Crackdown good to go

Halo 3 fans take note: Crackdown has gone gold. All kidding aside, the open-world action game featuring cops with superhuman abilities has completed development and is one step closer to its February 20 release date. And for a limited time, specially marked boxes of Crackdown will come with an entry key for the Halo 3 multiplayer beta test, which begins this spring.

Developed by Realtime Worlds--the studio under the eye of Grand Theft Auto creator David Jones--Crackdown is set in the fictional metropolis of Pacific City. Gamers play the city's finest, taking on strapped gangs either solo in the single-player campaign or with a friend in the cooperative mode.

Though a demo was expected to hit Xbox Live this week, Microsoft announced that it would be pushed back to a later date. In announcing the game's gold status, the company reiterated that the demo would be available later this month.

Crackdown is rated M for Mature and will retail for $59.99. For more information, read GameSpot's previous coverage.