Crackdown Review (8/10)

Crackdown is one of those rough gems that no one expects- when it was released way back in 2007, the game as a whole was basically pitched as a bonus to the packaged-in Halo 3 multiplayer beta, but soon enough once fans had moved past that event they found that it in itself was a strong title with plenty of replay value. Despite five years having passed, that still holds true today. This is a toned-down Grand Theft Auto of sorts that isn't afraid to use artistic, cel shaded graphics instead of gritty realism, and isn't afraid to set gamers mundane tasks that harken back to the days when levelling up was enough instead of providing a fully fledged plot. Although this approach has its obvious drawbacks (the repetition is plain to see from the moment you take on multiple objectives), it's actually quite refreshing in an age where paying attention to a storyline can mean long periods of watching cutscenes rather than getting back to the action, and many diehard collectors will find hours upon hours of pointlessly addictive missions to engage in, again like GTA but to a greater extent. What your enjoyment of this will ultimately boil down to is how much of a 'pure' gamer you are at heart, but if you're looking for an open-world shooter with tons of replay value, beautiful visuals and endless potential for fun that only need be played in bursts then look no further than Crackdown.