So it's pretty late in the afternoon,

And I just got back from an interesting get-together with a group of friends. Guess what we were playing. Halo 2. Now I know that 9/24/07 was the last day Halo 2 would ever be cool. But I've got to say, after playing through Halo 3 multiple times, it kind of feels good to go back and play it. I had to re-adjust myself to the old button setup which is really awkward in comparison with Halo 3's.

Anyhow, I've been playing alot of Crackdown and I thought it would be good to put out a Crackdown review, just in case someone hasn't bought it and is wondering if they should.

Crackdown is a game about a gang-infested city that is going through a "crackdown" on crime. You can play as a "super-cop" that can jump higher, run faster, shoot more accurately and take more damage than a regular human being. A few points I really enjoy about this game:

• By simply performing actions like jumping, shooting, hitting and driving, you improve those skills and can then perform them more effectively.
• Achievements are interesting. You're not doing anything stupidly easy or insanely hard.
• It plays like GTA San Andreas, with the open world/city and lots of non main quest oriented activities to do. You can start on the main objectives and goals and then let them sit indefinitly while you have fun "cleaning" or trashing the city. Then you can come back and pick up where you left off.
• Orbs, whether they are hidden orbs or agility orbs, are fun to search for and collect.
• The world makes sense. If you get in a car, the radio plays. Depending on what kind of person was driving the car, the music type will differ. This is an example of the realism of the Crackdown environment.

Things that could have been improved:

• The way the other officers shoot at you for killing citizens or other police officers. The AI should have been able to judge if it was accidental or purposeful. For example, if the street had been flooded with enemies and I accidentally killed a police officer, the AI should label that event as 'accident' and let it slide. If there were no enemies around and I picked up a car and fling it at a random bunch of pedestrians, the AI should label the event as 'purposeful' and come after me. Basically, the computer should factor in the elements of the event (the type of weapon I used, what aiming type I used, how many enemies were in sight, what the gangster/police officer ratio was on my screen) and determine whether I meant to break the rules or not. The game clearly states that I may use "any means I see fit" (direct quote) to fight crime. Casualties are invitable sometimes.
• The actual killing of a boss after you get to them is too simple and easy. They are heavily guarded and placed in strategical positions, but once you've vaulted those obstacles, they are really just your average enemy with more HP. It's too easy to punch and kick them to death on the floor before they even get a chance to fire. In my opinion, they should have been given distinct fighting styles depending on their role in the gang. For instance, if they were in charge of providing explosives, they should use explosives to fight and the battle should take place in an explosive environment.

Altogether, this game makes it on my Good Games list, number two under Halo 3, which I still haven't found anything wrong with. If anyone wants to talk some more about likes/dislikes or anything at all concerning Crackdown or (and here comes a real challenge) anything that could have been improved in Halo 3, please, by all means, voice it here at the blog, and I'll be sure to put it in the spotlight. Thanks. Take care and have fun gaming.

-ProjektWikked