Despite not offering much more than the previous game (read our review of Crackdown 2), Crackdown 2 soared to the top of the sales charts in the UK, beating out the likes of Red Dead Redemption, Super Mario Galaxy 2 and 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.

Crackdown 2‘s July 2010 release date is quickly approaching so it only makes sense that Ruffian Games is starting the hype train. The latest bit of CD2 details? The world featured in the game is to be 1000 meters tall or about 3,281 feet (or 1 kilometer if that’s how you roll).

They recently told Kotaku that the tallest building featured in the game will be over 500 meters tall which means you will be doing a bit more climbing than you did in the previous title (read: a lot).

Of course, that 1000 meters includes the depths of the oceans featured in the game, but who doesn’t like to go swimming?

When the first Crackdown came out I bought it for the Halo 3 multiplayer beta that was included with it. I did however pop the game in a few times to check it out and found it to be quite satisfying, almost like an overly dramatic version of Grand Theft Auto. However, with Crackdown 2, Ruffian Games really looks to be pushing the bar and making it a must have title.

Don’t believe me? Just check out the recently released trailer above and check out all the ridiculously awesome stuff you’ll be able to do is Crackdown 2. My favorite? Using one of your powers to drag an object behind you obliterating anything in its path.

Crackdown 2 will be out exclusively for the Xbox 360 on July 6th, 2010.

While the original Crackdown was a great game, it’s success was overshadowed by the Halo 3 multiplayer beta that was included with it. Well, the developers are looking to remedy that with the second game even recently coming forth to give us a glimpse at its scale.

Ruffian has actually said that the game has the ability to feature “thousands” of enemies at any given time. Thousands of enemies, huh? There better be enough firepower to take down all of those enemies or what’s the point?

Below is the actual quote from Ruffian’s Peter Connelly:

“During the day you’ve got to battle against The Cell, which is the remnants of the gangs and civilians who have joined together against The Agency. So you’ve got quite a formidable set of adversaries with thousands of characters on screen for you to mow over or eradicate which ever way you see fit.

via destructoid

Microsoft‘s just confirmed that Crackdown 2 will launch in Europe on July 9. Since I can’t say anything better than what was said in the press release, check it out below:

LONDON – Monday 15 March – Pacific City needs your help, agents. A new enemy has overrun the city and it’s time to restore law and order by any means necessary when “Crackdown 2″ releases this July around the world. Microsoft and Ruffian Games today announced that the exhilarating, open-world action game will hit the streets on 9 July.

Developed by Ruffian Games exclusively for Xbox 360, “Crackdown 2″ is the sequel to the award-winning 2007 title, “Crackdown.” Offering cutting edge gameplay, “Crackdown 2″ will take multiplayer gaming to unprecedented heights, providing you and your friends with complete freedom to explore, destroy, and play your way as you restore justice to Pacific City.

To celebrate the road to launch, Ruffian Games invites fans to step into the world of “Crackdown 2″ in the first video documentary, titled “Fun with Friends,” from a three-part series exploring different facets of the game.

“Fun with Friends” features interviews with Ruffian Games Creative Director Billy Thomson, Lead Producer James Cope, Senior Engineer David Hynd and Senior Mission Designer Dean Smith as they discuss what it takes to design a living, breathing sandbox world with the most gripping multiplayer experiences yet, including 16-player PVP and 4-player co-op. The video documentary also shines a light on some of the extraordinary antics and mayhem that players can look forward to, including Renegade Orbs and the PVP mode called Rocket Tag, when they bring their personal brand of justice to Pacific City.

via cvg

If the Halo 3 multiplayer beta had not been bundled with the original Crackdown, I have doubts that it would have sold anywhere near as much as it did. The developers probably know this which is why theywill be looking to make Crackdown 2 a much better game.

The latest development we have out of the studio is the ability to save and share videos taken from the game. Unfortunately, Executive Producer Peter Connolly has said that the feature won’t be included in the game’s release but it will be added via DLC at some point.

The above information came from OXM who’s latest issue hits shelves on March 11th and will include a whole feature on Crackdown 2.

