Crackdown - multiplayer hands-on
Grab a partner - this bleak and crime-ridden future dystopia has room for two
So you've both got your guns, your grenades and your high-tech SWAT fetish outfits. Now what do two crazy cyber cops looking for a crime-fighting good time actually, well... do? The short answer: whatever the hell they want.
The more detailed answer is that the developers of Crackdown really are trying to give the players as much choice as possible. As soon as you and your partner step foot in Pacific City (having just stepped out of your secret island headquarters), all of the missions, enemies and bosses are unlocked in front of you. Though we- and the game's "probability of success" percentage rating- wouldn't recommend it, you could head straight for the final crime lord's skyscraper, knock on his door and take your chances. Nothing but your characters' limited skill sets would stop you.
A smarter approach to bringing down each of the three gangs' kingpins is cutting them off at the knees, i.e. attacking their generals first. Find and kill the vehicle specialist, for example, and the whole clan is suddenly driving around town in secondhand wheels. Go after the kingpin's physical trainer and you'll notice he's much weaker when you eventually face him.
Or, don't go after anyone in particular at all. To be honest, we didn't pay that much attention to mission details, as we were having too much fun just wandering around and wreaking havoc. The streets were swarming with gang members just asking to be shot, crippled, blown up, super kicked across a city block or picked up over our heads and hurled into the side of a passing bus.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more