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Crackdown 2 is a game about freedom. The liberation a player feels having a ridiculous level of power an entire city as their playground is what Crackdown 2 exists for. No rules, no cares, just unadulterated freedom.

The game takes us back to Pacific City, the once gang-ridden metropolis players spent the first game cleaning up. Since the events of Crackdown the Agency has come under fire for its excessive use of force in creating a peaceful city, but now with a rebel group called Cel attacking Agency strongholds in the day and an invading swarm of mutant freaks terrorizing citizens in the night it’s time for players to return as a clone of the ass-kicking agent that cleaned up the streets in the last game.

Everything players adored about the first Crackdown has returned; ridiculously over-powered weaponry, the ability to whip cars at foes, and enough collectable orbs scattered throughout the city to drive even the most passive of collectors mad with compulsion. Picking up the controller will be like riding a bicycle for anyone who’s even a little familiar with the first game, they play almost identically, almost to a flaw.

It’s the little things that make Crackdown 2 a better game than the first, but little things don’t necessarily make a better game worth playing. The city map is improved, getting rid of the poorly designed interior portions in exchange for cavernous freak lairs. Orb collection has become an even stronger focus, adding renegade orbs that flee from the player with an imp-like attitude. There are even a few new specialty weapons like the mag grenades, which allow players to bind objects together with magnetic force. However, despite all of these really great additions Crackdown 2 doesn’t stand that far apart from its predecessor.

The biggest addition to the game, and where it may be worthwhile for some, is the inclusion of 4-player co-op. The mission structure of the single-player is a little bit too repetitive and there’s only so much fun you can have experimenting with the game’s physics by yourself. When you add in 3 friends though, something magical happens and the game transforms in to a canvas for the group to get creative with. A medley of griefing and one-upsmanship the multiplayer dynamic drives players to attempt increasingly ridiculous stunts, and this is where Crackdown 2 shines brightest.

It’s hard to find the artistry in a game like Crackdown 2, but there’s something that can be learned by the Ruffian style of game development. Crackdown 2 doesn’t take itself seriously for a moment and it almost seems self-aware of its flaws. However, the game revels in its imperfections and delivers its best moments when players stop trying to experience it like a traditional game and just go have fun with it.

Crackdown 2 is a really fun game and, though it’s mired in flaws, never stops being fun. There’s not a lot to distinguish it from the first Crackdown game, but for anyone who’s never enjoyed the original this is a great opportunity to experience what you’ve been missing.

Crackdown 2 was released on July 2 2010 for Xbox 360.