Crysis 2 had a significant amount of hype surrounding its release, as before the demo was even playable it was being touted as the best looking game ever made on consoles. In a time where graphics wars seem more prevalent then delivering a decent story, the FPS genre seemed a perfect choice to put out a winning candidate for that claim. After all, shooters aren’t known for much more than their visuals and gameplay to begin with. Smart move on Crytek’s part not to get anyone’s hopes up concerning that latter part, we can’t be upset if we don’t have an unreasonable standard set. So now we have a formula for a game that can actually deliver on the boasts given by its developers, and be pleasantly surprising as opposed to sorelydisappointing. Does it work out that way? Weeeelll…yes!

I’ll go ahead and get this out of the way first and foremost; Crysis 2 IS the best looking game on consoles to date. This does not mean that its visuals are flawless however, as there are occasional glitches. Overall, everything from the buildings and trees to the characters models and facial expressionslook insanely realistic and the sandbox style of exploration really allows you to take in the views. Crytek was right to bill this game as they have, but luckily they deliver on other facets of gameplay as well.

Crysis 2 is what I would like to believe Fallout 3 and New Vegas would be if those games were straight up first person shooters sans the RPG elements. I’m not talking about the depth or story either, but the feeling you get while playing through campaign mode; the feeling that you are in an open world atmosphere in a chaotic warzone that is New York City. Now, there isn’t nearly enough content to actually validate this play style, but the stealth at your own pace gameplay is a rather refreshing change from the often tense and quickened pace shooters that Killzone and Gears of War provide.

There are many devices that work exceptionally well with the game, the majority of them being tied in with the nanosuit. The nanosuit is what Alcatraz, the Marine Corp solider gamers play as, is forced to don after a transport crash. The original suit wearer, Prophet, claims to be compromised by an infection at the hands of NYC’s alien invaders, the Ceph, and can no longer carry out his duties as an extra- terrestrial killing super soldier. Mortally wounded following the crash, Alcatraz is up and ready to go after the suit assimilates itself with him.

In addition to the typical threshold for pain, something else players have to remain aware of is their energy gauge. Energy is what is spent when using one of the suit’s many enhancements. The suit can harden itself for maximum protection against damage, including explosive resistance and falling from heights. The simple act of running and jumping even utilizes energy, though the suit does allow for “super” jumping which opens up many more options with the terrain. Upgrades can be unlocked by acquiring samples which can be collected upon offing a Ceph; suit improvementsinclude alerts when enemies are close, better sight against cloaked opponents, and faster movement. The most useful suit aspect and the single most important feature of the entire game however is the cloaking option.

Stealth is a huge part of the game, and the single biggest reason Crysis 2’s single player campaign plays the way it does. There are very few instances where running and gunning is a better option than sneaking around a battlefield and systematically eliminating threats under the guise of cloak and using the environment to your advantage. Between stealth kills from behind, grabbing and throwing enemies from the front, kicking cars and buses into aliens, and doing your best impression of Mel Gibson (not the Jews thing, I mean his one man assault scene from The Patriot) and moving from one place to another sniping targets where they least suspect you’ll be, there is a plethora of ways you can handle encounters. The combat is by far the most fun you’ll have with the game, you can be as calculating as desired or as reckless as possible and there will always be a bit of a safety net without stripping too much of the challenge a well-coordinated group of enemies can pose.

Encountering firefights and groups of unwary foes always has the potential to be exhilarating; now if only there were more of these instances throughout the game. It isn’t atypical to go extended periods of time just roaming and not coming across a single enemy for upwards to 5 minutes. We’re talking about active player controlled gameplay too, not cut scenes or AI controlled events. It can seem a little restless at times, but ultimately it’s not much of a hindrance. When in combat situations, it normallylasts for quite a while; objectives must be satisfied in groups and in most situations you’ll want to off every enemy you can before getting down to business.

The story is heavy when weighed on the scale of grandiose importance, but offers a sea of stepping stones as opposed to a bridge when it comes to guiding us through it. Much is going on aside from the alien invasion, including evil corporate insertion into the calamity and a viral outbreak which we see many citizens plagued by in the sewers and rubble of the city. The nanosuit is the target of military and corporation reps alike, and the alien presence only really seems to be the concern of Alcatraz and his personal support throughout the game; which consists mainly of three different. Of course there is attention paid to the violence erupting in the streets at any given time, but at no point does it seem like annihilation at the hands of the Ceph is the biggest cause for distress. I felt more like a fugitive on the run with people wanting to take me out more than the aliens a good portion of the time.

Multiplayer is a mostly smooth experience, if not a bit limited in how it is played. Cloaking and nanovision sniping rule just about every map which can turn a match either into a strategic yet violent game of chess, or a frustrating momentum killer. The maps are quite detailed and convey the same awe inspiring graphical beauty as in campaign. Shooting mechanics are solid and movement whether aiming, turning, or walking is smooth and fluid. The overall online experience from a technical standpoint is great, but the longevity does not really seem to be there. Shooters such as Killzone 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops still offer a so much more satisfying and all-encompassing experience when it comes to objective based combat.

Overall Crysis 2 has a great presentation and works well with the devices it offers. There is nothing truly outstanding aside from the graphics, and the gameplay is simply a nice break from the norm but still struggles to hold a candle to a well put together action driven FPS campaign. A single play through and somewhere between 5-10 hours of multiplayer will keep gamers entertained for the entirety of the time spent with the game, but looking back months or even weeks later will prove less appealing than other shooters released this year.

Fun Factor:A combination of stealth tactics and exciting firefights while being able to use multiple aspects of the environment to your advantage provides a lot of entertainment and “holy crap” moments. Plenty of fun to be had with dispatching alien and human alike.

Difficulty: Stimulating but not overly difficult. Checkpoints are few and far between at times, but death is easy enough to avoid between cloaking and superior movement; hence having a safety net without stripping away the challenge.

Length: Campaign can run you up to 10 hours if you’re collecting souvenirs and dog tags while exploring, multiplayer will remain fun for around the same time, but it’s easy to extend on that if you’re achievement hunting or trying to show your friends whose boss.

On the Negative Side: Too much idle time between combat and not enough to do while exploring off the main path and a broken continuity to the story attempts to supplement stellar gameplay. Multiplayer can yield some debilitating glitches on occasion.

Bang for Your Buck: Crysis 2 is a better value than most games out today. It satisfies the minimum to justify spending money on a new release game, but doesn’t really go above and beyond. Looking back months even weeks from the time of completion, it would look as appealing as other shooters that have come out this year.