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RPG Index: Single player Role Playing Games

Monday 28 January 2013

Crysis 2

When the original Crysis hit the shelves in 2007, it was borderline revolutionary. The graphics and engine left people with a jaw to pick up off the ground. Those who could run it, anyway. Many a person bought a new computer just to get it running. The second installment however, just feels like more of the same without much being improved on. That's not a horrible thing, but among other franchises that progressed further using the original Crysis as inspiration- it makes Crysis 2 lack the means to really stand out.

It's so pretty! Aside from the destroyed terrain, of course.

Genre: FPS
Release Date: 22nd March, 2011
Platforms: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Score: 6/10
Similar Titles: Farcry, Just Cause, Halo (kind of not really)

I have always seen the Crysis games as a graphics engine. With a lack of much else to compensate. I decided to follow up on that with a nice long playthrough to cement my opinion. To be honest, I still retain the same opinion. Mostly, anyway. But boy is it pretty. Even now, years later I cannot help but admire the incredible graphics and visuals in the game. Not only that, but my computer admires them too. Enough to stutter a few times in firefights, anyway.

Alien spaceships apparently need steampunk gears and cogs.

Unlike the majestic jungle you will experience in the first game, Crysis 2 sports a ravaged New York City. The aliens for the first game are back with force, with their world domination plan beginning in New York. Because aliens always attack America. Why? Because you're all cunts, that's why! The city looks really good, but the limitations of where you can and can't go will become apparent very quickly. Regardless, Crysis 2 is enhanced by the atmospheric visuals. Watching buildings getting torn to pieces whilst spaceships fly overhead is incredible in high definition.

The story is a follow on from the first game, the opening scenes begin with the new main character Alcatraz, a marine sent to combat the infection that has spread across the population. upon reaching the shores of New York, the U.S submarine comes under attack. Alcatraz is the only survivor, barely making it out. Prophet, the protagonist from the first game manages to save you. Sadly, he is infected by the deadly virus and doesn't have long to live. As his final act, Prophet passes on his stolen suit to you. And so begins your quest to save the human race from extinction.

These aliens can't even see you until you hit them in the face.

As the only person with an advanced Nanosuit that even rivals the advanced alien technology, Alcatraz can survive bullets, jump incredible heights, and even turn invisible. There are even purchasable upgrades to enhance your capability. All suit powers are governed by energy, which depletes when you activate them or take damage. Using the advantages of the suit is vital to succeeding in Crysis. You can die very quickly if you forget to turn on armor mode; or get outnumbered without taking advantage of stealth. The real shame is if you use the suit intelligently and frequently the game is just a joke. It's just too powerful- and the AI has no way to counter it. You can stay in camouflage mode indefinitely, making it possible to complete an entire level without being spotted. Armor mode is almost impenetrable, it takes several rocket launcher shots for you to run out of energy. Quite simply, if you want to actually play a video game instead of strolling through an incredibly pretty film- you have to resist using your full strength all the time.

The visor allows you to find ammo quickly. The other 'advantages' are all pretty useless.

This really put a dampener on the game for me. You have all these amazing powers at your disposal, giving you the potential to pull off amazing assaults and some badass moves. But what's the point if you can just walk through the game wasting entire rifle clips on a single enemy without being challenged? Or if you get into a tight spot you can just put on invisibility mode and walk away, while the 20 guys who had you pinned down just stand there scratching their heads without even looking for you? You have access to grenades, C4, rocket launchers- but are they ever really that useful? Nope, merely tacked on mechanics that are less efficient than shooting someone in the head. The worst part is, these inherent problems that make every gunfight boring and easy could be fixed in less than a day. Give the enemies EMP grenades to knock out your energy, or even just special flares to bring you out of camouflage. Problem solved. AI that is only programmed to shoot at you when they see you horrendously lazy code and ruined the game for me.

This little piggy got microwaved.

Despite the giant difficulty flaw, Crysis 2 is still a decent game. Sure, the story is a bit of a flop and you won't be challenged too much- but the rest is pretty solid. The Nanosuit is a cool ass feature that I'd want in my wardrobe. New York feels very realistic and the alien invasion affects the City just like you'd expect it to. Dying citizens can be found hiding from the armed forces in alleyways and sewers. Aliens land in various places to attack army emplacements and you can hear it all through your communications.

As for the aliens themselves, they can be pretty freaky. Crysis intentionally puts you in places you wouldn't want to be and throws enemies galore at you. They come in several types, some of which can take a fair amount of bullets to the face. Humans are also gunning for you, but they aren't really a threat. In fact, barely anything is a threat but we need a scale to measure.

I like to think he had a parachute. It just failed to activate.

I wouldn't really recommend Crysis 2 to the average person. It's just too similar and questionably inferior to other FPS games. Hell, even Call of Duty and its 5 year old target audience is probably better for most people. The one exception is people who like the idea of toying around with the super Nanosuit. Because it is pretty awesome. If you don't mind stomping noob AI, anyway.

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