Crysis 2

Genre: First-Person Shooter
Platform(s): PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Allegiance: Crytec
Vintage: 2011
Rating: M
Intelligence Agency Report by: Shadow
New York has gone to hell in a hand basket….with a hand grenade. The Ceph, an alien race that has come to earth, are tearing everything up and annihilating anything in their paths. You’re the city’s, and maybe the country’s, only hope: Alcatraz. You’ve come into possession of the Nanosuit 2.0, the most sophisticated piece of privatized military hardware out there. But there’s a catch: you’re a dead man walking. As alien and human PMCs alike try to kill you, you must save the city while also finding out just how screwed you are.

Weapons Expert Report by: Shadow 
Story/Premise
Gameplay
Impact
Visual
Audio
7.00
9.00
8.00
10.00
10.00
Overall 9.50
(not an average)
Version Reviewed: PS3 

It’s always wonderful when your PS3 gives you a trophy that says “Can it Run Crysis” and showsa smoking computer. I know a lot of gamers out there are probably wondering if that means their PS3 is defective. I also know a lot of gamers out there that appreciate the humor. And why would that be? Simply put, most computers couldn’t even run Crysis. Minimum requirements were extremely high because of the high level of graphics for the type of game it was, making most computers lock up and even crash (my brother learned this one too). 

Crytec at least had a sense of humor to pick on themselves; very admirable. So how do the graphics compare? To be honest, I never played the original Crysis. What I can tell you is that my PS3 on an HD TV with the cables and this game make for a very fun experience with some of the best graphics I’ve ever seen. Using nanovision (infared) was very realistic including the bit of blur and pixilation that you expect to go with it, enemies actually looked like streamlined aliens with jelly at the weakspots, and explosions were a literally a blast! The very graphics that crippled computers work wonders on a PS3 and Xbox, especially as the PS3 itself is almost nothing but shear processing power. 

Audio quality on this game wasn’t garbage either. I could clearly hear enemies barking orders to one another or Ceph communicating in their very own techie-sounding way. Explosions actually sounded deep and throaty as expected when a big boom happened, and quick and sharp for grenades. Gunfire sounded realistic, both suppressed and not, while alien stuff sounded, well, alien. The musical score for this game was also wonderful, and music during gameplay was wonderful. 

The plot is pretty straightforward: save New York City. The twists and turns are very numerous, but I don’t want to ruin any surprises because I found it was worth figuring it out as I went. Just understand that most everyone wants to kill you, until people realize you’re the last beacon of hope with a pretty interesting ability. Characters do run your stereotypical military, intelligence, civilian, and scientist MOs. Unlike a lot of shooters, it’s not the full stereotype as each of them definitely has their own personality, and set of colorful language (namely Lockheart, who you can’t help but laugh as he’s screaming profanities in frustration and sounding like a very pissed-off kid with a big gun). 

Gameplay was wonderful! Let me make it clear early, I loved this game and how it handled. With the state of things, even though I easily have the money for new games and toys, I just don’t buy a game unless I really like them. I borrowed Crysis 2 from my best friend. Now, I’m buying it. 

This was a very tactical game if you wanted to play it as such, or a full-on shoot- them- up and punch holes in Ceph. If you’re the patient type, you’ll massively enjoy the Stealth mode, where you can sneak around literally in cloak-and-dagger style. The suit allows you to cloak yourself to enemies until they are right on top of you or using thermal vision. Also, tactical options displayed to you through your visor allow you to pick and choose your options and work in your own style. If you like brute force, then the Power mode of the nanosuit allows you to become next to indestructible, having .50 cal bullets bounding off of you while you continue to plug massive bullets into your enemies. 

Also, weapons are varied in the game, including some experimental stuff that allows you to snipe enemies with nice 10mm solid slugs or use a portable microwave to cook Ceph and create fried calamari. Weapons are also customizable and allow you to decide if you want to go with suppression, laser sights, iron sights, extended mags, and other things that make your life easier. Also adding to that is the ability to upgrade an already wonderful suit. 

Crysis 2 was a wonderful game that I highly recommend. I only did the single player mode; I can easily tell that multiplayer is the same as single player’s abilities but put into a Modern Warfare-style combat setting. Perhaps later, after I buy it and PSN (at the time of this review, it is still down due to terrorist, I mean, hacker attacks) is back up, the review can be updated with more information. This is something that will likely be played again, especially with the enjoyment of multiplayer. It’s a short game, as most FPS games are, but it was worth it. Unless you’re cash-strapped, I DO NOT recommend renting this unless you know you’re only going to play it the once. So far, this is the top game of 2011 that I’ve seen, and that kind of comment comes rarely from me.