us for online co-op is that we have a situation where you can be in a Warthog with five troops, almost a mile away from the other player. That's a significant challenge," says Frankie.

Currently, it appears that Halo 3 will ship without online co-op, but supposedly Bungie hasn't ruled out bringing the feature to players through a future update (remember when folks wished for the same for Halo 2?). This doesn't mean that 4-player co-op is any less likely; but, if it does exist, you'll be forced to suffer through it using antiquated split-screen methods (unless you've got a LAN setup). Disappointed? We are; many of us naively accepted Gears' online co-op as surrogate confirmation that Halo's campaign would finally become an Xbox Live experience.

We'll leave you with a few hopeful words from Frankie: "If we can make it happen in a way that works well, we will."

Update: 1UP editor Jeremy Parish weighs in on the controversy; Update 2: Bungie's Frankie says, "like other elements of Halo 3, online co-op is a feature we're wrestling with ... as we approach the tail end of development, we will have a clearer picture of whether or not that online feature will be included."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Crackdown updates include new multiplayer modes, 'gang reset' option

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-03-27T13:42:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Online

With a pint of Guinness in his (virtual) belly, Crackdown producer Phil Wilson reluctantly braved a swarm of fanboys eager to squeeze his brain empty of downloadable content details. Wilson's tight-lipped policy didn't last long, and he was quickly charmed by the Eurogamer forum rats, already dropping hints in his first response (a question about aircraft): "airborne antics [are] definitely not off the table going forward."

What we know is that Realtime Worlds has created several competitive multiplayer modes, with one being optionally cooperative. Apparently, one of the modes was inspired by a user-created video posted online (GASP, Game 3.0 on Xbox 360?!). Wilson suggested that the creators would "eventually" be credited for the idea, adding that many of the videos popping up on YouTube (particularly this one) had impressed the development team. The new modes will likely be limited to two players, though Wilson teased that "the prospect of mass co-op is definitely an exciting one."

Wilson also confirmed that a free update will include a 'reset gangs' option, eliminating the frustrating need to delete the game data (or your Gamertag) from the hard drive in order to start over. Wilson apologized for the oversight and added, "while I'm spilling beans, there's also another great mode that I'm pretty sure is also kinda what you're asking for but a whole lot more -- so I hope that goes some way towards compensation." Could you be anymore vague?

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Mercenaries 2 on Xbox 360 ... PC & PS2 (this time it's official)

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-02-22T10:55:00+00:00

Filed under: PC, Sony PlayStation 2, Sony PlayStation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Online

Why was it such a big secret? That's about the only question Pandemic senior producer Jonathan Zamkoff wasn't asked in a lengthy Mercenaries 2 tell-all hosted by IGN. Rumblings, reports, and recordings were the evidence leading up to today's confession: Mercs 2 is on Xbox 360 -- and oh, by the way, PC and PlayStation 2. "So here's the scoop. We are shooting for true feature parity on the PS3, 360, and PC. There will be small visual differences on those consoles due to platform specific texture compression algorithms and other platform-specific graphics implementation, but to the end-user the game experience will be nearly identical," explained Zamkoff. "For the PS2 we are taking a different tact. We're working extremely closely with Pi studios ... They are using the Mercs 1 core engine and toolchain, coupled with modified Mercs 2 assets to create the Mercs 2 PS2 version."

The big addition to Mercs 2 is online co-op, which will be nixed from the PS2 version, but intact on PS3. "We have no intention to provide one feature for one system that the other one doesn't have. So, yes, both [Xbox 360 & PS3] will have cooperative multiplayer -- online cooperative multiplayer," confirmed Zamkoff, adding, "We started from scratch to program for the multiprocessors on both machines. They were both in mind when we were writing the text, so we didn't want to create a PS3 engine, which was and has been, and is, our lead SKU, but we didn't want to ignore the Xbox 360. Even though we're just now announcing the 360 version, we have been working on it for quite some time ... In terms of timing, both games are within a week of each other in development." Pandemic is tentatively set on a fall 2007 release.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Peep Double Dragon's XBLA makeover

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-01-26T08:56:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Retro, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online

According to the Netherlands' Xboxworld (via NeoGAF), Double Dragon is headed to Xbox Live Arcade in March, for 400 MS points. Like other aging classics before them, the Lee brothers and foes look to be receiving a visual touch-up. But as is often the case with real-life makeovers (and we're talkin' the scalpels, staples, and tubes kinda makeovers), the "enhanced" look just seems to always miss the mark. Never mind how jarringly flat the characters appear, just look at that "English Tear" sign, it's pristine! This is no longer a rumble through the ghetto, it's a prance around some sterilized ghost town infested with botox mutants. Can we get an "A-men!"?

