Crackdown 2 is one of the great titles that I am eagerly waiting for, and new details have been unveiled by magazine Game Informer. Ruffian Games, a studio comprised of ex-employees of original Crackdown developer Realtime Worlds, is working on this sequel, which sees you decimating infected, zombified, virus-laden citizens, in a city overrun by a viral outbreak of epic proportions.

The citizens of Pacific City have gone crazy/nutso/zombie at a molecular level due to the virus, and organized crime takes a back seat, due to the sheer chaos and mayhem that ensues downtown. New buildings have arisen and huge changes to the city make your world a familiar, but very ”post-apocalyptic” place to wreak your havoc.

Anyways, come to find out, the cause of all of this madness is yourself, as Creative Director Billy Thomson told Game Informer that “One of the Shai-Gen missions actually had a research lab that hid all of these freaks inside of it.” When the virus spreads, the Agency that you worked for in the original Crackdown is overwhelmed, and they lost control to the hordes of infected citizens. An underground tactical strike team called The Cell rose to power in the meantime, and your game begins at the last bastion of Agency power as you face this rather macabre situation.

Tackling the game on your own or in an up-to-four-player co-op mode, Crackdown 2 promises a lot more diversity in the missions, based around an ‘influence’ system that has effects on the city based on your actions, be they good or bad. There are new rewards for leveling up in your skill sets as well, such as unlocking new vehicles (a helicopter is rumored), or enabling the new special ”dash” move. There are also multiple new weapons, including a new shotgun that shoots a beam of UV light to broil the flesh off the zombified masses.

Throw in a 16-player competitive online mode, and this game is sounding pretty freakin’ awesome, and I can’t wait to see this gameplay.