Crackdown 2 demo today

By Tom Bramwell Published 21 June, 2010

Features Demo Achievements.

Ruffian Games' Crackdown 2 may not be out until 9th July, but a demo version of the Xbox 360-exclusive third-person openworld effort is due today.

According to publisher Microsoft, the demo features "accelerated Agent levelling, four-player co-op, and the ability to earn Demo Achievements".

Apparently if you earn Demo Achievements you will be rewarded with full Achievements when you play the retail version of Crackdown 2.

The demo weighs in at 1.07GB.

Crackdown 2 takes players back to Pacific City where the Agency is now up against The Cell and an army of mutants that roam the streets at night.

Developer Ruffian has introduced lots of new elements including a "wingsuit" and new types of collectable orb, along with new multiplayer modes.

Check out our Crackdown 2 hands-on preview to find out what's what.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000. Follow him on Twitter.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Peew971 #1 2 years ago

    Demo Achievements?! o_O

    ...
    ...
    ...

    Hell Yeah! \o/

  • FreakyZoid #2 2 years ago

    Played it over the weekend. It is awesome.

  • scowat #3 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 16:41:01 08-02-2012

  • CaptainQuint #4 2 years ago

    Sweet, by far the best open world superhero title on the market.

  • RobertFoster #5 2 years ago

    The demo sold me on the original - I'm looking forward to this one!

  • YenooR #6 2 years ago

    Sweet

  • miiiguel #7 2 years ago

    Thank you for releasing this on a Monday..., you evil bastards.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #8 2 years ago

    I think I'll pass on the demo. The first one was so good it already sold me on the sequel, no need for a demo.

  • miiiguel #9 2 years ago

    It's already pre-ordered for me to, just want to do those Achievements... :)

  • Geordiemp #10 2 years ago

    Is system link still not featured ?

  • Markitron #11 2 years ago

    I didnt play the original so hopefully the demo will get me interested in this. Its the most high-profile upcoming game that I know the least about

  • Vroom #12 2 years ago

    Super excited for this.

  • Jonathan_Fakenham #13 2 years ago

    I preordered this a long time ago, and kinda thought I'd wait for the full thing, but I can't not download the demo.

  • irrelevanthuman #14 2 years ago

    Really looking forward to this puppy-spanner in the works though,the gf wants to go to the beach for a barbecue tonight-what is this insistence on engaging with real life she has?

  • mcmonkeyplc #15 2 years ago

    Sweet! I know what I'm doing tonight!

  • Ceelion #16 2 years ago

    @paddy29

    It's early doors over in the US territories. Only 2/3/4AM. I think when they hit mid dayish, we'll be getting our demo too!

  • metalangel #17 2 years ago

    Would you like to blow it up with me?

  • Monkey_Puncher #18 2 years ago

    I played it over the weekend, I have to say I wasn't entirely convinced. I loved Crackdown when it first came out, but it feels a little dated and clunky now. I need to play it more, I really hope I was wrong about it.

    Saying that though the freaks are pretty impressive. The amount of them they manage to get on screen is absolutely insane. Wading into a big crowd of them swinging a street sign is a ton of fun!

  • Dylbot #19 2 years ago

    Well, that's my evening sorted, then. Roll on the end of work.

  • millross #20 2 years ago

    Anyone got a working marketplace link?

  • JayKwon #21 2 years ago

    So you don't really get achievement points but can unlock them for the retail version a lot easier because of the accelerated level-up? I don't really get it, might play the demo with another account then, but I have to play this, Crackdown has been my best sleeper hit ever! Fun factor times X!

  • Vordred #22 2 years ago

    Bugger i have just finished packing up my Xbox to send off for repair (due to RROD)

    my 360 always seem to break when i buy a new game or there is something up for download i want to try (this was my 6th one)

  • JayKwon #23 2 years ago

    That's some good feedback MrMarc, I think you're pretty close to what the demo will look like if the first one is something to go by, but i'm not to keen on the accelerated leveling with achievements combo. Anyway, we'll see how it turns out:).

