Tektodo

Three years ago, developer Crytek released one of the best-looking PC games to date, Far Cry. Not only was it visually stunning, but it was also an excellent shooter, offering players open-ended gameplay and allowing them to choose how they wanted to approach a particular scenario. Jump ahead to the present, developer Crytek releases its next graphical powerhouse, Crysis, which is perhaps the best-looking game on any system to date, period. However, although a joy to look at, Crysis has a few blemishes hidden underneath.

One of the first problems I had with Crysis was simply getting it to run. Crysis is definitely a system hog, and if you want to run it in DirectX 10, you will need some serious computer horsepower. Luckily, Crysis also plays in DirectX 9, and while it may not be as appealing as DirectX 10, it still looks absolutely amazing, rivaling any other next-gen game on the market.

Crysis’s story, although somewhat generic, is well executed. The game features good voice acting, immersive cut-scenes and decent storytelling. You will definitely find yourself more involved with Crysis’s story than Far Cry’s.

For those who have played Far Cry, Crysis will look very familiar. A good 50% of the game will have you exploring a beautiful, tropical paradise. However, in later portions, the game throws much more variety at you, whether it’s a frigid wasteland, the inside of an alien ship (which has no gravity) or a nuclear sub.

With such impressive-looking locales, it’s easy to ignore the gameplay, which, as with Far Cry before it, is very satisfying. One of the big draws of Crysis is the nano suit, a high-tech piece of equipment that provides you with four very different, yet equally satisfying modes. Armor allows you to absorb damage from incoming fire; speed allows you to escape from an intense firefight or quickly traverse the vast environments; strength will let you knock down buildings with your bare hands, jump to otherwise inaccessible places, and steady your aim. Perhaps the most useful mode and the one that I found myself using the most is stealth, which grants you a brief period of invisibility. This opens up a wide variety of gameplay options. Should you sneak past a soldier or quietly snipe him? Should you grab him from behind and use him as a human shield? Or should you turn on your armor and run in, guns blazing? The choice is yours.

You aren’t limited to just your nano suit either. You also have a wide variety of vehicles to command, from humvees and trucks, to tanks and air ships. These vehicles are very satisfying and help to break up your stints of jungle tromping.

While the gameplay in Crysis is extremely satisfying, thanks in no small part to the incredible freedom offered by the nano suit, there are some moments when the game begins to drag. Notably, the latter half of the game is plagued with repetitive gameplay, which although still enjoyable, becomes more of a chore than anything else. Escorting someone and defending a base is all fine and good, but after doing it over and over again, it starts to lose its appeal.

Another point of mention is the enemy AI. In most cases, the AI is very good. If you are invisible and shoot a member of an enemy group, his teammates will cautiously begin searching the area, sometimes firing in your general direction if they caught sight of you before you went invisible. However, at other times, the AI is downright disappointing. There were several instances where I would shoot an enemy in the chest, just to have him casually walk away. It was also not uncommon to see enemies take cover in front of objects rather than behind.

Although Crysis has a few shortcomings, they are by no means enough to detract from the overall experience. From its open-ended gameplay to its graphical prowess and incredible attention to detail, Crysis is indeed an excellent game. If you’re a fan of shooters and your computer can handle it, Crysis belongs in your collection.

Filed under: PC Games, Reviews, Video Games Tagged: | Crysis, Crytek, DirectX 10, DirectX 9, Far Cry, PC