Crysis 2 Review

Back in 2007, Crytek’s Crysis was one of the most demanding games to ever be released on the PC – as it requires a powerful computer to run it smoothly. Consequently, the audience of gamers who could actually play it when the first game was released was smaller than usual, so a decent amount of FPS fans missed out of a good shooter. With the sequel now available, PC is no longer the lead platform as Crysis 2 is also available on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Stunning visuals were one of the first game’s best qualities, and with Crysis 2 now available in stores, should fans expect to see the same beautiful graphics again?

In addition to the visuals, a lot has been improved in the sequel, especially the Nanosuit. Should gamers who missed out on the first Crysis game pick up the sequel?

HOT

Story
Crysis 2 picks up three years after the events of the first game. When the Prophet in the first game died in front of Alcatraz, the main protagonist, inherited the nanosuit that Crynet had been seeking. In Crysis 2 as Alcatraz tries to escape from Crynet, he must also find a way to stop the invading aliens before they completely destroy New York. The story expands to a much larger scale, and playing it from start to finish is the only way to find out the drama behind Crysis 2. For newcomers to the series, certain events from the first game will be retold via the Prophet’s flashbacks throughout the game, so it’s not necessary to play the first game to fully understand the story of Crysis 2.

Impressive Presentation
Crytek did it once again and has made Crysis 2 one of the best looking games on both consoles and the PC. The in-game visuals of Crysis 2 render so smoothly that it’s hard to tell the difference between the CG and the in-game cut scenes. From the details of trees, shadows, the tall skyscrapers of New York and explosions, players can expect to be stunned and amazed by the graphics. With the more than ten missions that Crysis 2 has to offer, expect to see environments that truly show the power of the Cry Engine 3. I find Crysis 2’s visuals to be superior to similar shooters like Call of Duty: Black Ops or Killzone 3. Gamers who own a 3DTV set and have the PlayStation 3 can view Crysis 2 in stereoscopic 3D!

When it comes to first or third-person-shooters, one of the things I look for in a game is the sound effects. Many gamers were disappointed by Homefront’s muffled gunfire sounds, but with Crysis 2, the sound effects for the weapons are realistic – particularly the explosions. For anyone with a surround-sound system who would like to experience the full intensity of the game, turning the volume up is highly recommended. The sounds recoil and echoes that the guns produce will make you feel like you’re in a warzone, and are sure to please FPS fans like myself. In addition to the sounds, Crysis 2 offers superb voice-acting and a soundtrack that builds up the game’s setting and action.

Enjoy the new Nanosuit 2
Without the nanosuit that the first game introduced, Crysis games would not differ in gameplay from most other first-person shooters, and would most likely be ignored by gamers bored with this genre. With the newly upgraded Nanosuit, a lot of features have been improved, and for gamers who will play Crysis 2 on consoles, the controls are tight and easy to use. For those who are new to the series, the Nanosuit will function as the protagonist’s exoskeleton armor that bestows various combat abilities upon its user. Using the energy from the suit, players can use stealth, run faster, jump into high places, activate super armor, and a lot more.

Compared to the first game, the Nanosuit in Crysis 2 gives gamers a lot of customization options. By purchasing upgrades, the Nanosuit can carry more abilities that should help you tackle harder challenges in-game. Before upgrading the features, DNA samples from the aliens in the game must be acquired and then used to buy abilities. If you love stealth gameplay, it can be done easily and the game can be finished simply by using the stealth ability on the nanosuit. Activating the nanosuit can be done by pressing any of the shoulder buttons. In addition to these abilities, the nanosuit also carries the ability to use Nanovision, which acts similarly to night vision, or binoculars.

A Nanosuit Showroom is available in the game for those who wish to examine the details of how a Nanosuit works. They can view the nanosuit’s stealth, armor, power, and visor configuration in both the single and multiplayer portion of the game. If you ever want to find out the abilities that the nanosuit holds, going to the Showroom allows you to do so.

