Crackdown
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Crackdown video is explode-a-rific
We spent some time earlier today describing Crackdown's gameplay. It's sort of a GTA meets RoboCop concept. But why bother with words when you can actually see it in action? As we noted, many people will not look past the graphics when it comes to Crackdown. It's a stylistic choice, and one that Crackdown may pay for when it finally gets reviewed, but you'd be hard-pressed to say the game doesn't look entertaining. With transforming super cars, rocket juggling, and more explosions than you can shake a stick at, Crackdown looks like it will be a nice fix for action fans. Check out the video after the break (grab the HD version here).
Crackdown gameplay, co-op explored [update 1]
Crackdown, from GTA creator Jason David Jones, is an interesting game. Go find an interview with a Microsoft executive and find the part where he is inevitably asked what 360 games he is looking forward to. Crackdown is almost always on that list. And yet, if you read internet chatter, the first thing out of many people's mouths is, "this game looks like crap." Whether or not you can deal with the (slightly) cel-shaded graphics, one thing remains clear: the game sounds like a lot of fun. Shacknews recently got a chance to sit down with the game, exploring both the single player game and co-op. Crackdown places players in the shoes of an agent, a genetically enhanced super soldier deployed in Los Muertos, a city where regular law enforcement just doesn't cut it anymore. The ultimate goal is to remove all the gang activity from the city -- destroying 21 gang leaders to do so. The game has no set, linear way in which to reach this goal, but does employ some MetroidVania style impediments to point players in a suggested direction. For instance, if you don't have high enough agility to jump over a certain wall, you probably aren't ready to deal with what's on the other side. Of course, there are multiple ways to reach a given destination (including vehicles that drive up walls). Players will slowly gain new abilities as they level up the game's five skills: agility, firearms, driving, explosions, and strength. Firearms and explosions are self-explanatory. Agility governs how high you can jump -- over buildings once it's high enough. When leveled up, strength will allow you to throw cars and other huge objects at deserving miscreants and thugs. Driving, curiously, affects what sort of badass machine your Agency car morphs into.Co-op, always a welcome feature, allows you and a friend to join up online and take down kingpins together. Of course, you could just shoot each other, but where's the fun in that?Update: The name of GTA's creator is David Jones, not Jason Jones. Jason Jones is the co-counder of Bungie. Guess I have Halo on the brain.[Via Evil Avatar]
Crackdown screens are promising
Today Xboxygen got their hands on some new screen grabs of the upcoming 360 game Crackdown. The art style for this game looks somewhat cartoon based and simplistic, but the screenshots are promising to what amount of interaction you can have with the world. I'm especially fond of the super-human jumping in this game and the random environment destruction, because destruction is so much fun. Keep your eye on Crackdown as it's set to release sometime next year.[Thanks, Gaetge]
Moore: Too Human, Crackdown, Forza 2, Shadowrun by end of June
Speaking with MTV's Stephen Totilo, Peter Moore promised that Crackdown, Forza Motorsport 2, Shadowrun, and Too Human would all see release by the end of June 2007. While Shadowrun's debut has always hinged on the availability of Windows Vista (FASA's game is cross-platform), the other three titles were once expected to round out Xbox 360's exclusive holiday lineup this year. As it goes, Gears of War and Viva Piñata will have to convince shoppers to pass on PlayStation 3 and Wii -- or shortages will. Still, with PS3 likely in short supply early next year, Microsoft has an opportunity to attract potential consumers with well-timed releases throughout the tail end of winter, leading into summer. But don't be surprised if a few of these exclusives continue to slip, landing alongside Master Chief in next year's holiday release batch.
X06: ...and the rest
Quick impressions and thoughts on some other noteworthy games shown on the X06 show floor. Guitar Hero II (360): Not playable, but demo'ed continuously by two rock gods with the stamina of heavyweight boxers (see picture). They confirmed that the final Xbox 360 guitar controller would look like a Gibson Explorer but refused to comment on wireless capabilities or the intriguing D-pad on the base. Game itself looked nice in hi-rez, but graphics lagged a bit with the music at this early stage. Viva Piñata: Playable tutorial walks you through building a house, attracting new piñatas and making baby eggs. Rare demo with ten hours of progress showed a thriving garden brimming with life and fully accessorized piñatas. Hired helpers prevent the game from becoming a micromanagement chore. Looks like it could be a hit with the Pokemon set. Forza Motorosport 2: Game had major frame rate issues, making it very difficult to play and/or judge. PR handlers say it's 60 percent complete... that last 40 will be an uphill battle. Halo 2 (PC): Game played great with the mouse and keyboard, and looked great on the decked out Dell Dimension 9150 with large widescreen monitor. Other than that, it's still Halo. Map editor was not available for demo. Crackdown: Grand Theft Auto meets Hulk: Ultimate Destruction in a mess of a game with rough graphics, sloppy controls and an awful camera system. Needs serious work to be a worthy contender. That about does it for X06 posts from Barcelona. Sorry if I didn't cover your favorite game, but there wasn't enough time to do justice to everything available on the show floor. If there's anything you're still wondering about that wasn't covered in our X06 posts, I'll do my best to answer specific questions in the below comment thread in the coming days.
Crackdown: more than meets the eye
Okay, so, we've seen some Crackdown videos before. We've seen thugs get shot. We've seen them juggled maliciously with a rocket launcher. What we haven't seen is the video above. It seems that all cars of the future are capable of pimping themselves, much to the chagrin of the jobless, future Xzibit. Also, for a supercop, this guy sure runs down a lot of civilians.
Crack open some new Crackdown videos [update 1]
We received some fresh Crackdown videos yesterday. The first of the pair (seen above) demonstrates mass carnage with a rocket launcher. For a supercop, this guy seems to destroy a lot of civilian property. The end of the video is especially brutal, as some poor thug gets rocket juggled into the stratosphere. The second video showcases a gun battle inside a villa -- presumably owned by some nefarious drug lord in a white suit. Check it out after the break. Update 1: Embedded second video after the break.
Game box pr0n (or: Scary Pinatas)
Xboxic has posted a few box art shots for upcoming titles. The titles include Ninety-Nine Nights, Gears of War, Viva Piñata, and Crackdown. I know Gears of War is supposed to be filled to the brim with scary action, but somehow the Viva Piñata box frightens me more. Could piñatas be the new clowns?
Crackdown: gimme what he's smokin'
Realtime Worlds' Crackdown brings new meaning to the term 'car-jack,' as GTA mastermind Dave Jones has seemingly enlisted the BALCO boys to inject some juice into the sandbox genre. Despite only moderate hype, Microsoft considers Crackdown to be one of the most promising upcoming titles for the Xbox 360. Today, Worthplaying posted a slew of new screenshots and some general details. Get familiar!
