When it was first released, Crackdown was known mostly for the fact that it was bundled with the Halo 3 beta. However, gamers soon learned that underneath the layer of Spartan warfare was a decent sandbox action game with a welcome co-op element. Next month, after a more than three year wait, the sequel will hit stores. In anticipation of that, developer Ruffian Games has released a demo for Crackdown 2. In it, you'll once again play as a nameless Agent, tasked with bringing Pacific City back from the brink of chaos caused by both a civilian resistance, known as "The Cell", and "The Freaks", a group of people infected with the virus released in the original game.

The free sample will give players an early look at the game's leveling system, four player co-op, and the ability to earn Achievements (which will only be unlocked after playing the full version). And with the biggest new releases of the week being Puzzle Quest 2 and Transformers: War for Cybertron, it seems like a pretty good opportunity to see if Ruffian has crafted something worth your full price purchase come July 6th.