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(These impressions are for the campaign only. I know the multiplayer is gimped from several angles; some of which carry over from the campaign, but also those that are MP-specific. This is because it was done by a separate team with a highly varying track record, which is also why I'm not discussing it. Maybe they'll patch in some adjustments, hopefully)
Overall so far about an hour in and it is awesome, but not without some faults. Shooter fans looking for something new and different within the genre should be pleasantly surprised. For everyone else it's at least worth a look/rent.
/cliffsnotes. If you want to know the details of what makes this game for the most part outstanding, read on.
(These impressions are for the campaign only. I know the multiplayer is gimped from several angles; some of which carry over from the campaign, but also those that are MP-specific. This is because it was done by a separate team with a highly varying track record, which is also why I'm not discussing it. Long story short, the foundation is strong, but some adjustments are definitely needed. Hopefully they'll be patched in)
First the pros:
*Intro/presentation beats the hell out of any game to date; the way it segues a "real world" scenario with beginning gameplay is innovative and engaging.
*Animations from your character's actions are highly effective and convincing visually thanks to ample amounts of post-processing, especially motion blur. Gun recoil is some of, if not the best I've experienced in a shooter. It varies from gun to gun and is different for both hip-fire and ADS.
*Regarding gameplay, this is not your "typical" shooter. Sorry to any CoD fans but gameplay-wise it is a joke compared to this. I thought they would've gimped it heavily from Crysis 1 but they actually seemed to have added to it. This game is about being a "super soldier" and your greatest weapon is the nanosuit you wear. It enables several enhanced abilities ranging from increased armor, strength, and stealth abilities, and also is fitted with night vision/heat sensing, ranged environmental scanning, and a function to tag whatever point of interest you see. Weapons and nanosuit abilities can be enhanced through several upgrades, which are earned by collecting different items scattered throughout the gameworld or off dead enemies.
*The environments are also very "customizable", as almost any object can be grabbed, kicked or thrown to varying distances. Certain lights can be grabbed and used as a light source in dark areas.
*Your character's actions are the most convincing and fun to watch in any shooter to-date. Your character's movements are highly immersive, especially when running, sliding and grabbing ledges mid-jump to hoist himself up to higher ground; but he will also pick up items from the environment, open doors and kick, punch, or rifle butt anything he can. He also adjusts from hip-fire to ADS with a ridiculous amount of detail. The only thing missing from gameplay are animations for grabbing a new weapon/ammo. No idea why it was left out since the original Crysis had it, and this game does everything else better.
*Firing a weapon is a joy in this game, mainly because of the varying degrees of recoil found in different guns. Just moving around with a weapon is interesting to watch due to the dynamic animations a weapon yields based on your movement, which includes a highly effective cover system which is nearly as functional.
The best part is how your aim/actions are affected by hit detection, and the accompanying dramatic effects of your character dealing with it. It's really pretty convincing.
*Might as well talk a bit about the graphics and sound, even though they should go without saying. This shooter has an incredible range of graphical detail in its environments, especially when considering how much of it is interactive. The lighting is often dynamic and the post processing is some of the best I've seen, particularly during character movement, explosions, and firing at enemies. Sound is some of the most detailed and dynamic I've heard in any game as well. I haven't even gotten to any set pieces yet but can only imagine so far what they'll be like. Couple that with the immersive aspects I mentioned above and fuck I wanna play this game in 3D.
.........now, the cons (which aren't all entirely bad, but definitely the weakest parts of an otherwise stellar game):
-AI. It can be spot-on, but it can also be brain-dead, which is often the case in sandbox-style territory. Thankfully it's mostly reserved for distant enemies. Equally bad are the occasionally clairvoyant enemies who somehow seem to know your position through certain barriers.
-Enemy Hit response/physics. Crytek's solution is convincing enough for the most part, but still seems a bit stiff compared to something like Euphoria or Havok.
-Graphics. Yeah, of course they are some of the best at times, but also some of the worst. Forgivable though considering the game's massive scope, and the fact that most of what you'll be looking at is pleasing enough to the eyes.
-It crashed on me, which was when I stopped playing for the night lol. In-game it is definitely more optimized than the original, but I expected a bit more stability considering it's pretty much a console port. Although cross platform doesn't always bode well, which is also true of the PS3 version of the game. Sorry PS3-only owners, but it comes up slightly sub-par next to the PC and Xbox 360 versions; often the case anyways, but it's nothing that you'd probably notice unless you saw the other two running side by side. Crytek is a PC-based developer though, so it's not all that surprising.
