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| Game Review |
I thought I'd fall in love with Crysis 2 at first sight. The new shooter packs serious graphical punch, developer Crytek's intricate, intertwining lighting systems and rich textures little hurt by the move to console hardware. Not the voice of a certain General Hargreaves, your radio handler on this particular bullet-flecked tour of ruined, alien-riddled New York. The powered Nanosuit that garbs player character “Alcatraz” is happy to provide.
“Tactical options available,” it whispers as I take in my dusty surroundings at the outset of the new, underground Hive level, a mechanical purr originating somewhere around the mid-part of my spinal cord. Hoarse yet smooth, emotionless yet pregnant with menace, the Nanosuit doesn't so much sound like death warmed up as death deep-frozen, cooled to optimum operating temperature.
“Tactical options available,” it whispers as I take in my dusty surroundings at the outset of the new, underground Hive level, a mechanical purr originating somewhere around the mid-part of my spinal cord. Hoarse yet smooth, emotionless yet pregnant with menace, the Nanosuit doesn't so much sound like death warmed up as death deep-frozen, cooled to optimum operating temperature.
Tactical ones. The Crysis version tops off a catalogue of robotic attire that runs from the towering rigs of Armoured Core through Halo 3's gaudily pigmented all-in-one to the absurd, jet-powered hyperactivity of Vanquish. The Nanosuit can make you undetectable, bending light round the player like cling-film. I have bigger fish to fry.
Like the Nanosuit, Crysis 2's bad guys are multi-layered, adaptable threats. Some are built for close-quarters combat, bowling Alcatraz over with vicious, Wolverine-esque claw swipes. We're a long, long way from Call of Duty's Pop-up book goons, people.
Like the Nanosuit, Crysis 2's bad guys are multi-layered, adaptable threats. Some are built for close-quarters combat, bowling Alcatraz over with vicious, Wolverine-esque claw swipes. We're a long, long way from Call of Duty's Pop-up book goons, people.
The two available modes include Team Instant Action, where two teams face off against each rake up as many kills as possible and Crash Site, where teams battle for control over crashed alien pods. Crysis 2 is out on March 22 on the PC, PS3 and Xbox 360.
There's fire pouring out of a nearby pipe, chunks of rocky debris littering the floor and a strong sense of foreboding. Emerging in a bigger, slightly less cramped space, I notice platforms and train tracks - I'm in a subway. Lumps of rock and the odd bit of metal are sent flying across the room, the odd spark illuminating the otherwise dank station.
Jump - no, reload - no, change weapon - no. Ah, a thermal tracker - or Nanovision as the game calls it. Perfect. Soon the cramped corridors and low hanging ceilings are replaced with the vast war-torn expanse of the outside world. The contrast in level design is striking.
The d-pad actually plays host to another three 'modes': Infiltration, Power and Armour. The game allows you to tailor the suit to your own style of play. Pressing the back button brings up your Nanosuit upgrade screen; a gloved hand with holographic options sprouting from each finger.
By spending Nanocatalysts collected from alien corpses, you can unlock new skills and abilities for each of the suit's modes. Before spending some time with the game first hand, I had no idea this side of the game was so in-depth. Anybody moaning that 3D doesn't offer anything to the gaming experience should don a Nanosuit and see the world of Crysis 2 in 3D.
Whereas most films and games pop out of the screen, the environments in Crysis 2 pop in. When you boil it down, Crysis 2 is a game about a guy in a suit shooting aliens. Purely based on the one level of the game I played, it seems there's little to worry about with the sequel. If Crysis 2 can nail plot, pacing and throw in a multiplayer mode with longevity to boot, EA could have a winner on its hands.
By. Game Review
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