However they want their next open-world game to be even more ”disruptive”. Other sandbox titles feel as if they’re ”all doing the same” each time.
”One of the things that we’re setting ourselves again is some very ambitious goals to push the genre forward,” producer James Cope told IGN in an interview.
”One of the things that we think about games like inFAMOUS, Prototype and Grand Theft Auto—not to denigrate them in any way—is that they’re all doing the same sort of thing. We’re going to do something to really bring the genre forward.”
Creative Director Billy Thomson added: ”A word we’re using a fair bit about the next project is ‘disruptive’.” Thomson is no stranger to the open-world genre as he worked on DMA Design’s Grand Theft Auto - the original.
”I worked on the original Grand Theft Auto, and I believe that spawned the whole genre. But I believe that the original Crackdown also spawned a new sub-genre; it’s still open-world, it’s in a city, it’s action-based, but it’s pushing everything to the limits.”
”It’s got one foot in reality and one foot in complete madness. What we would like to do in the next project is go further in that direction and go completely nuts. We think there’s a lot that can be done with our engine,” continued Thomson.
Crackdown’s true appeal is the fact that a player starts off as an average, if slightly advantaged character who by the end is this super-powered agent of destruction that fears little to nothing. Ruffian wants to run with this feeling for their next project.
”One of the things about open-world games as a genre,” says Cope, ”is that they’re trying to become more cinematic. One of the things that we love the most is the intense video game experience—action all the time—that Crackdown provides.”
”It’s arcade-like, and that’s the fun of it. That’s what we want to try and focus on, while still having the whole open-world ethos there.” Grand Theft Auto IV was the largest departure from GTA’s traditional arcade action feel, embracing story more ambitiously.
”People often say Crackdown is a funny game. Crackdown wasn’t deliberately funny,” says Thomson. ”But it’s that kind of ‘school breaktime’ experience. You’re let loose, you’re shouting ‘BRILLIANT!’ and running around.”
“Things happen that make you laugh - especially in four-player co-op.” Crackdown 2 releases exclusively on Xbox 360 this week, July 9th in Europe. Be sure to stay tuned as later today we’ll be posting our review - providing a glimpse into Pacific City life.
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