There you have it. I'll follow up when I finish the game.
Overall so far about an hour in and it is awesome, but not without some faults. Shooter fans looking for something new and different within the genre should be pleasantly surprised. For everyone else it's at least worth a look/rent.
/cliffsnotes. If you want to know the details of what makes this game for the most part outstanding, read on.
(These impressions are for the campaign only. I know the multiplayer is gimped from several angles; some of which carry over from the campaign, but also those that are MP-specific. This is because it was done by a separate team with a highly varying track record, which is also why I'm not discussing it. Long story short, the foundation is strong, but some adjustments are definitely needed. Hopefully they'll be patched in)
First the pros:
*Intro/presentation beats the hell out of any game to date; the way it segues a "real world" scenario with beginning gameplay is innovative and engaging.
*Animations from your character's actions are highly effective and convincing visually thanks to ample amounts of post-processing, especially motion blur. Gun recoil is some of, if not the best I've experienced in a shooter. It varies from gun to gun and is different for both hip-fire and ADS.
*Regarding gameplay, this is not your "typical" shooter. Sorry to any CoD fans but gameplay-wise it is a joke compared to this. I thought they would've gimped it heavily from Crysis 1 but they actually seemed to have added to it. This game is about being a "super soldier" and your greatest weapon is the nanosuit you wear. It enables several enhanced abilities ranging from increased armor, strength, and stealth abilities, and also is fitted with night vision/heat sensing, ranged environmental scanning, and a function to tag whatever point of interest you see. Weapons and nanosuit abilities can be enhanced through several upgrades, which are earned by collecting different items scattered throughout the gameworld or off dead enemies.
*The environments are also very "customizable", as almost any object can be grabbed, kicked or thrown to varying distances. Certain lights can be grabbed and used as a light source in dark areas.
*Your character's actions are the most convincing and fun to watch in any shooter to-date. Your character's movements are highly immersive, especially when running, sliding and grabbing ledges mid-jump to hoist himself up to higher ground; but he will also pick up items from the environment, open doors and kick, punch, or rifle butt anything he can. He also adjusts from hip-fire to ADS with a ridiculous amount of detail. The only thing missing from gameplay are animations for grabbing a new weapon/ammo. No idea why it was left out since the original Crysis had it, and this game does everything else better.
*Firing a weapon is a joy in this game, mainly because of the varying degrees of recoil found in different guns. Just moving around with a weapon is interesting to watch due to the dynamic animations a weapon yields based on your movement, which includes a highly effective cover system which is nearly as functional.
The best part is how your aim/actions are affected by hit detection, and the accompanying dramatic effects of your character dealing with it. It's really pretty convincing.
*Might as well talk a bit about the graphics and sound, even though they should go without saying. This shooter has an incredible range of graphical detail in its environments, especially when considering how much of it is interactive. The lighting is often dynamic and the post processing is some of the best I've seen, particularly during character movement, explosions, and firing at enemies. Sound is some of the most detailed and dynamic I've heard in any game as well. I haven't even gotten to any set pieces yet but can only imagine so far what they'll be like. Couple that with the immersive aspects I mentioned above and fuck I wanna play this game in 3D.
.........now, the cons (which aren't all entirely bad, but definitely the weakest parts of an otherwise stellar game):
-AI. It can be spot-on, but it can also be brain-dead, which is often the case in sandbox-style territory. Thankfully it's mostly reserved for distant enemies. Equally bad are the occasionally clairvoyant enemies who somehow seem to know your position through certain barriers.
-Enemy Hit response/physics. Crytek's solution is convincing enough for the most part, but still seems a bit stiff compared to something like Euphoria or Havok.
-Graphics. Yeah, of course they are some of the best at times, but also some of the worst. Forgivable though considering the game's massive scope, and the fact that most of what you'll be looking at is pleasing enough to the eyes.
-It crashed on me, which was when I stopped playing for the night lol. In-game it is definitely more optimized than the original, but I expected a bit more stability considering it's pretty much a console port. Although cross platform doesn't always bode well, which is also true of the PS3 version of the game. Sorry PS3-only owners, but it comes up slightly sub-par next to the PC and Xbox 360 versions; often the case anyways, but it's nothing that you'd probably notice unless you saw the other two running side by side. Crytek is a PC-based developer though, so it's not all that surprising.
There you have it. I'll follow up when I finish the game.
