I think Crysis is the best action game to come out in years. I just completed it, and boy, the last few hours are just non stop exhilaration. The action in the final segment is awe inspiring and of the highest order. I am left drained, yet in partial withdrawal because I am left gasping for more. But don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the length. At the third highest difficulty, I took 12-14 hours to finish this campaign, which is unheard of in today’s shooters.
I find it ridiculous that the same people, who claim to have gotten 12-15 hours out of the game, are complaining about feeling shortchanged in length. I guess there is just no satisfying the masses.
I am just thinking back to how Call of Duty 4 gave me five hours, F.E.A.R gave me seven and Half-Life 2 gave me nine. Compared to those, the playtime in Crysis is refreshingly high. Yet while other games can start to drag, the setting in Crysis changes so much that the time is sucked away like an addictive drug.
The game is divided into three segments. The first is very sandboxy in nature, and just involves you getting accustomed to life in the jungle. Because of a distress signal sent by an undercover scientist, you find yourself landing with your team on an Island illegally occupied by the North Koreans. The help message indicates that there something far more sinister on the Island, and you discover this first hand almost immediately.
The initial missions involve intelligence gathering on the North Korean activity. It is only during this period, that the game reminds you of Far Cry. However the similarities end with the setting, as the actual gameplay is very different.
While the initial phase is about information gathering, it doesn’t mean you are restricted to a certain style of gameplay. You can tackle the North Koreans as you please.
The nanosuit is what gives you an advantage over your Korean enemies. As you run around the Island accomplishing missions, you find that no encounter plays out the same way twice. This is the hallmark of a great game. Deus Ex achieved it, by blending genres, and providing multiple paths to each mission. F.E.A.R. too achieved it, by having amazingly realistic A.I., and thus having no firefight play out the same way twice.
In Crysis it is the nanosuit that is the source of unpredictability. The phrase “emergent gameplay” is thrown around a lot, but it stands very true for Crysis.
Consider a typical Crysis scene, where you come across a Korean camp protected by sentry towers, turrets and sandbags, and powered by machine gun installed Hummers. You could go in cloaked, sticking C4 to all vulnerable objects, and then watch the fireworks from a safe distance, as you trigger each C4 at the same time. Or you could move in and out of invisibility as you choke slam Korean ala The Undertaker. If it is a check point with a small concentrated gathering, you could use the invisibility to plant a well placed grenade in the middle. Or you could use their own Hummers to crush them, or put their own turrets against them. You could use your super strength to topple their towers and bases, or toss upon them massive objects etc. The possibilities are endless, and with so much inadvertent environmental destruction, you are often rewarded with plenty of sinfully delightful emergent gameplay.
On paper, it might appear that the nanosuit is overpowering. That isn’t the case as the developers were clever enough to restrict you into using one special ability at a time. Also while motionless, cloaking drains less energy, movement drains it much faster. When sneaking about in enemy territory, you often have to time yourself to be suitably hidden when your energy levels are low. Firing a weapon removes the cloaking ability instantly as well. Something like sprinting is also kept at short bursts to keep everything balanced.
The enemy A.I., is where the game is inconsistent, as it can range from very good to disappointing. Where it is outstanding is in the enemy reaction to your stealth. If the enemy is firing at you, and you turn invisible, they will continue to fire in the direction, using the spray and pray method. If you are unlucky, you will get hit and most likely killed. If not, you can regroup to increase your cloak’s energy level.
The Koreans patrol realistically according to their level of alertness. For example if they are unaware of your presence, they will be highly casual. Once they know you are around, they will search for you more actively. If they see you point blank, regardless of your visibility, they will fire. If you want to hide, but don’t feel like cloaking, or just want a moment to raise your suit’s energy levels, you can hide behind vehicles and buildings, or in plain sight by going prone in the thick grass. The A.I. in these situations is rewardingly realistic. Once it is alert to the presence of an intruder, the safety of hiding in certain environment decreases rapidly.
Unfortunately they do at times behave unrealistically when the fight is on. Sometimes they just won’t react fast enough, even if you are firing at them in plain sight.
Eventually the sandbox portion of the first phase passes, and things develop into a small war. The war with the Koreans is outstanding fun, with you being sent on special missions to accomplish tasks that would be too difficult for normal soldiers.
All this culminates into the discovery of what is wrong with the Island, and you find yourself in the heart of an Alien transport ship. This little phase, where you explore the vessel in the state of zero gravity is quite fascinating.
While using aliens in a game might be a cliché, the actual design of these creatures is fairly unque. Their habitat is also a refreshing take on a recycled enemy.
Eventually you escape, and enter the final phase. Again it is all out war, but this time the enemy is far more lethal. I found the last phase in particular to be quite amazing, and probably the best of the game’s three segments.
Overall I’d say the game deserves the scores it got from Gamespot, PC Gamer and IGN. I’d personally score it somewhere near the mid nineties. I actually enjoyed Crysis more than F.E.A.R. or Half-Life 2.
The game’s style is also a bit of a throwback. With games like Call of Duty 4, Rainbow Six Vegas, Gears of War all employing somewhat of a similar approach, Crysis goes to show that the hardcore lone man shooter style isn’t dead.
I was running the game at a resolution of 1440x900, with all settings on high. I got between 28-35 frames per second, which I found fairly acceptable. Even at high, the game looked incredible, as you can see.
On very high (which can be unlocked with a workaround), the graphics on XP look near photorealistic. However on Vista, I have to say they looked even better. Unfortunately the frame rate on Vista is just not good enough, and on the same settings in XP I was getting an average of five more frame. In a game like this, you strive for every frame.
If you’ve got an 8800 series card, this game is definitely a must have. It is a truly awesome shooter, which just snowballs as it goes.
I can hardly wait!
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