Crysis
Image credit: http://games.ea.com/crysis
When the first release of images and videos from Crysis came out years ago, critics were sceptical as to whether Crytek, the firm behind the game, could deliver on its high expectations. And when Crysis was finally released, they were satisfied.
The game revolves around a group of US scientists who have been taken hostage by North Korean troops on a remote Pacific island while doing their research. As a member of the special forces team, you and your men are despatched to rescue the scientist, equipped with futuristic apparel called nanosuits. But when your team finally arrives to do some damage, you realize that something is already tearing up the North Korean soldiers to shreds.
Hence, begins your mission into the strange unknown away from your military experience…an alien invasion.
Like its predecessor Far Cry, Crysis plays on its strengths by putting players into a world full of options, much like the real world. Unlike most games, where gamers have to follow a strict storyline and are nary allowed to deviate, Crytek gives players a whole world to explore, where players are allowed to choose whatever way suits them best to reach their objective. Another interesting feature in the game is the Nanosuit. Your character comes with a sleek uniform, the Nanosuit, which allows you to decide how you want to use its energy output. If you focus on speed, you can run faster; If you focus on strength, you can jump higher and shoot more accurately; if you decide to turn on cloaking, then you become, well, invisible. This combination gives players a whole set of strategies from which to choose from.
The gameplay is also incredibly realistic. From the way the character moves to the recoil from the guns, players are given an immersive experience real enough to avoid any complaints. The North Korean soldiers where body armour, so it takes awhile to down them, and you can also drive jeeps, humvees, and even tanks across the battlefield to up the fun factor. You can also pick up weapons from fallen enemies, so you’ll never run out of ammo. The AI is also very smart, able to think on its feet and run for cover when it needs to, so you won’t face soldiers running into walls and such.
You’ll need a fairly powerful system to run this game though, as the visually appealing graphics do take a toll on your machines performance. A dual core system with a high end video card can play the game, but you’ll need to turn down the settings a bit. Also, the game sounds amazing; every bit of the game makes you feel like you’re in a Hollywood production.
Ratings: 4 out of 5
The only complaint is that the game is too short! With eight to ten hours of gameplay, most players just can’t get enough, although there’re plenty of opportunities for replay. In the end, Crysis is an endearing game, and represents the first person shooter in its highest form to date.