A Guide to Crackdown Survival

Real Time Worlds' Crackdown is many things, but easy isn't one of them. Playing as an Agent, you're designated "kill on sight" by the unmerciful Los Muertos, Volk, and Shai-Gen gangs.

The following tips will set your tactical Crackdown foundation and give the tools you need for not just survival, but success.

Balanced Focus
Crackdown 's system for ability upgrades is a natural one—the more you shoot, drive, throw objects, leap across the world collecting agility orbs, and blow your enemies to bits and pieces, the better you get at each respective skill.

New sniper rifle? Unlock it permanently at the supply point.

However, it's far too easy to focus on one skill and leave the others behind. For example, if you gun every enemy you see down with your ever-expanding arsenal of firearms, your strength and explosive abilities will suffer major setbacks. Make a concerted effort to mix up your attacks for a more balanced character, and consequently, more enjoyable experience.

Target Points
Crackdown 's lock-on system not only simplifies targeting, but it also opens up several options once you're locked on. For example, when targeting a person, toggle over to their arm to shoot away their gun (great for enemies wielding rocket-launchers), pinpoint their legs to drop them to their knees, or line up a headshot for a quick kill.

Wondering where your car's guns are? Skill up your driving.

While you can utilize the different targeting points from the beginning, you become far more accurate as you level up your firearms skill. Precision aiming will become more rewarding and strategically important as time goes on.

Supply the Supply Points
With every enemy you fell, you may discover a new weapon to add to your arsenal. Don't just pick it up and truck on to the next enemy installation though. Instead, backtrack to the nearest supply point and add it permanently to your collection. This is especially prudent when finding your first sniper rifle, grenade launcher, and rocket launcher.

Agility Exploration
Crackdownis as much an exploratory experience as it is an action game. The entire world is built to be climbed on and jumped across. In order to do that successfully, power up your agility skill as quickly as you can. Luckily, hundreds of agility orbs litter the skylines of Pacific City, and dozens can be snagged right from the beginning. Make this a priority and traversing the environment becomes a sweet, liberating experience rather than a challenging one.

Back Door
Each gang general's stronghold is built with an intensely fortified front entrance, but they're also designed with several "back doors" for the more inventive players. For example, strongholds built in the midst of the city can often be approached from above. Hop from rooftop to rooftop to bypass the waves of enemies below and get as close to the general as you can before dropping down for the kill.

Take advantage of co-op play when you can for
coordinated attacks and a swift execution of
the gang general that stands in your way.

Seasidelocations offer stealthy insertion points, allowing you to swim to a backdoor/underground location, slipping by the more concentrated groups of gangsters.

For the front door approach, get the edge you need with a speedy car or bulky truck. Try placing a semi-truck pulling the built-in ramp up to a gate or wall near an enemy compound. Shoot up the ramp in your car and enjoy your air time as you sail by the angry mobs below. For a more blunt approach, "crash the gate doin ninety-eight" in the Agency truck and squash the unfortunate souls who can't get out of your way.

Knee Bombs
The blast radius of your grenades are less than prodigious in the early going, and what's more, enemies aren't eager to feel the thrill of shrapnel ripping them to shreds and tend to dive out of harms way with maddening frequency. The solution is a bullet to the knee cap to immobilize your prey. Once they're on the ground, lock on to your enemy and let fly with your grenade.

Co-op always makes it easier.

If you're using explosive grenades (non-shrapnel), let the enemies that catch on fire burn away instead of shooting them to polish them off and earn full points for your explosives skill.

Road Kill
Stunt markers and road races may earn you plenty of driving points, but you can boost your driving skill further by running down enemy gangsters. More importantly, vehicles can provide a solid shield against enemy fire, so make your first run at a group of gangsters while behind the wheel.

Muertos, Volk, Shai Gen
The whole of Pacific City is available from day one, but unless you find the prospect of constant death and frustration appealing, tackle the gangs in the following order: Los Muertos, Volk, and finally, the Shai-Gen corporation. The jump in difficulty from one gang to the next is a substantial one. Unless you come from the same twisted cesspool as Xbox.com's very own Hardcore, stick with the intended order.

Teamwork
You may find some subtle differences in difficulty when playing cooperatively with a friend online, but what you won't find is a doubled up population of gangsters. Take advantage of co-op play when you can for coordinated attacks and a swift execution of the gang general that stands in your way.

End Game Achievement Blitz
Crackdown 's achievements are typically attained over the long haul, and most aren't intended to be attempted right away. For an extreme challenge, try to hit that six-second car jump for the Hazardous Hangtime achievement from the start. The more prudent will attempt a bulk of the achievement with a powered-up character. Once you hit level three in the required skill (driving for the stunt achievements), you've got a good chance at achievement success.

Article by Ryan Treit