History VideoGame / Crackdown

* CyleOfHurting: Explosions can cause the player character to become subject of RagdollPhysics during which he is helpless; further enemy GrenadeSpam and rockets can cause the player to be juggled to death. This cycle is especially likely when facing Shai-Gen enemies with the 'Firefly' rocket launcher since its rockets are a HomingProjectile which will follow the falling player through the air.

* LittleUselessGun: All the pistols have lower rate of fire, magazine size, and reserve ammo capacity than most rifles, making their usefulness questionable. However at least the Agency 'Master' and Shai-Gen 'Punished' have scopes and are capable of landing precise hits to disarm, immobilize, or get a CriticalHit on a target. The 'Diktat' pistol carried by Los Muertos and Volk gangsters is inarguably the worst firearm in the game.

* LittleUselessGun: All the pistols have lower rate of fire, magazine size, and reserve ammo capacity than most rifle making them questionably useful. However at least the Agency 'Master' and Shai-Gen 'Punished' have scopes and are capable of landing precise hits to disarm, immobilize, or get a CriticalHit on a target. The 'Diktat' pistol carried by Los Muertos and Volk gangsters is inarguably the worst firearm in the game.

* TheMafiya: The Volk
* MegaCorp: The Shai-Gen Corporation and [[spoiler:the Agency]].

* MoreDakka: Guess.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Some players may react this way to the ending.
* NewEraSpeech: [[spoiler: At the end of the first game, the Director gives the Agent a speech.]]

* RealSongThemeTune: The first game used 'Paradise Bird Theory' by DJ Krush.

* WholePlotReference: The game is basically ComicBook/JudgeDredd [[RecycledInSpace WITH SUPERPOWERS]]!

* WeaponsThatSuck: ''3'' has a singularity gun... [[UpToEleven that shoots]] ''[[UpToEleven multiple]]'' [[UpToEleven black holes]].

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Many ''VideoGame/SunsetOverdrive'' fans found this game as this.
** This feels more like a sci-fi version of ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAuto'' (this game was created by Creator/DavidJones, who also created the original GTA) but with role reversal (being a super agent rather than a criminal).
** The lack of iconic mutated creatures; instead centered on killing criminals and terrorists.
** Lack of grinding.
** Vehicles are drivable.
** It had [[TheScrappy an annoying Agency Director (aka Charles Goodwin)]] that never shuts up.
** The lack of massive customization; the characters that playing as were all male and contains several different preset heads. Also, they're being HeroicMime.
** The second game, which some of the concepts (including mutated creatures) that later reused in ''Sunset Overdrive'', had [[RecycledSet recycled Pacific City]], but lacks vibrant colors and had more, [[DarkerAndEdgier gritty feel]] to it.
** And, of course... the lack of playable female characters; it originally going to have female agents alongside the male ones, but they got scrapped for unknown reasons and this concept was later reused in ''Sunset Overdrive'' as well as ''VideoGame/Crackdown3''.

** Averted in the first game -- the player starts off with an assault rifle with an adjustable scope, access to the best vehicles in the game, the ability to jump ten feet straight up while standing still, and the strength to rip a car door off its hinges... and ''everything goes up from there''. Of course, given that you eventually become The ComicBook/IncredibleHulk with a [[StuffBlowingUp missile launcher]] and a Franchise/{{Batm|an}}obile, it's hard not to feel underpowered when you replay the game from the beginning.

** The second game, which some of the concepts (including mutated creatures) that later reused in ''Sunset Overdrive'', had [[RecycledSet recycled Pacific City]], but lacks vibrant colors and had more, [[DarkerAndEdgier gritty feel] to it.

** The second game, which some of the concepts (including mutated creatures) that later reused in ''SunsetOverdrive'', had [[RecycledSet recycled Pacific City]], but lacks vibrant colors and had more, [[DarkerAndEagier gritty feel]] to it.

* TheTetrisEffect: You'll imagine seeing green orbs everywhere on buildings, monuments... and that pulsing hum they make will haunt you for ''days'' after you've stopped playing.

''Crackdown 2'' was not as well liked as its predecessor. Everyone was upset that the game took place [[ItsTheSameNowItSucks in an exact copy of Pacific City from the first game]], except the city was rundown instead of bright and vibrant. And the fun StormingTheCastle missions were replaced with repetitive king of the hill games. Plus, fighting members of LaResistance with legitimate complaints [[WhatTheHellHero was just not the same as taking out gangmembers]], nor was killing zombies that you could kill with a single punch.

** [[spoiler: Collecting all the audio logs in the second game turns the plot right on its head. Catalina did ''not'' release the Freak Virus, ''The Agency'' did accidentally during the battle against Balthazar in the first game. She tried to warn them that the Virus shouldn't be messed with, but the Agency ignored her, fired her, and conducted experiments with the Virus, leading directly to the outbreak. Oh, and they actually ''do'' have a cure, but refuse to release it in favor of Project Sunburst, which is actually a WMD designed to destroy anyone the Agency doesn't like.]]

* WholePlotReference: The game is basically ComicBook/JudgeDredd [[AC:[[RecycledInSpace WITH SUPERPOWERS]]]]!

* RedShirtReporter: In the sequel, a female reporter comments on the Freaks that are over-running the city at night. She is of course instantly pounced upon by one.

* TunnelOfForeshadowing: Literal example: If you stand in the three tunnels to each island, you can hear the bosses of those islands cursing you out.

* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:The Agent. The Agency's plan involved running the law enforcement of the world into the ground, allowing complete anarchy, so they could step in and take over the world as a totalitarian government -- which they do, now that you've been so polite as to take out the gangs for them. Some think the action montage ends with the Agent shooting the Director -- this has definitely been {{Jossed}} by ''Crackdown 2'']].

[[quoteright:352:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/crackdown.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:352:[-[[TagLine TAKE! THINGS! TOO! FAR!]]-] ]]

** The Agency HQ Tower, the tallest building in the city, rises from the island at the middle of the map. Also, the Shai-Gen mastermind and his top lieutenant dwell atop their own massive towers; the Agent must [[ItsAllUpstairsFromHere fight his way up]] from the ground floor to the penthouse ([[spoiler:though he can use adjacent buildings to skip the entire lower half of Shai-Gen boss' tower]].)