Crackdown 2

Also, the game's target-lock-on mechanism is a little flaky - or at least, it was in the build I played. I lost count of the number of times I hit the left trigger to draw a bead on an enemy just inches away from my Agent, and instead he would target another opponent that was even further away.

On the plus side, the Agency weapons are bigger and more brutal than before. Players start the game with machine guns, shotguns and handguns, and once again can also nab weapons from enemies and store them at Agency-controlled points around the map.

Arsenal growth isn't just down to simply nicking weapons and placing them at a save point; players now unlock guns with each level of firearms earned. This opens up some particularly brutal weapons; some are fairly predictable, such as Grenade and Rocket launchers, but some are nastily outlandish, such as the Harpoon Gun, the Homing Rocket Launcher and the Turret Flack Gun.

These are most effective against human targets, but freaks are another matter. The weapon of choice against the afflicted is a UV shotgun which burns these nocturnal creatures to a crisp.

One of the weirdest weapons, and also one of the most fun to use, is the Mag Grenande. This is a sticky grenade which works in tandem with other Mags to produce a thin magnetic field which can then be used to create all kinds of mayhem.

For example, you can hurl one of them at an opponent and the other at a passing car, and then sit back and watch as the poor unfortunate is dragged down the road for a block or three. If you're more imaginative, you can attach a couple of these to a car and then to two buildings on either side of the street, producing a setup that enables you to slingshot a vehicle at your enemies. In this as in many other aspects of the game, the player's potential for chaos is only limited by his or her own creativity

The levelling-up/unlock mechanic also applies to vehicles. Players begin the game with an Agency cruiser, but before long they can open up other modes of transport including buggies, supercars, trucks, SUVs, tanks and helicopters. I didn't have enough time to max out my driving abilities during my hands-on, so I don't know about any added extras many of the vehicles may have, but I can report the buggy now has a Gatling Gun turret attached to it.

There's also an Agency Glide-Suit, which I didn't manage to unlock, but it adds an extra dynamic to the free-running aspect that Crackdown is known for. From what I saw of it in the previous hands-on demo sessions, it works on a system of boosters and timed thrusts allowing players to extend air time and glide and dive throughout the city.

All weapons and gear are accessed and stored at Strongholds. In the first game these were simply access points dotted around the map and were reclaimed really easily. Now they need to be won back from The Cell, the freedom fighters trying to break the Agency's tenuous stranglehold on Pacific City.

Seizing a Stronghold works the same way as taking down a gang hideout in the first game. Once the player has cleared Cell operatives, Agency forces will arrive and secure the perimeter. Then players can use that point to reload up on ammo, select new weapons, fly in any vehicles they've unlocked and fast-travel to other Strongholds of which they've taken control.

Crackdown 2 can be played as a single-player or four-player co-op experience; the latter is a very impressive setup offering seamless drop-in/drop-out play, new approaches to the vehicles and a slightly harder difficulty level to prevent things from becoming laughably easy.