Gameplay, Collectibles, and Extras
When it comes to the speed and pace of Crysis 2, it’s much faster than other shooter games we’ve played in the past. The enemies and the speed with which Alcatraz moves are insane, so for those who have slow reflexes, turning down the sensitivity will be necessary since the default one is fast for the average shooter. Thanks to the Nanosuit, players can decide how to play the game, be it by stealthily sneaking around enemies using the Nanosuit, or by creating chaos and shooting mindlessly at anything that moves. The enemy AI is smart and can track you down wherever you go, which will certainly factor into your strategic gameplay decision.

Aside from simply tackling missions in the game, Crysis 2 also has collectibles for players to find. In each level of the game, there are between one and four collectibles scattered about, and gathering them gives more information on the game’s plot. Finding them isn’t that hard since they are a bit conspicuous and usually not hidden. In addition to the collectibles, there are items that can be unlocked in the game, such as the Prophet’s Flashback, in-game cut scenes, music score and a lot more.

Similar to the first game, the weapons that Alcatraz will use are fully customizable. Players can add suppressors, change a gun’s rate of fire, or add a scope. Expect to see a variety of customizations throughout the game.

Multiplayer is Addicting
After you have mastered the abilities of the Nanosuit, prepare to take the fight online and compete with other players. Compared to other games that have online multiplayer, Crysis 2 offers a unique, fun, and addictive multiplayer that I can see myself playing for months to come.

In Crysis 2, players are able to join six different types of game modes: Team Instant Action, Instant Action (both of which play like Deathmatch and Team Deatmatch), Crash Site (similar to Headquarters, where you must secure the alien drop pod sites to score points), Capture the Relay (a Capture the Flag mode), Assault, and Extraction (where players must capture the objective and deliver it to the base). The first two modes mentioned are unlocked automatically, while the other four will be unlocked when a certain rank is achieved. When a game mode is selected, a player must then choose a modifier, where they can choose to play the game without a nanosuit, with realistic damage, and a lot more.

For those who complained about the server connectivity on the PlayStation 3 demo, finding a match is smooth on the retail version. I noticed smooth gameplay with no lag whatsoever, which is good since one of the most annoying things in an online game is lag.

There are a lot of customizations and progression that can be done in Crysis 2. Just like any other online game, every match gives players experience points to level up. Up to level 50 can be achieved in Crysis 2, and as you level an unlock point will be awarded that players can use to unlock more weapons or abilities on the Nanosuit. There are a ton of things that can be unlocked, and spending a lot of hours is highly recommended if you want to achieve that level 50 and have all the weapons and abilities. Gamers who buy the Limited Edition of Crysis 2 will receive a lot of bonus extras solely for multiplayer, such as bonus experience, unlock points, and more.

NOT

Limited Weapons
In the single player portion of Crysis 2, I was disappointed by the selection of weapons available. From the start to the end, I managed to use only three weapons. For those who decided to take the stealth path in the campaign mode, this wouldn’t be much of an issue, but those who like gunning down enemies will be slightly disappointed by the limited weapons the game has to offer.

Occasional Pop-In
With the free-roam in Crysis 2, expect an occasional pop-in. On the PS3 version that I played, I encountered occasional pop-ins where some of the environments slowly materialized while the game streamed the data. Although this is common for games that have large scale environments, fans should still be aware of this issue because it can be distracting.

Needs More than 6v6
For a multiplayer game with a semi-massive map requires more than 6v6 players. As I play through several matches online, I find it hard to find someone as the map is so big, it’s not easy to run into one another. It would be good if Crytek increases the quota for the maximum players, preferably a 12v12 on some of the modes. Either way, the multiplayer is still addictive.

VERDICT

Crysis 2 is not a perfect game, but it definitely comes close. I expect it to be one of the best first person shooter games of 2011. The return of the Nanosuit is what first person shooter fans have been waiting for, especially now that PS3 and Xbox 360 owners can experience it. The amazing single player and the addictive online portion of Crysis 2 will surely give everyone plenty of hours to play through. Crysis 2 still manages to have the most breathtaking visuals I’ve seen this year on the consoles. If you’re currently playing Killzone 3 or Black Ops, do yourself a favor and forget about those games and play Crysis 2 instead.

[Editor’s Note: Crysis 2 was reviewed on the PlayStation 3 platform. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]