Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Grand Theft Auto-type game on steroids.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 9 parent reviews
Based on 17 kid reviews
Kids say this game is a fun experience, particularly noting the excitement of taking down enemies and enjoying co-op play, but some find the gameplay can become repetitive over time. However, concerns regarding violence, foul language, and a lack of engaging plot elements have made it a mixed bag for parents, who are encouraged to assess their child's maturity before allowing them to play.
- fun gameplay
- repetitive
- violent
- parental guidance
- mixed reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
Because of its explosive weapons, superhero-like powers and enormous 3-D city, CRACKDOWN can best be described as Grand Theft Auto (GTA) on steroids -- except now you're a genetically enhanced agent instead of a criminal. Sure, you can still carjack vehicles, shoot down gang members, and take on dozens of non-linear missions -- but you're discouraged from abusing your power, such as driving over innocent pedestrians. After you select from one of the available agents at the beginning of the game, and then choose your first vehicle in the Agency garage, you're introduced to the story surrounding three rival gangs who have turned Pacific City into an urban battleground. You also learn about the game's role-playing level-up feature that lets your character upgrade skills in five categories: agility, driving, explosives, strength, and weapons.
Is It Any Good?
Played from a third-person perspective, the game resembles a colorful graphic novel with its "cel-shaded" visual style. And more so than in GTA games, the Pacific City in Crackdown is quite vertical, so you will be able to climb, hang from, and scale walls, ledges, and boulders in order to best explore this huge city and perform the various missions. More than 100 licensed songs and surround-sound add to the overall immersion factor.
Have a friend on the Xbox Live network? Gamers can play online in an optional cooperative mode, allowing two agents on the scene at the same time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why these kinds of open-ended "sandbox" games are so appealing and how this game differs from the Grand Theft Auto titles. Do you like that you are an agent instead of a criminal? Do your agent's superpowers make the world he works in seem less real?
Game Details
- Platform : Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Microsoft
- Release date : February 20, 2007
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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