"GTA, on the other side of the law, ....with super powers."
Ok, just to start this off.. this game is just ridiculously fun. There's no way around it. If you disagree, you need to losen up a bit. The idea of bounding from rooftop to rooftop immediately. Being a cop while I do it sold me. (being a future police officer myself)
Gameplay - Jumping rooftop to rooftop, blowing nearly everything up, tons of gun fire. Love it, just plain fun. Agility Orbs, Hidden Orbs, Time Trials, Upgrading Skills, and Achievements (that are actually VERY fun to get I might add) really add to the replay value since the story is yes, quite short.
Graphics - Cell shading is always a plus in my book. They drew the line perfectly between realism and cell shading in my opinion. The amazingly over the top storyline and super human abilities are shown nicely through the graphics too, as it makes it look and feel like a comic book.
Sound - Mexican hip-hop and techno. I loved the radio!! Lots of different sounds when you throw various things, satisfying THUMP when you jump off a building and make a crater. Explosions are really loud compared to everything else, which is realistic. Also the pure amount of yelling at you keeps you focused on who is around you (when you hear someone scream in Russian/Spanish/Chinese, you're in trouble). One of the greatest failures of the game is the disembodied voice that feels he should tell you a tip every 5 seconds. Really didn't like that guy after about 3/4 through the game.
Value - I'd say you get your moneys worth with Crackdown. Not only was it really fun, you can always play some co-op and chase eachother around the city with rocket launchers (once you hit full strength you can take a good 4-5 rockets before dying, so it doesn't end fast). All of the things I mentioned for replay value add to the greatness of the game. I was very happy to throw down 60 bucks for this game.
So if you're looking for a great game that surely won't let you down, take a look at Crackdown. It throws the greatness of free roaming into the greatest of super powers.