Crackdown

Crackdown is a series of action-adventure video games developed by Realtime Worlds and later by Ruffian Games, with the latest installment developed by Sumo Digital. The series is published by Microsoft Studios and is exclusive to the Xbox platforms. The games are set in a futuristic, open-world city that players can explore freely. The series is known for its high levels of verticality, destructible environments, and the ability to increase the player's power by collecting orbs.

Gameplay

The gameplay in Crackdown revolves around the player taking on the role of an Agent, part of a government agency known as the Agency. The main objective in the games is to dismantle various criminal organizations by killing their leaders and subordinates, destroying their infrastructures, and destabilizing their operations. Players can use a variety of weapons and vehicles to achieve their goals, and the game features a skill system that allows players to enhance their agent's abilities in agility, strength, firearms, explosives, and driving.

The series is notable for its open-ended gameplay and the freedom it offers players in approaching objectives. The use of superpowers and the ability to scale buildings adds to the vertical exploration element, making the environment itself a key aspect of the gameplay.

Development and Release

The first Crackdown game was released in 2007 and was developed by Realtime Worlds. It was initially notable for being bundled with access codes for the Halo 3 multiplayer beta. The game received positive reviews for its sandbox style gameplay and innovative use of vertical space.

Crackdown 2, released in 2010 and developed by Ruffian Games, continued the story of the original game and introduced new features such as a day-night cycle and zombie-like enemies called Freaks.

Crackdown 3 was announced in 2014 and after several delays, it was released in 2019. Developed by Sumo Digital, the game maintained the core gameplay elements of its predecessors but added a new multiplayer mode called Wrecking Zone, which features fully destructible environments powered by Microsoft's Azure cloud services.

Reception

The Crackdown series has been generally well-received, with critics praising the open-world gameplay, the freedom given to players, and the unique incorporation of vertical exploration. However, the sequels have received criticism for not innovating enough on the original's formula and for various technical issues.

Legacy

Crackdown has been influential in the genre of open-world action games, particularly in how it handles player freedom and vertical exploration. The series has also been noted for its use of cel-shaded graphics, contributing to its distinctive visual style.

See also

• List of Xbox game franchises
• Open world
• Action-adventure game