Crackdown 2 is official. Who would have thought?

This year’s E3 kicked off with a handful of welcome surprises, such as the Left 4 Dead 2 announcement, the coming-to-pass of Minority Report, and Seaman 2. Amidst the rubble of these bombshells, Microsoft premiered the following Crackdown 2 trailer, which hints at some kind of mutant invasion of Pacific city:

The original Crackdown might be one of the most overlooked gems on the 360; while the paper-thin story didn’t win any accolades, it was a frenetic, colorful, violent, and stylistically unique game experience, and is a real treat for sandbox fans. The trailer hints at a grittier, more realistic design for the sequel, and a return of the infamously addictive orbs.

Crackdown 2 is being developed by Scottish studio Ruffian Games, a team formed from members of the original Realtime Worlds Crackdown group. Stick around for more information as we get it. In the meanwhile, don’t miss Alex’s excellent ongoing coverage of E3 both here and on the message boards.