For some, the original Crackdown was little more than an entry ticket into the Halo 3 beta. Others, however, discovered a fun open-world game filled with some of the finest explosions in gaming. Crackdown 2 doesn't have the luxury of enticing gamers with free access to a big-name beta. Instead, it must rest on its own merits: the promise of improving upon every aspect of the original game.

The single-player story begins with a recap of the events of the first game. Critics noted narrative as one of the weakest aspects of the original Crackdown, and the second game attempts to address that by offering a more fleshed out story. That's not to say players' progression will be restricted in any way; you can still run and gun your way to the "final stage," if you're feeling particularly brave.

Restricting player freedom would go against what fans found so endearing about the first Crackdown. It's clear that the franchise's new developer, Ruffian Games, doesn't want to stray too far from what made the first game a success. Once again, players will be tasked with cleaning up the streets of Pacific City; this time ridding the world of a terrorist organization known as "The Cell," bent on destroying The Agency and its new hero: you.