  • muscleblade #24 2 years ago

    @miiiguel

    "I dont do demos"

    Achievements was needed to change your mind i guess.

  • Coughthulu #25 2 years ago

    @JayKwon:

    From what I remember playing it over the weekend, the demo achievements aren't really related to things getting easier as you level. There may be a couple, but I think the majority were things to encourage you to play about in the sandbox a bit.
    Edited by Coughthulu at 21/06/10 @ 11:56

  • matrim83 #26 2 years ago

    Played the demo over the weekend. If you loved the first one you are in for a treat. Its still Crackdown but its turned up to 11 now.

    They even managed to make Driving feel fun and not like a chore. July cant get here fast enough.

  • metalangel #27 2 years ago

    "Catalina Thorne" is the new Bolo Santori XD

  • Razz #28 2 years ago

    I'm tempted, but I don't want to spoil it. I'll wait for the full release. I wish you every success!

  • actionfitz #29 2 years ago

    arrgh.
    Lovefilm just sent me 'Just Cause 2'.
    gonna have to wait till I get my fill of this lol.

  • muscleblade #30 2 years ago

    360 is no doubt the best console for adult social gamers.

    This, Halo Reach and Gears 3 all have 4 player co-op.
    Edited by muscleblade at 21/06/10 @ 13:06

  • BBIAJ #31 2 years ago

    Grabbed it at mid-day, just searched under Browse All, where newly released stuff often lurks before making it to New Arrivals.

  • OldK1ngCole #32 2 years ago

    Anyone know why the Demo isn't showing over a Xbox.com?

    edit : Don't worry people, I've found it, it was hiding under the table :)
    Edited by OldK1ngCole at 21/06/10 @ 13:38

  • Stratix #33 2 years ago

    2 questions:

    1. Is it a timed demo? (EDIT: Damn, just saw the first few seconds of the video, it is timed)

    2. Is the wingsuit in the demo?

    It will be awesome anyway, and I am looking forward to jumping onto this when I get back from work.
    Edited by Stratix at 21/06/10 @ 13:40

  • OldK1ngCole #34 2 years ago

    Can somebody throw some more light on this timed demo business? Can you only play the demo once then for 30mins? or can you play as much as you want but for only 30mins before the game quits?

  • matrim83 #35 2 years ago

    The latter. Play it as many times as you want but only for 30 minutes before you start from scratch.

  • TruWari3r #36 2 years ago

    So anyone know yet what the cheevos are you can get in the demo?

  • darkmorgado #37 2 years ago

    So anyone know yet what the cheevos are you can get in the demo?

    It gives you a list of the achievement names at the end of the demo, but not the criteria. The full list has already been leaked though, so it would just be a case of cross-referencing them.

  • Jimaroid #38 2 years ago

    The Wingsuit is in the demo, you just need to get level 5 agility to activate it.

  • Geordiemp #39 2 years ago

    Crackdown 1 is the finsest Coop game ever and we still play it today.

    Just watched the 720p demo first 30 mins on this site and am still in shock, what the f..k have they done....

    Its in slow motion...Damn I am gutted and speachless.

    Thats not the crackdown I know and love.

  • darkmorgado #40 2 years ago

    How many orbs have people managed to get in the demo so far?

    My record is 101

  • metalangel #41 2 years ago

    Achievement list is here: [link url=http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/crackdown-2/achievements/
    ]http://www.xbox360achievements.org/game/...[/link]

    So far, it doesn't seem the different. The first game really felt like a cool 'very near future' comic book world, and had this cool, stylish vibe as well as a real feel of a police force struggling to contain rampant crime. While this has rendered the 'gangs by day, mutants by night' thing a lot better than I expected, it quite simply does not look as nice and shiny. If anything, the city feels like a somewhat amateurish retexturing mod. Yes, you will look at vehicles and recognize favourites from the original game and go 'ah' at how they've been repurposed. And you'll recognize buildings and again, appreciate a lack of maintenance and cleaning. But that's it, and sadly everything looks really plain. Compare to other post-apocalyptic settings like Fallout and Metro 2033 which are dripping with character and detail.

