Let me begin with just how happy I am with Crysis 2 that came out on March 22. The game is everything I had hoped it would be and more. I can remember when I first saw what I consider to this day to be the best video game trailer I have ever seen, in which an eerie cover of “New York, New York plays while you watch group of marines be slaughtered in a decimated New York. Since that fateful day I waited and watched everything I could on the game. Having played the first one (which still to this day is a must own for all shooter fans who have the PC that can actually handle it) I definitely felt that this as a sequel delivered exactly what a sequel should.
Crysis 2 is set in the near future (the year 2023 to be exact), and opens up with an extremely chilling news-reel-esque opening where you watch as New York City slowly deteriorates into chaos. Several weeks pass, and you (playing as a marine named Alcatraz) and your squad sneak into New York in a submarine. Your mission is to extract an extremely valuable scientist named Gould who has information pertaining to the “outbreak” that has caused the city to plunge into anarchy. However upon your arrival in the bay your sub is attacked and destroyed by an unknown and unidentified alien invader, killing your squad and mortally wounding you in the process. You are saved however by a mysterious spectre. The Special Operations Soldier codename “Prophet” who has donned a high tech Nano Suit, which makes him almost impervious to damage and gives him super speed and strength. Prophet saves you and transfers you into the suit to save your life.
Now I don’t want to give anything else away, so I’ll water down the plot, just a tad. From that point on you are tasked with several missions that not only uncover what has happened in New York, but help to illustrate an extremely unnerving albiet hard to swallow future. It was unnerving to walk through New York City and see such destruction to such memorable and noticable landmarks, such as the FDR, and One Police Plaza. At some points the downed buildings left a haunting image of 9/11 which was deeply disturbing. Yet I could not help but be amazed at what I was seeing.
The story of the game was definitively one of the best this year if not the best. I was totally invested in Alcatraz’s “adventures” and couldn’t wait to see what came next. I absolutely loved the Sci-Fi aspects of it and I put it on the same level story wise as any of the top sci-fi movies of the decade. The work of Richard Morgan (the games lead writer) was excellent and enjoyable.
The game itself is stunning visually. Crytek (the developers of the game) were extremely accurate in saying that the game they developed would be “catastrophically beautiful”. It runs in 1080p and is made possible by the incredible CryEngine 3 which makes for the most stunning graphical experience I have ever witnessed. There was some screen tearing at some points but this did not detract from the overall visual experience. It truly is the best looking game of the generation.
The soundtrack is also highly commendable. The original score is composed by Borslav Slavov and Tilma Sillescu with the help of famous composer Hans Zimmer. This was my favorite soundtrack to come this year as I loved the main score and just how depressing it was. I’m personally a fan of classical dark music. It can be compared to the score from Platoon the character Sgt. Elias is left behind and killed.
Multiplayer is also a strong component for Crysis 2. I honestly didn’t walk in expecting much, as I bought Crysis 2 for the single player experience and the story, but I was most definitely surprised by how strong a showing that the multiplayer brought. It carries all the standard team deathmatch and king of the hill modes, while bringing about a new spark and personality to multiplayer gaming. It’s refreshing to actually have to employ some type of strategy in a multiplayer game where the “spray and pray” tactic has become king in the gaming landscape. Having to juggle all the abilities that the nanosuit gives you during the multiplayer game definitely gives the game a fresh and fun feel.
Overall Crysis 2 is amazing. I can’t express in words just how pleased I am with how this game came out. It’s really quite a relief that I can again have faith that a game can and will actually live up to the hype its marketing team dishes out. If you enjoy First Person Shooters, a good sci-fi story,and just an overall great game, definately pick up Crysis 2 and give it a try. I give Crysis 2 a 5/5 on Ziggy’s Scale of Excellence.
