And will it sell without any special offer?
by GrathiusXR
©2009 Arthur Kotsopoulos
After all the mammoth trailers and new exclusive games that Microsoft laid on the table for everyone at the Keynote, Crackdown 2 by Ruffian Studios may seem an odd choice for ‘game that stood out’ as it’s a sequel being made by another developer.
Yet it really did grab my attention. But was it for the right reasons…
Crackdown was one of, if not the most, unique single player experience on the 360, giving you Hulk-like abilities and unleashing you into a city where orbs and gangs were in the hundreds.
• Crackdown 2 exclusive on Xbox 360
Its unique use of Cel-Shaded graphics really differentiated it from the pack and made it into a great game but its success was not without a Catch 22.
It was advertised: “Buy Crackdown and you get into the Halo 3 multiplayer BETA!”, which was a great deal but many originally just bought it for the BETA. Then they found themselves actually ending up enjoying the game.
Since Crackdown 2 is by a different studio and won’t feature any special deals as far as we know, how will it all pan out this time? Will it get the attention it deserves?
The CGI trailer of Crackdown 2 left a lot to be desired but the end, with the inclusion of some kind of mutant you have to stop, made me wonder what Ruffian Studios are thinking.
There are too many games that feature some form of mutants or zombies that have or will be released this year: Prototype, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2 and Resident Evil 5, just to name a few.
Mutant hunters!
And now Crackdown 2 will feature something similar in some form or another; after all “the city is infected- you are the cure” says the trailer’s dramatic voice over.
What are we to make of the shadow we see on the wall at the end of the trailer? Another giant blobby mutant boss…
Will this hurt the game or work for it? Why must mutants be included, because it could be another Prototype minus the gore.
Will orbs make another appearance and give you that feeling of needing to find them all, allowing you to explore the whole city the way it was meant to be?
Ruffian Studios needs to release some sort of information regarding the game because it’s a sequel that loyal fans have been hoping and holding out for and don’t want ruined.
With the inclusion of mutants and who knows what else Ruffian Studios may or may not have included and changed it makes me concerned.
I hope that orbs are still in it and the mutants don’t play that much of a role because it would be another game with the cheap inclusion of mutants just to follow a trend.
©2009 Arthur Kotsopoulos
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Filed under: 3rd Party Games, Console gaming, E3 2009, Editorial, Events, Game Impressions, Game Industry News, Industry News, New Game Information, New Xbox 360 Games, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 3rd Party Games, Xbox 360 Game Previews, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | "Microsoft 2009 E3 keynote", 360, Crackdown, Crackdown 2, E3, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Microsoft, Prototype, Resident Evil 5, Ruffian Studios, Xbox 360
Did you even watch the trailer? Not only was the first thing you heard the sound of an orb, but there was one sitting right there in multiple shots. And, even though they didnt play a huge role in cd1, mutants are key to the crackdown storyline. Im glad they are deciding to expand on them a little more. Give us something else to beat the crap out of besides stupid gangs. And seriously, before you post something again, make sure you have ALL of the facts.
The inclusion of the mutant shadow we saw in the trailer is obviously the evolution of the infected mutants from the frist game i dont see how Ruffan has strayed away from the orginal Crackdown at all… everything from the first is still there plus more and since the first game grabbed peoples attention i dont think they need any special “deals” to sell this game… 4 player co-op in an open city plus 16 player versus is a good sell too
There was a green orb on the rooftop in the trailer – so my assumption would be yes the orbs are coming back. I don’t care how the game comes back i just want it back. 4-player co-op would be awesome this time also.
One more thing, if you’d paid attention to the trailer, you’d have seen, plain as day, orbs lighting up the sky. Seriously, do some research before you throw out an opinion – it makes you seem a lot more credible. Right now you’re at about a Fox news level of reporting. Surely, you can do better…?
Personally, I LOVE the idea of mutants. After plowing thru the three gangs in Cd1, things get pretty dull – even when you get to reset the gangs again. Releasing something new to tangle with is just fine.
You need to do a little more research, if you’d dug a little deeper you’d have discovered that Ruffian Studios is largely made up of ex-Realtime employees cherry picked by MS to continue the Crackdown saga. It’s not like some start up in Bumfuck, Nowhere has been handed the reigns – these are seasoned pros more than familiar with the original material.
As to whether Cd2 will sell without a Halo 3 beta? You already answered that question – the ppl that picked Cd up JUST for the H3 beta DID by and large fall in love with the game on its own merits – so why WOULDN’T the new and improved sequel sell like hot cakes? You’re joking, right?
Well the original game had mutant type freaks also, and although they didn’t play a big role they were still ahead of the trend.