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Last week I caught a demo of Crackdown 2 (Microsoft Xbox 360) and was really impressed with what the boys and girls at Ruffian Games have come up with. The original was one of the most unique and refreshing action games released this generation — I don’t recall an action game that offered such a thrilling sense of vert. The sequel aims to bring all the excitement of its predecessor along with several new tricks. From what I’ve seen, Crackdown 2 is the perfect videogame equivalent of a summer blockbuster movie. Here are some assorted thoughts from the demo.

– Crackdown 2 takes place 10 years after the original game. Some areas of Pacific City are prosperous, while others have become slums populated by the mutated “freaks”. The city’s network is the same, so it will feel familiar to gamers that played the first game. However, a lot of the buildings are different or have changed, so it will feel different as well.

– As expected, the game has a big vertical feel — the exaggerated high jumping returns, but this time around it’s accompanied by underground levels. Since it would be a little odd to greatly expand the width of Pacific City, the developers expanded downwards. There are several underground areas populated by the freaks. Some of the areas are connected to the ones above them, expanding the vertical feeling.

– There’s an interesting day/night mechanic that changes the feel of the game. During the day, humans walk the streets freely and you have to be careful not to kill too many of them (assuming you’re playing as a good guy). At night, the freaks come out and terrorize the streets. You can attack them with reckless abandon since the humans are inside.

– Jumping out of a helicopter is totally fun. You’re able to glide around the city quickly. In some cases it’s the most convenient way to move from area to area. More importantly, the sensation is cool. It reminded of Goliath from the Gargoyles cartoon.

– Naturally, there’s a huge sandbox element to the game. I spent about five minutes knocking down lamp posts with various weapons and vehicles. I’m pretty sure I was having flashbacks to Animal Crossing; my friend James and I used to visit our friends’ towns and chop down all their trees. Good times.

– There’s a lot more hand holding in the early stages of the game. Apparently some features and mechanics were not obvious to some players of the original. The issue has been addressed with a series of straightforward tutorials. There are also missions that help lead players to new areas. For example, you’ll be tasked to find absorption units that can take out freaks. After finding beacons that lead to the unit, you’ll find it tucked away in a central area.

– The magnetic grenade will be a fan favorite. In addition to blowing things up with them, you can create tethers between two objects. There are all sorts of fun ways to experiment with this weapon. You can create a slingshot to launch cars at your enemies. In a cooperative setting, players can attach them to a helicopter and a car. This allows the player in the chopper to tow his/her friend in the car to other areas.

– Turrets are a pretty fun weapon. While manning one is completely straightforward, they can also be ripped out at higher strength levels, allowing you to run around town with a powerful turret. In cooperative mode, multiple turrets can be attached to trucks, allowing a gang to operate a wheeled death machine.

– Collecting orbs was always fun in the first Crackdown. This time around it won’t be so easy. There are power-ups called “renegade orbs” that flee from the player. While they don’t exactly use an advanced AI, they are smart enough to alter their flight pattern depending on your actions. Early renegade orbs are easy enough to catch, but they get tougher to snag as the game progresses.

– There’s a freak-specific weapon called the UV gun. It’s awesome for blasting away freaks…or getting a tan.

In my mind, Crackdown clearly inspired other action games like Infamous and Prototype. With that in mind, the sequel has to work harder than its forerunner to impress people. From what I saw last week, Crackdown 2 certainly has the potential to dazzle gamers. The single-player aspects looked like great, ridiculous fun. If the cooperative elements are similarly engaging then this should be the summer blockbuster game. Heavy action, ridiculous weaponry, and monstrous explosions — sounds like fun, hey?

Anyway, let me know what you think of the game. Did you dig the original? Are you looking forward to the sequel? Do you think it will be on your summer wish list? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!