Achievements Anonymous – Hall of Fame #1

By the time you read this, I will be enjoying a pleasant holiday, and that means no gaming and no computer use. But whilst I sun myself, allow me to introduce an occasional look at some of the more interesting Achievements/Trophies out there, in my very own Hall of Fame.

This week’s Achievements Anonymous Hall of Fame entry is…

Game: Crackdown 2

Achievement/Trophy: Squad City Glider

While Ruffian Games’ sequel to the brilliant Crackdown was lacking a little inspiration, becoming little more than a carbon-copy of the original game (I say that literally, as the game’s environment was almost exactly the same as its predecessor), it was still an enjoyable open world romp, giving you an array of abilities and tools to play around with to your hearts content.

However, it was the game’s 4-player co-operative play that really made the game what it is, as there was nothing like being part of a team of super-powered Agents, leaping over skyscrapers and firing masses of rockets around like there was no tomorrow. Some of the game’s Achievements really make the most of this, as they hinted at some of the fun ways you could pass the time online.

The “Squad City Glider” Achievement is a great example of this. Once reaching a particular experience level, a player would be given the Wingsuit ability. This skill would allow you to jump from high buildings or airborne vehicles, and soar the skies unaided, as you swoop down to the ground below, before pulling up to reach higher altitudes – Think of the Feather Cape from Super Mario World, and you should get a pretty good idea of how it works.

Much like Super Mario World, Crackdown 2’s Wingsuit can take a bit of time to get used to, but once mastered is can be one of the most effective and enjoyable methods of traversing an open world environment, in any game ever.

Which makes this particular Achievement such a joy to attempt? Squad City Glider requires four players to fly over each of the game’s islands at the same time – A feat that requires absolute mastery of the Wingsuit. It can take a few attempts to perform, but there’s nothing quite like seeing four player-controlled players soar through the skies like heavily armoured eagles.

This video from Rooster Teeth’s Achievement Hunter series illustrates this Achievement perfectly:

Both Crackdown and its sequel are worth a shot if you like open world games, and their Achievements are tons of fun as well (Especially the co-operative ones).

That’s it for this week’s brief column. Normal service will be resumed in a fortnight, but in the meantime why not tell me all about your favourite Achievements, via Twitter?