    The overall gameplay is largely the same as well. Capturing spawn points has been expanded to include what amounts to a 'defense' segment where you need to kill X number of baddies before support helos can drop troops to secure it. And there's some more objective-based things, not to mention the day-night cycle which conveniently doubles as the mutant/gang cycle (mutants come out at night while gangs retreat into their strongholds to protect themselves). Agility orbs and such are slightly different in that some have to be chased down and caught.

    Most jarring is the fact that you're starting from scratch. Anyone who's played a lot of Crackdown will be used to jumping really high, throwing buses and generally being uber. More crucially, though, they'll be used to effective weapons. Once you got that LMG and that missile launcher you never needed to swap weapons again, and could instead concentrate on having fun bouncing around blasting stuff to shreds. Here I found myself scavenging for ammunition in the face of relentless, respawning hordes of gang members. And fight as you may to build your stats up, they all disappear after 30 minutes which is very disheartening.

    Still, there's more multiplayer to look forward to, with more players. But so far it doesn't seem like enough. I don't want them to completely change the game, but there don't seem to be enough new toys nor any indication of stuff to come as yet. The targetting is also really fussy - I keep locking onto an explosive barrel or baddie behind a wall rather than the one standing next to me filling my low-level face with lead.

    So the good is the gung-ho announcer is back, but the bad is the police cars now have the lights embedded in the roof as opposed to a proper lightbar, which doesn't look as cool. And there's a weird fabric-y sound when you jump. 8/10

    PS: It DOES play Bad Moon Rising by Creedance Clearwater Revival which is rather apt.
    Edited by metalangel at 21/06/10 @ 16:56

  • irrelevanthuman #42 2 years ago

    Well thats weird-I've just glitched into a crate whilst trying to climb it!The comments from the announcer about getting a move on are a tad ironic,can't even suicide as no grenades.Here endeth the demo.

  • brseg #43 2 years ago

    @metalangel - I've only played the demo a bit, but I'd agree with most of your comments. I was never a hardcore fan of the first, just enjoyed firing it up for a laugh. So, it was always going to be hard to sell me a sequel.

  • paulf #44 2 years ago

    /plays demo
    /preorders

    looks like they have made a good job on this keeps the feel of the original

  • paulf #45 2 years ago

    @Geordiemp

    play the demo mate, it is the crackdown you know and love, definately not slower, actually its faster if anything

  • Emmit_Assassin #46 2 years ago

    The auto aim is a broken bloody mess! Every time I wanna aim at a Cell guy stood next to a car, it aims at the car! I don't wanna shoot the fuckin car I wanna shoot the twat constantly peppering my shiny new armour with shotgun shrapnel!
    Other than that its fuckin awesome fun. Especially when the freaks come out to play! A must pre-order for me!

  • metalangel #47 2 years ago

    Played through the demo several more times, both alone and with friends. Conclusion I've reached is that this feels like it's an original Xbox game... there is hardly any of the character from the first game, you're just blasting endless generic hoodies/mutants. The distinct bosses and gangs, the lively city, all of this is all but gone. I thought there were supposed to be female agents! Bad Moon Rising made me grin the first time I heard it, hearing it from every building I pass is making me cringe. What exactly have they done in development, so far there is hardly any new content apart from what amounts to a very amateurish new set of textures. The only really good innovation are the race and agility orbs you have to chase down. It's still fun but I don't think a full price release feels justified for what amounts to a reskin. Oh, and while this is apparently more or less a final build, some things (like the broken aiming) have been fixed for release.