Crysis 2 Review (PC)

• Release Date: 2011, March 22
• Genre: FPS, SCIFI, Shooter
• Rating: PEGI: 16+
• Studio: Crytek, EA

Crysis 2 is set in New York City in 2023 (three years after the events of the first game), which has since been evacuated due to alien infestation. Similar to its predecessor, Crysis 2 provides freedom to customize weaponry and abilities. Crytek wanted to avoid making another game set in a jungle environment, as were Far Cry and Crysis;

New York City has been dubbed an “urban jungle”. The urban atmosphere offers more options in how to progress and plan attacks. Players are able to navigate between floors and buildings, as well as a destroyed cityscape.

Players control “Alcatraz”, a Force Recon Marine; the successor to “Nomad” – the main protagonist from the first game. As “Alcatraz”, players gain ownership of the Nanosuit 2 from Prophet, who returns from the original Crysis. Crynet Systems has been hunting Prophet to retrieve the suit, inadvertently pursuing Alcatraz, believing he is Prophet. The Nanosuit 2 gives players more freedom in their options in tackling situations on the battlefield.

Devastated New York City in Crysis 2

The aliens seen in the original game have undergone a major redesigning, transforming their ancient, tentacled exosuits into high-tech armored cyborg war machines that stalk the ravaged New York City. Crytek has stated their intention to surpass the original game graphically and gameplay-wise, and have contradictorally claimed that combat in the game will be “catastrophically beautiful”.^[7] Crytek has also claimed that Crysis 2 will have lower system requirements than the original game, but will still exceed the original graphically^[8] and will also support true stereoscopic 3D.

IGN are really liking Crysis 2 giving it a near perfect score

Crysis 2 sidesteps the excessive simplification of recent shooters with Nanosuited grace. It mixes destruction with beauty, and manages to deliver a more focused experience than its predecessor while retaining the building blocks of what made the original Crysis unique. Crysis 2 is the kind of game that speaks in superlatives — and even when it stumbles, it’s quick to recover, always pushing forward to another amazing moment.

Crysis 2 Video review (IGN) below

In New York City, a United States Marine Corps Force Recon unit is deployed into the city by submarine to extract Doctor Nathan Gould, who may have vital information on combating the alien race. However, insertion goes awry, with the Cephaloids destroying the sub, and Force Recon Marine “Alcatraz” being left as the sole survivor.

AI

Crysis 2′s enemy AI is smart, yet believable. Sure, you can set enemies up for ambushes, but carelessness often provokes massive coordinated responses that require quick thinking to deal with. Combat usually spirals out from the initial encounter randomly, and most fights unfold differently each time you play them

In conclusion..

Crysis 2 is a beautiful, engrossing experience that avoids the anemic, scripted playbook made law by the 500 pound shooter gorilla. It plays well, encourages creative problem-solving, and confidently delivers a series of escalating and changing encounters and scenarios that will push you to think in a way few shooters have in an era of increasingly funneled experiences.