Crysis 2

by Chris Davis
reviewed on PC
Plenty to Prophet From (cntd)
Crysis 2’s features take on the standard fare of multiplayer modes with their own little twist. Instant Action (Deathmatch) is well worth playing as well as Crash Site (Domination) but the two most interesting modes have to be Assault and Extraction. Assault tasks to opposing teams with the objective of either defending or downloading data stored at terminals throughout a map, a mode very reminiscent of Splinter Cell multiplayer’s Neutralization mode. Extraction is similar to Assault with defending/attacking teams but this time the attackers are trying to steal Bio-ticks that give the user enhanced Armor or Stealth Nanosuit abilities.
Wherein Crysis 2’s singleplayer level design was a mostly boxed-in approach with less exploration than anticipated, the multiplayer component’s twelve levels offer a nice variety of locations of varying sizes taken from both the main game as well as entirely new levels, giving you lots to traverse and explore. The levels also feature a large focus on verticality, something that is being increasingly featured in shooters but hasn’t yet reached a zenith level quite like Crysis 2 has. Each map also contains killstreaks specific to each one that can be activated with the collection of dogtags dropped by fallen enemy combatants. These killstreaks range in power and scope and can be a little hard to obtain but the reward far outweighs the frustration as a friendly Ceph gunship rains down molten lead upon your helpless enemies.
Overall players will find a delightful and addicting multiplayer experience that nicely blurs the line between Call of Duty and Halo. For PC and Playstation 3 players who have never experienced the latter, Crysis 2 is a great way to see what Xbox 360 players have been fussing about for nearly a decade.
Beauty within Destruction
Crysis was a benchmark three years ago for PC gaming and, without a doubt, Crysis 2 will be its successor for some time to come. Simply put, Crysis 2 is gorgeous across the board and, though the game doesn’t currently take advantage of DirectX 11, when played on Extreme settings it is probably one of the most beautiful games in recent memory. Even despite playing on the maximum settings the game is incredibly stable with almost no slowdown to be had throughout the entire experience. Textures are beautifully drawn and character animations both feel and look great. Facial animations, particularly those on main characters, are quite believable and feel like they’ve received the same amount of love Valve put into their characters in the Half-Life 2 saga.
The work Crytek put into the game’s sound design is just as impressive. Weapons each sound unique and give a sense of power to them and ambient sound effects really help sell the environments. Ceph sound effects in particular are very well done and really sell you on how alien they really are. The game’s voice acting is a little off at times but this can easily be attributed to the script and screenplay more than the actual dialog.
If you have been looking for a game to test out your new PC gaming rig then look no further. Faster, even better looking, and far more stable than its predecessor, Crytek’s showcase title for their Cryengine 3 is quite the testament.
It’s Up To You, New York, New York
2011 is looking to be a hot year for shooter fans what with a jam-packed Fall and Winter season coming up but Crysis 2 may just be what you will keep coming back to for the rest of the year. An exceptionally enjoyable singleplayer campaign is married to a well thought-out multiplayer component that is just as addicting as Call of Duty ever was. If you were ever looking to find a game whose overall package could stop even the most insatiable gaming snob you would be hard-pressed to not show them Crysis 2. Do we have a 2011 Game of the Year contender?
We just may.
9.0
fun score
Pros
Excellent singleplayer and multiplayer experiences
Cons
No DirectX 11 support, unresolved between-game story issues