Crysis 2 campaign review

I feel sorry for Alcatraz the protagonist of Crysis 2. He is a force recon Marine sent to extract a scientist, Professor Nathan Gould from a Manhattan stricken by rioting and disease. If that isn't bad enough he is also suffering from a Tequila hangover so severe that it has made him mute.

With this the game starts with an explosive intro. Alcatraz escapes from a submarine that is taking on water, only to get shot at by an alien spacecraft. After his broken body has washed up on the shore a burly man drags him away, undresses him and puts him in his suit. And I thought my hangovers were bad.

Luckily for Alcatraz the suit he has been forced into isn't of the lounge variety. It is a billion dollar weapon that means Alcatraz has similar abilities to Predator and Iron Man moulded together. You are able to cloak yourself and play it stealthy or use the armour mode to turn yourself into a walking tank. Crysis 2 is built around the suit and despite the fact that there are many set pieces and the game is still linear, its strongest point is when it gives you large areas to tackle.

With the suits tactical mode you are able to survey the area ahead. You can mark enemies that will show up on the HUD, find alternate routes or scout for equipment that will help your cause. This is important because once you are done surveying an area, it is up to you how you proceed. Whilst the suit makes Alcatraz as hard as nails he is not invincible so learning to use stealth to flank enemies and then using armor mode to assault them is a necessity. Crysis 2 also handles well and the range of weapons at your disposal is decent. Most are punchy enough to make the combat satisfying. Using cloak to sneak up an enemy, grab him and throw him off a skyscraper is also a lot of fun.

The enemies that Alcatraz faces range from CELL PMC goons who have taken over Manhattan, to the alien threat, the Ceph. They are varied and you will usually be heavily outnumbered adding to the challenge. Whilst the AI will kill you quickly if you do something stupid, they themselves are dumb and broken. It is not uncommon to see an enemy soldier sprinting on the spot next to a hedge. It is amusing but unfortunately turns out to be the main issue in an otherwise high quality game.

One area Crysis 2 is very strong is in its musical score provided by Hans Zimmer of The Dark Knight. Hearing searing violins as you infiltrate an island facility at night was one of the highpoints of Crysis 2. This section in particular shows the strength of putting choice back into FPS games. There are so many ways you can approach it. Linear COD clones be damned.

The story itself is certainly above average for a shooter and sets a good pace as it gets closer to its finale. It should take in the region of 10 hours to complete. For those 10 hours your eyes will be wanting to grow little tongues and lick the screen. Crysis 2 is Amber Heard levels of gorgeous and the sheer spectacle and scale of it all can be overwhelming. Even little things like trees blowing in the wind during a storm are sure to make you stop and stare. If that doesn't work for you seeing a skyscraper collapse definately will.

I had to look quite hard for faults with Crysis 2. The AI, I have already mentioned. I suppose the easiest thing to say is that it lacks a bit of polish. For example the game sets such a high standard for itself graphics wise that you notice areas that are merely mediocre. I also found myself getting stuck on invisible scenery a few to many times. These complaints however are minor and don't detract from the fact that Crysis 2 is a real looker and one hell of a game.

9/10