Crackdown 2
A 2010 open-world sequel with co-op and competitive multiplayer.
Crackdown 2, a 2010 action-adventure title for the Xbox 360, was built by Ruffian Games and put out by Microsoft Game Studios. It follows directly on from the 2007 original, Crackdown, and its sequel, Crackdown 3, would arrive for Xbox One and Windows in February 2019.
The gameplay sticks close to the first game: a third-person shooter set in an open world. You control an Agent, a super-powered officer working for the city’s Agency. This time, you can pick from four different faces and armor colors (eight if you pre-ordered), instead of the preset heads from before. The collectible orbs return, and your Agent’s abilities have been boosted. The Agility Skill now lets you jump higher than in the first game, glide, and reach the helicopter pad on the Agency Tower. You can take over any vehicle you find, including Agency cars, Peacekeeper Cruisers, and civilian vehicles that the Cell has armored up. Checkpoint races—both on roads and rooftops—are back. Online co-op play is still here, but now supports up to four players, and competitive multiplayer modes can handle up to sixteen. However, unlike the original, Crackdown 2 does not support System Link for co-op. Microsoft Producer Peter Connelly explained that it would have taken only half a day of work for a feature used by very few players. You fight two enemy groups: the Cell, a terrorist organization, and the Freaks, infected mutants. Both can be killed with melee, explosions, or bullets, but the Freaks need special UV weapons since they cannot survive sunlight. Five skills can be leveled up: Agility (by collecting Agility Orbs and Renegade Agility Orbs, doing Rooftop Races, or killing enemies from high places); Firearms (by shooting guns, handheld or mounted); Driving (by running over enemies, doing power slides and handbrake turns, completing Road Races, jumping through Stunt Rings, and collecting Renegade Driving Orbs); Explosives (by using launchers and grenades); and Strength (by using hand-to-hand attacks, throwing objects, beating people with objects, or using unlocked moves like Charge or Ground Slam).
Multiplayer modes include Rocket Tag, Vehicle Tag, Capture the Orb, Deathmatch, and Team Deathmatch. In co-op, you can team up with up to four friends and collect special Online Orbs or Xbox Live Orbs that give a bonus to all your skills.
- Developer
- Ruffian Games
- Publisher
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Release date
- July 2010
- Platform
- Xbox 360
- Genre
- Action-adventure, third-person shooter
- Sequel to
- Crackdown (2007)
- Followed by
- Crackdown 3 (2019)
Lore & Background
Crackdown 2 takes place ten years after the events of Crackdown. The player character is an advanced super-powered officer for the city-funded Agency, known as the Agent. Players choose one of four faces and armor colors, with eight colors available for those who pre-ordered. The game features expanded powers, including higher jumping, gliding, and access to a helicopter landing pad. The player fights both the Cell, a terrorist organization, and Freaks, infected mutants vulnerable to UV weapons. Five skills can be leveled: Agility, Firearms, Driving, Explosives, and Strength.
Reader's Guide
Crackdown 2 is significant as a direct sequel that expanded on the original's open-world gameplay and cooperative features. It introduced four-player online co-op and competitive multiplayer for up to sixteen players, though it removed System Link support. The game's plot involves a scientist named Catalina Thorne who unleashes a virus on Pacific City, leading to the formation of the Cell terrorist group. An alternate plot, revealed through audio logs, suggests the Agency may be manipulating events. The game's development was led by Ruffian Games, with Phil Wilson and Billy Thomson having previously confirmed plans for a long-running series. Crackdown 2's legacy includes setting up the narrative for its 2019 sequel, Crackdown 3.
Did You Know?
- Crackdown 2 supports up to four players in online co-op and up to sixteen in competitive multiplayer.
- The 'Keys to the City' DLC is actually a cheat and developer tool pack, not a narrative expansion—it lets players spawn vehicles, toggle invincibility, and tweak game physics for sandbox fun.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Crackdown 2?
Crackdown 2 is a 2010 open-world action-adventure title for the Xbox 360, developed by Ruffian Games and released by Microsoft Game Studios. It picks up directly where the 2007 original left off, dropping the player into the surveillance-heavy city of New Babbage as a super-powered Agent in the service of the governing Agency.
What powers can you unlock as an Agent in Crackdown 2?
By collecting nanite orbs scattered across the map, you level up three distinct ability tracks covering strength, speed, and technology. These upgrades range from superhuman jumps and punches to deployable drones and enhanced combat gear, letting you tailor your playstyle.
Why is Crackdown 2 significant in the dystopian video game landscape?
It broadened the sandbox formula of its predecessor by introducing both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, letting up to four players share the same sprawling city. The mix of superhero-style progression with a government-surveillance setting gave it a distinct identity among dystopian action titles.
Does Crackdown 2 have multiplayer?
Yes—the game supports local and online co-op for up to four players, as well as head-to-head competitive modes. This was a major expansion over the first Crackdown, which was primarily a single-player experience.
More in Dystopian video games 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced