There's little doubt that when the original Crackdown hit shelves in 2007, it epitomised just exactly what an open world should offer. Designed to be taken advantage of, every section of Pacific City was meant to be enjoyed, and the all-out action that took place was every bit as satisfying as you would want. A superhero game that only cared about making you feel powerful, it surprised and charmed nearly everyone who decided to sit down with Realtime Worlds' classic, even if they were only doing so as they impatiently waited for the Halo 3 beta.

Now, just over three years on, Ruffian Games has taken on the mantle and has been set the task of outdoing what is still considered by some to be quite the ticket. The main shift is where multiplayer is concerned. As fun as adventuring through the environment was with a friend, not building upon this in some fashion was always going to be seen as a mistake. Instead, a whole host of modes has been added, with the current hype surrounding the always expected and loved deathmatch and the more interesting Rocket Tag, where one character is given an orb while everyone else involved is equipped with a rocket launcher. We assume you can imagine the chaos that ensues. The real genius sitting within Crackdown 2's heart, however, comes in the intelligence that lies behind it.

Ruffian isn't playing it safe for all the right reasons. As soon as a match begins, it doesn't take long before you start to notice the sequel has a very different feel to nearly all its competitors. The pace is frighteningly quick, the powers at your disposal inject a unique twist into the mix, and knowing that usual bugbears such as distance or gravity aren't a real problem - it's still more than possible to leap tall buildings and decapitate someone from a country mile away - means the frantic nature never lets up. Throw in that there's 16 people running wild through specific parts of the city and the potential for carnage remains at a constant high. Still, Crackdown 2 refuses to rest on its laurels. Those who have an addiction to being more stylish in their kills will be rewarded more points than those who are sloppy, and the constant offering of power-ups, from invisibility to a boosted shield, seem set to ensure an even playing field. Even the most inept gamer may find themselves sneaking away with a win or two to their name.

Naturally, the multiplayer exists to serve a very significant purpose. It's the pristine single-player campaign that continues the highlights from the first. With mutants now residing in Pacific City, stemming from the original's research facility, the Agency has been tasked with a whole new project. To make events a touch worse, The Cell, a group of survived civilians, has formed, carrying hate for everyone that doesn't exist within its unit. Ruffian seems dedicated to creating quite the relationship between these three sects with each playing off the other; keeping both suppressed may be more of a struggle than the slightly 'go here and kill the leader' structure of the first. With a deeper narrative promised, such a step may fill any void fans may've felt back in February 2007.

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