Ruffian games revealed a brand new, in-game trailer of Crackdown 2 at the recently held Spike Video Game Awards.

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While 2009 is drawing to an end, and with all the great AAA titles only weeks away, keep in mind that 2010 is going to see more top-notch titles released than the last few years. Here are 20 games that should/will make an impact next year, and while a lot more games are coming out, we obviously couldn’t include them all — our list grew from ten games to twenty games simply because even we were surprised how many title are lined up for 2010. Here’s our 20 games for 2010, in no particular order.

Postal 3 (PC, Xbox 360, PS3, Running With Scissors, Q2, 2010)

The original Postal was both hailed and damned for its controversial content, and the sequel, Postal 2 only made it better (or worse, if you’re a politician looking for some media attention). Postal 3 will expand on the sandbox style gameplay, and will even feature director Uwe Boll (who made the 2008 Postal movie) in a cameo role.

APB (PC, Xbox 360, March 2010)

After developing Crackdown for the Xbox 360, which has since become a cult classic on the console, Realtime Worlds shifted all their manpower to APB (All Points Bulletin), a revolutionary MMO set in a huge city where players battle each other as either law enforcement agents, or criminals. A kind of GTA online, as creator David Jones (the man behind GTA) is noted saying APB is “the bastard child of everything we’ve been striving towards over the 15-20 years”.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, March 2, 2010)

Battlefield: Bad Company almost managed to perfect something no other FPS had done before: creating a fully destructible battlefield, where walls would no longer provide infinite cover — one tank shell and you better be looking to hide somewhere else. Coupled with a single player campaign and a solid multiplayer, Bad Company has been one of the most played FPS on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Bad Company 2 will bring “destruction 2.0″, taking destruction to a whole new level, this time, entire buildings and towns can be leveled to the ground.

Heavy Rain (PS3, February 2010)

Heavy Rain has been highly anticipated ever since it was first showcased at E3 2006 for the PlayStation 3, the film-noir, thriller-styled game will feature an intertwined storyline, with four playable characters, all looking for a serial killed going under the name “The Origami Killer”.

Halo Reach (Xbox 360, Q4 2010)

The next chapter in the Halo series and Master Chief’s battle against the Covenant was unveiled at E3 2009, without any further details other than the game would be the last Halo game to be developed by Bungie. Owners of Halo 3: ODST will have a chance to check out the game’s multiplayer beta in the middle of 2010, by then we should have more details on Reach.

Red Steel 2 (Wii, February 16, 2010)

The original Red Steel was the very first Wii game that was revealed, and rode a wave of anticipation until its release — as a Wii launch title — where it showed a flawed control scheme, dated visuals and uninspiring gameplay. Red Steel 2 is said to correct all those issues, and will require (and be bundled with) the Wii Motion Plus accessory, giving it a true 1:1 control input, paving the way for some great sword fights. We sure hope so.

Crysis 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360, Q4 2010)

The original Crysis is still bringing even the most powerful PCs to their knees, and is still hailed as the best looking game available, at least if a tropical island is what you crave. Crysis 2 continues the story where the original left off, and will use the new CryEngine 3, creating an even more immersive world. There aren’t many details of the game yet, but one thing is for sure: start saving for a new PC rig.
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What you see above is a video recently posted up by GameVideos which was taken during a Crackdown 2 demonstration at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. Included in said video is the first ever look at Crackdown 2‘s game play.

There’s not much I can say about the game other than that it looks much more pleasing visually than the first which is definitely a good sign. Anyways, check out the video and let us know what you think of it.

Ruffian Studios says Crackdown 2 will be out sometime in 2010.

In a recent update on the official Xbox.com page of Crackdown 2, it was revealed that the game will support 4 player co-op, in addition to 16 player multiplayer. Developed by Ruffian Games, Crackdown 2 was revealed in a teaser trailer form at E3.

The original Crackdown only supported 2 player co-op, which was in itself quite entertaining, taking on the whole city of criminals with a friend. Crackdown 2 is slated for release in the first half of 2010.