We'd much prefer the time and resources be spent on tuning the online co-op, which continues to be a frustrating ordeal with each XBLA release.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Heavy Weapon next week on Xbox Live Arcade

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-01-09T16:55:00+00:00

Filed under: Arcade, Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online

Here's a thought: maybe there's a clever strategy behind tomorrow's Xbox Live Arcade release. With most gamers preoccupied with the new Gears of War maps, it's the perfect time to re-release Ms. Pac-Man (remember, this was Xbox Arcade's launch title). With the overused classic out of the way, and the Gears maps thoroughly romped, next week, we'll be ready for a major XBLA release. Enter: PopCap's Heavy Weapon.

Xbox 360 Fanboy has confirmed rumors that Heavy Weapon is scheduled for release on January 17 for 800 points. Sure, there's already a free stripped-down browser-based version out there (right here), but the deluxe PC version retails for $20. If you're down for another tank shooter -- this one's side-scrolling -- the XBLA Heavy Weapon is the version to own; plus it supports Live co-op. Hoorah!

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Hudson talks Dungeon Explorer VC delay

James Ransom-Wiley — 2007-01-02T16:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Nintendo Wii, Action, Adventure, Online

Hudson's Dungeon Explorer missed its target launch date yesterday, leaving Urban Champion (NES) and Baseball (NES) to represent Wii Virtual Console's New Years releases. The muff doesn't sit well with TurboGrafx-16 fans who have already suffered through two Hudson VC blunders: a broken Military Madness and a pricey R-Type.

Speaking on Dungeon Explorer's tardiness, Hudson's John Master Lee cited "funky things" (bugs) appearing during last-minute tests. Lee wisely avoided suggesting a new release date, saying only that an update on the game's condition would be "coming soon."

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Crackdown in stores Feb. 20, demo on Jan. 18

James Ransom-Wiley — 2006-12-21T15:25:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Adventure, Online

Microsoft's crack at the Grand Theft Auto crown, from Grand Theft Auto creator David Jones and his Real Time Worlds studio, is set to hit streets February 20. Admittedly, Crackdown shares more in common with Mercenaries than it does with any of the GTA titles, as it's less structured than Rockstar's series and not mission-based -- you're charged with taking down three criminal organizations however you see fit. Of course, the ability to become a 'super freak' (leap buildings, transform vehicles, throw semis, etc.) puts Crackdown in a niche of its own -- if not the superpowers, then the cel-shaded visuals. It's totally like being inside a graphic novel! Right?...

For those of us still concerned that Crackdown lacks some of the cohesive elements necessary for a mainstream hit, Microsoft is offering a demo, set to hit Xbox Live Marketplace on January 18. The demo will include -- for Xbox Live Gold members -- a preview of Crackdown's full-scale online co-op, which gives the game a huge boost over its competition. Free-form gang-stomping with a buddy? Yes please.

[Via press release]

Press release:

Justice Is Served: "Crackdown" on Crime This February

The highly anticipated Xbox 360 title 'Crackdown' explodes onto Xbox Live Marketplace with an exciting single-player and online cooperative demo Jan.18, followed by its arrival on store shelves Feb. 20.

Pacific City is overridden; crime controls the streets. Three powerful gangs have taken the once-great metropolis hostage, and the police have proven powerless in their efforts to regain control. Only the Agency - with genetically enhanced agents of justice - can provide citizens with some sense of hope.

Brace yourself. Justice is coming to Pacific City.

On Jan. 18, gamers will get the chance to battle their way through the roads and rooftops of Crackdown[TM] as the Xbox 360[TM] title's explosive demo lands on Xbox Live(R) Marketplace. And for the ultimate payback, they will combine forces in online co-op play for twice the thrills and double the retribution. [Online multiplayer play requires Xbox Live Gold account.]

