“Crysis 2” is the sequel to the 2007 PC exclusive, “Crysis.” This addition to the series swaps the lush jungle setting of the first game for the desecrated, alien-invaded downtown streets of Manhattan in what has been coined; urban jungle. Mixing absolutely jaw-dropping visual presentation with inventive gameplay mechanics, developer Crytek has brought something fresh to the FPS table and managed to surpass its predecessor in almost every way.
“Crysis 2’s” story picks up after your character—Alcatraz—narrowly escapes death after being saved by the illusive “Prophet”. After a turn of events I won’t disclose, you unwillingly result in being the next owner of the Nanosuit 2.0, a bio-enhanced outfit which gives you various superhuman abilities including invisibility and armoured skin.
The pacing of the campaign is quite slow to begin with, but those who see it through to the end will be astounded by the immense moments of the second half.
Alongside a compelling story, “Crysis 2” also presents some of the best visuals to ever grace consoles. Photorealistic lighting and texture effects create sights of beauty across the decaying city of New York, while the draw distance evokes an unparalleled sense of scale throughout the 10+ hour campaign. Sadly however, sketchy AI and some minor bugs detract from the otherwise masterful experience.
Gameplay is also solid, with freedom being a key element to how you take on various situations. The array of abilities at your disposal employs a high level of inventiveness to how you play, while never overwhelming you; it’s a smooth experience which feels natural and refreshing amongst some uninspiring shooters on the market. Suit and weapon upgrades add yet more depth to the gameplay, and give you on-the-fly customisation like adding scopes, lasers or grenade launchers to your guns whenever you feel the desire to do so.
In all, “Crysis 2” is a much needed breath of fresh air. The intense story – while slow to start – climaxes perfectly, while the visual presentation sets a new bar for games across the console genre. Some minor problems let the experience down slightly, but not enough to deter from recommending this game to anyone who enjoys playing first person shooters.
[etRating value=“ 4.5”]
“Crysis 2’s” story picks up after your character—Alcatraz—narrowly escapes death after being saved by the illusive “Prophet”. After a turn of events I won’t disclose, you unwillingly result in being the next owner of the Nanosuit 2.0, a bio-enhanced outfit which gives you various superhuman abilities including invisibility and armoured skin.
The pacing of the campaign is quite slow to begin with, but those who see it through to the end will be astounded by the immense moments of the second half.
Alongside a compelling story, “Crysis 2” also presents some of the best visuals to ever grace consoles. Photorealistic lighting and texture effects create sights of beauty across the decaying city of New York, while the draw distance evokes an unparalleled sense of scale throughout the 10+ hour campaign. Sadly however, sketchy AI and some minor bugs detract from the otherwise masterful experience.
Gameplay is also solid, with freedom being a key element to how you take on various situations. The array of abilities at your disposal employs a high level of inventiveness to how you play, while never overwhelming you; it’s a smooth experience which feels natural and refreshing amongst some uninspiring shooters on the market. Suit and weapon upgrades add yet more depth to the gameplay, and give you on-the-fly customisation like adding scopes, lasers or grenade launchers to your guns whenever you feel the desire to do so.
In all, “Crysis 2” is a much needed breath of fresh air. The intense story – while slow to start – climaxes perfectly, while the visual presentation sets a new bar for games across the console genre. Some minor problems let the experience down slightly, but not enough to deter from recommending this game to anyone who enjoys playing first person shooters.
[etRating value=“ 4.5”]
