It seems that sandbox games fail more often than they succeed. The 360's first assumed "killer-app" of the genre, Saint's Row, was unable to live up to the lofty bar set by Grand Theft Auto, as so many other games have failed to do. Likewise, the expectations for Crackdown were very low - considering the addition of the Halo 3 beta, it was natural for people to think that Crackdown was nothing more than a throwaway title. However, Crackdown proves otherwise as a very good game, perhaps only falling short of Grand Theft Auto itself.

One of the staples of the sandbox genre is an inherent level of destructibility, and Crackdown goes beyond what most other games offer in this field. As a superhero of sorts - created in a lab to be extremely powerful - your character is able to jump incredibly high, pick up large items (eventually vehicles) and is proficient in firearms from the get-go. What's so great is that for the first time, the player starts out as a bad-ass. There is also room for improvement in the form of a stat gaining system, so, excluding the destruction of buildings, you can eventually do almost anything. Nothing really defines a game quite like the ability to jump twenty-five feet in the air, throw an enemy halfway across the world, only to land on a few others. It's just a nice feeling.

The game involves your "cracking down" on three gangs throughout the city, each with their own island and seven bosses to fight. As you travel, you will sporadically get Intel about a new leader in the area, explaining what they do, as well as the probability of your success against them. Each leader has an area of their own, some far more difficult to enter then others. So, taking out the head honcho right off the bat might seem like a great idea, but working your way up helps you in multiple ways. As mentioned, you gain statistics with every enemy kill. Whether it be picking one baddie up and tossing him toward the others to improve your strength and agility, or riddling them with bullets to raise your firearms skill, it all feels rewarding. Also, certain enemies are much more helpful to take down in the long run; for instance, offing the arms dealer can give you more powerful weaponry, which leads to ease in taking out other bosses in the future.

The story is actually a godsend for those tired of the linearity in games like GTA. You have the freedom to take out whomever you like, whenever you like, including the big bosses right from the start. And, therein lies part of the problem with Crackdown. Although linear, there are at times striking differences between the various areas in the Grand Theft Auto games. Here, not so much. The areas are all very similar. Color schemes are repeated throughout, and the only real deviation is the Voks territory, which contain oilrigs and refineries that they control. There are differences in the members of the gangs, as per ethnicity, but this hardly justifies each area looking identical.

This leads into the graphical dilemma that is Crackdown. Some have said the cartoon-like inspired graphics are bland. From a certain perspective, this is a fair point to be made; the game does use a fairly small color palette. Nonetheless, if you're a fan of cel-shaded graphics, the drawn out look works fine. In fact, the only thing that's bland is the lack of variety in the different locations (as mentioned before). Otherwise, the art style works quite well. It should also be noted that at times there are an incredible amount of enemies and explosions on screen at once, leading to the potential for a significant amount of slowdown. With this is being the next generation of consoles, it would be untrue to say that this wasn't at least a bit disappointing.

The biggest problem with Crackdown is its length. The game is easily completed in about 12 hours if you only play through the missions. Similarly, the leveling, although difficult to completely max-out, is not challenging by any means. At least the achievements are somewhat difficult to attain, with a few being nearly unheard of for anyone not willing to put in the time. Throughout the game, there are also checkpoint races in which you'll be timed. Some take place behind the wheel, while others are set on the rooftops of the city, with each one raising the stats of the particular race (car and foot races raise driving skills and agility, respectively). One of the coolest features is that the all-time leader of each race is displayed on a billboard, in-game. It may not seem like the most necessary touch, but in a game that is supposed to be as all encompassing as Crackdown is, it's nice to see.

There is also an excellent online mode. If you leave your city open, another player has the option to join your game (or you theirs). It's incredibly fun to watch how quickly a friend is progressing. The lack of character customization hurts this feature though; it would be hilarious to see a much more accurate digital representation of your friend. There is nothing specific for players to do, although that freedom makes multiplayer all the more fun. You can play nice and help your friend clean up his city or just go around causing havoc. If a player has already beaten the game, however, there will be next to nothing to do.

When it was announced that the Halo 3 beta would be bundled with every Crackdown disc, many considered it a desperate ploy to sell a floundering game. Regardless, Crackdown ends up standing on its own two feet incredibly well, much better than so many other attempts at the GTA formula, including Saint's Row. Even with its great conventions, Crackdown does leave players craving something more. Easy boss battles and the level progression effectively destroy the chance for replayability that a game like this deserves. It's definitely worth a rent, if only because of the sheer enjoyment to be had from jumping twenty-five feet in the air. Thankfully, a sequel is all but guaranteed, leaving open the possibility for greatness in the future.