Gamers will arm themselves with high-tech weapons, transformable vehicles and incredible, gravity-defying superskills in preparation to take back Pacific City when Crackdown storms North American store shelves Feb. 20.

From Realtime Worlds, Crackdown pushes the action-driving hybrid genre into the next generation with the first-ever truly 3-D playground. Gamers will level up their Agent's strength, agility, firearms, explosives and driving skills while scaling the fully vertical world of Crackdown. This M-rated game incorporates revolutionary co-op gameplay throughout the entire free-form campaign. Creating a volatile cocktail of judicial oppression, players will clean up the streets of a truly interactive world when Crackdown hits store shelves at an estimated retail price of $59.99.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Joystiq hands-on: Crackdown (Xbox 360)

Zack Stern — 2006-12-01T08:05:00+00:00

Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, Action, Online

Future-cop shooter, Crackdown, prides itself on nonlinear, sandbox play. It's set in a sprawling city with many areas to explore, and I had fun wandering through a pre-release version at a recent meeting with developer, Real Time Worlds.

The game is violent and visceral; you play a Judge ~~Dread~~ Dredd-style super-cop with no moral ambiguity. Every criminal you kill is a victory, and any bystanders that die between you and the baddies were just doing their part for their city. This premise is sure to appeal to the adolescent boy in all of us (and actual adolescent boys). But for a game that gloats about its open, let-the-gamer-decide play-style, I thought that the violence was sometimes too mandatory and too realistic.

I had fun with Crackdown, and I want to play more. I enjoyed the sandbox elements -- blowing up parts of the city, jumping between rooftops, and driving cars -- but those activities didn't always help me progress. It seemed like I needed to keep killing thugs to advance through the game, and that repetition may violate the sandbox ideal.

To Crackdown's credit, the Xbox 360 game doesn't take time to dwell on its blunt-instrument kill-the-enemy-gangs premise -- it even approaches it with a crooked smile. And the game's frenzied pace doesn't pause for soul-searching or deep social commentary; gamers will pick it up for its action, not nuance.

Crackdown's style first grabbed my interest. My character bounded up the sides of buildings, scarred the pavement after leaping to the ground, and tossed cars at gangs of thugs. (We used cheat codes to juice the character; it would normally take 10-20 hours of play to fully earn these abilities.) In the world that was shaded somewhere between cell animation and an attempt at realism, these action sequences carried the game.

And about the violence -- what I saw fit the Crackdown world and wasn't individually gory by today's standards. The realistic animations sometimes bothered me, like when my body collapsed after being hit by a car. But the total sum of the blood and animations combined with how frequently they occurred seemed excessive to my subjective eyes.

Real Time Worlds is working to make Crackdown as nonlinear and open as possible; at any time in the game, you can try to fight any of the three main bosses or their six-each henchmen. However, if you charge the fortified office tower of a top boss, you'll likely encounter too many goons to succeed. Instead, killing the main henchmen affects those situations; for example, if the character in charge of recruiting is gone, the main boss won't have as many grunts blocking your path.

Because my time playing the game was limited, I wondered if this nonlinear approach was too broad; I wanted more motivation and back-story driving my rampage. The final game will have brief video interludes presenting the bosses, so that history may still be coming.

Crackdown's open approach fits with its other touted feature: two-player cooperative games. (And Microsoft is promoting this style of gameplay, hoping it will drive more people to Xbox Live.) At any time, a friend can enter or exit your game, and you can work together to defeat the criminal syndicates. Or you could just hang out and devise new ways to blow up traffic. The entire game world is accessible to both players, so you won't have to stay within close proximity.

I had fun playing co-op with one of the game developers, charging through the streets of the large city with guns blazing. (We also just wandered around, raced cars, and I drove a semi cab off a parking garage.) The two-player games stayed fluid, although I was playing over a temporary System Link setup; in the final version, multiplayer will only work over Xbox Live. (Split-screen isn't planned either.)

If you can tap your inner adolescent, Crackdown should be an immersive pulp-action game. When I suspended my own sense of reality -- it is a game after all -- I enjoyed the title; I look forward to playing it more when it's released next year.

Permalink | Email this | Comments