Battle of the GTA clones

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They all tried to beat the best, but which one really did? We make 'em fight to find out

Crackdown
Microsoft Game Studios | Xbox 360

The setup: An aberrant genetic-engineering program creates a clone army of superpowered cops, which for whatever reason can only be deployed one (or sometimes two) at a time. Said supercops then set out to rid their city of three massive crime syndicates, one boss at a time.

The rides: A wide selection of quasi-futuristic cars, trucks, semis and military vehicles, most of which increasingly get ignored as players boost their agent's superpowers and go all crazy with the leaping and the climbing.

The violence: Gore-free but still extreme, as players unleash havoc with whatever assault weapons, sniper rifles or rocket launchers they can steal from dead gang members. You'll also have a clutch of grenades, land mines or similar explosives to chuck around, and your superpowers will eventually enable you to hurl cars with deadly force.

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Mikel Reparaz
Mikel Reparaz
After graduating from college in 2000 with a BA in journalism, I worked for five years as a copy editor, page designer and videogame-review columnist at a couple of mid-sized newspapers you've never heard of. My column eventually got me a freelancing gig with GMR magazine, which folded a few months later. I was hired on full-time by GamesRadar in late 2005, and have since been paid actual money to write silly articles about lovable blobs.