Crysis 2
Preview
Crysis takes a leap into Big Apple
by Ryan Cope
previewed on PC
Time to make the jump
Crysis was a sci-fi first-person shooter released solely for the PC in 2007. It was launched as the first part of a trilogy set in the future where technologically advanced America is at war with North Korea and aliens. Yep, aliens. Players took control of American Delta Force operator Jake Dunn, a.k.a. Nomad, who sported a slick and high-tech NanoSuit as he took the fight to both enemies. Using a wide range of customizable weapons and abilities, players charged through an action packed tropical island environment in order to find out the truth behind these extraterrestrials.
Crysis was followed up by an expansion titled Crysis Warhead, which was the telling of the same story but from a different point of view, not the second part in the trilogy. In 2009 Crysis and Crysis Warhead were re-released with a multiplayer expansion pack called Crysis Wars. Crysis developers, Crytek – the creators of Far Cry, are now continuing the story with the upcoming release of Crysis 2. This time, the franchise won’t solely be for the PC, as Crysis 2 will be released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well.
It’s time to suit up once more
Crysis 2 takes place in 2023, three years after the original, and much has changed in the world. The aliens have infested America and overrun New York City, leading to a city-wide evacuation. The story takes place in the alien-flooded city, making the jump from the tropical jungle to a concrete one. Players will assume the role of Alcatraz, a Green Beret, who steals the NanoSuit 2, an upgraded and superior version of the suit worn by Nomad in the first game. Crynet Systems (a technology producing company in the world of Crysis and the creators of the NanoSuit and the NanoSuit 2) find out about the theft of their new hardware. In response, they set out to hunt down Alcatraz and get it back. It has been speculated that Alcatraz might be the new code name for Nomad, as he is on the run from Crynet Systems, but this may or may not be true. This is the only story information released so far, but we know that writer Richard Morgan (who wrote Crysis) will return to write the story for Crysis 2.
It’s not clear whether the player will spend most of their time as Alcatraz running away from Crynet Systems, or if things might take a turn around and will see him or her joining the United States army. So far, Alcatraz has no background, so it is uncertain if it’s a he or a she and whether they are still a part of the Green Berets when they steal the NanoSuit 2. Either way there will be plenty of fast-paced, super-powered and high-tech action to be had while wearing the snazzy NanoSuit 2. The new suit gives players the options of tackling situations in various ways, but the details of the new abilities have not been revealed as of yet. From what we can tell, the NanoSuit 2 will include at least the familiar features from the first: invisibility, super strength and speed. Using these will help the hero traverse the urban environment as well as remain hidden from enemies and strike from the shadows with stealthy kills.
In Crysis 2, players will be able use multiple ability modes simultaneously for a limited time. The suit limits the amount of time that this can be done for, giving players a short power mixing period before reverting to normal stats.
