Crackdown is the game no one knew they wanted Grand Theft Auto to be. While it’s fun to wreak havoc as a mob member, it takes on an entirely new level when you’re in the shoes of a super human able to catapult over towering skyscrapers, launch oversized missiles with your bare hands, and fire seven rockets into a gang leader before they have a chance to hit the ground. That’s Crackdown at its best.

Conceived by Dave Jones (the same designer who masterminded Rockstar’s multi-million dollar Grand Theft Auto), he’s taken his original concept out of what can only be viewed as a mundane real world and plopped it into a comic book fantasy in this brilliantly crafted title. Nearly every aspect of Crackdown is addictive, well planned, and more importantly, fun. You don’t even need a gun to enjoy yourself in this futuristic cornucopia of buildings, bridges, and secret areas.

The game’s rather meager story is typical video game fodder. Good versus evil is as far as Crackdown goes as three stereotypical gangs have overrun the population and the police have turned to genetic engineering to create a high end law officer. Initially, the players chosen avatar is weak, only slightly a step above a normal human. As the game progresses and thugs are destroyed, your abilities increase.

Leveling up is easily the key reason to keep playing. As your agility increases and your leaping height triples, you’ll forget the game even has cars to drive. On the ground, you’re missing the majority of this vertically oriented third person actioner.

Plowing through the game in a matter of hours is possible. If you choose to take this route, you’ll never grasp the ingenious design of the city, and how every nook has been perfectly placed to keep you coming back once your powers increase. Collecting glowing objects known as agility orbs would be the scourge of gamers everywhere if this were a platformer. However, Jones has somehow made this once mundane collecting task a critical component by letting the player loose to do as they wish.

Charging through the city is astonishingly smooth. Crackdown loads once after the initial menu screen and when you’re into game play, the loading indicator screen is never seen again. You’re free to roam any portion of the city at your leisure as well. No aggravating invisible barriers prevent you from choosing how you progress. It’s open ended crafted in the truest sense of the term.

Targeting foes becomes the first noticeable problem in Crackdown. It’s brutally hard to manually aim, so using the left trigger to lock on is essential in you quest to free the city. Unfortunately, the cursor sticks to everything from cars, pedestrians, slain enemies, and even friendly officers. In a heated battle, this is simply inexcusable. When it works, it offers wonderful variety in your choice of attack, enabling the player to aim for specific body parts.