Written By: Jamaal
Ryan
Crysis 2 may have
came out too early in 2011 to receive the full attention it deserved. It was a
shooter riddled with a platter of choices having each treat bend to your
play-style; one with a cosmetic as well as an interactive scope proving to be
an altogether impressive feat. Crysis 2 ultimately brought the sandbox and
corridor design into one unique package. Now, even if we were to take out
awaited franchise releases (GTA V, Battlefield 4, what have you), and the more
painfully awaited jump start of a new generation, Crysis 3 still won't be
remembered by a significant measure by the end of 2013. Even with the
franchise's unquestionable DNA, it’s a great game that falls just short of its
predecessor’s achievement.
An outsider to his own beautiful planet.
Prophet is one of the first few Black leads in a major
franchise, and Crytek's writers portray his presence tastefully. Crysis never
draws attention to his ethnicity; instead they position him as a character with
a dramatic motivation. This appropriate focus serves the alien threat of the
Ceph trying to punch a clean hole through the Earth. It may have been easier to
pull in a Black lead without sacrificing relatability as Crysis has preserved
its space-marine quality with players either looking through the eyes of
Prophet, or looking at the visor's cold red sheen cutting across the organic
helmet of the Nanosuit.
Crysis 3 is a
technical showcase of Cry Engine 3 if nothing else; one that makes an admirable
attempt to stitch its components together in a cohesive story. But the
narrative never really quite grips you. An impending threat of extraterrestrial
forces, a neatly hidden yet predictable plot twist with no real purpose, and a
foreign biological inner transformation are all loosely connected by the always
unnecessary military and scientific blabbering. The only compelling piece here
is the Australian accented Psycho, a once Nano donner stripped of
his armor who is now forced to tough out his human vulnerability in the face of
the Ceph plight.
--Hello there mate--
But it’s the sense of one-of-a-kind isolation
that is effectively present. Psycho and other surviving humans inflict constant
reminders of Prophet's abominable fusion with the Nanosuit. Your bizarre nature
is even exemplified by Crysis 3’s following of the old Half Life directory of
"You go on ahead while I do this", as you are the only one capable of
doing said tasks. This alienation is personified by the piano centered
soundtrack which strikes a chilling lone wolf sensibility.
But where Crysis consistently loses in its
story, it always makes up for in its graphics; pretty, pretty graphics. Crysis
3's technical prowess isn't much better than Crysis 2. But that's like saying
my girlfriend isn't much sexier than Beyonce' (don't judge my taste in women; I
like 'em simple). What Crytek does push their engine to do is vitalize a
different environment from the dilapidated yet familiar city. Manhattan is an
unrecognizable erupted jungle, with heavy trees and striking towering fields of
grass, torn down buildings giving way for the sun to showcase its full
light-show, and rattling particle effects that'll send a chill down your spine.
Its impeccable fidelity works wonders right down to skin spots and texture
rendering on facial artistry. Once again, Cry Engine dictates what can be
achieved on any platform, console or PC.
--Graphics Boner.--
Do you choose your
own path?
Crysis 3 tries to be a lot of things, but we get the most
out of its obsession of the Predator Bow that adds a new layer to the game’s
multi-dimensional system. However, it ends up being a consistent and
un-evolving layer. The bow’s shtick is its immense power from a single draw at
no expense of the suit's energy. Engaging cloaked while watching humans and
Ceth crumble from the impact of an arrow never loses satisfaction. However the
use of the bow never develops as all of its characteristics -- the different
draw weight options and arrow types -- are all available from the beginning.
The situational use of its different capabilities aren’t
introduced either. Higher powered shots pierce tougher exteriors but are slow
to draw, Thermite tipped arrows are effective against heavily armored foes
whereas Electro bolts conduct a lethal charge in water, both have limited
capacities and are non-recoverable. Sure, this is ballistic tactics 101, but to
gain proper knowledge, you’ll have to do your own in-game research.
The Predator Bow gives Crysis 3 an excuse in trying very
hard to be a stealth game next to its alternate loud bullet works. But the
systems never fully realize its imagination above allowing you to expand beyond
positioning and re-positioning yourself with the bow string drawn.
--Now you see me--
--Now you don't--
This is also partly at fault by the fact that the game
doesn't quite allow you to assassinate at your own pace, as impaled arrows will
disappear over time. This is a single simple omission, yet it inflicts a
heavier impact on the incentive to engage quietly. It forces you to embed
Prophet into the thick of the patrolling Cell operatives and Ceph gunmen in
order to recover discharged arrows quicker instead of holding a comfortable
distance, picking off enemies one after the other.
There’s a drawback that exists in remaining silent and
hidden as well. Though we know that topographical information has been in the
crux of Crysis's gameplay -- allowing you to analyze the battlefield by marking
the locations of enemies and equipment – you may still find yourself stumbling
upon patrolling squads with little warning. Enemies spawn spontaneously, even
within the same location you’re nestled in and likely the same area you may
have scanned with your visor. This wouldn’t matter so much if I can hear them
coming. Games that facilitate a stealth approach use sound as a critical means
humanized echolocation. But the presence of enemy forces isn’t always
communicated to you, making you approach with unnecessary caution; perhaps
having an always active Tactical Visor.
--Oops, didn't see you there.—
The franchise has an infamous history in making unintentional
funnies with its demonstrably broken AI, however Crysis 3 has shown a
significant improvement this time around. Human soldiers aren't quite as
mentally handicapped as they were in Crysis 2, but they're still impaired.
Without reason, they might instantly discover your exact position if you follow
too close behind them (even crouched), and every now and again, you may find
them running laps for no reason. In other aspects, they’re so stupid they’re
smart, as they’ll attack your last known position if you relocate after going
dark. Four titles in, and this game of cat and mouse never gets old.
The same can be said for the Ceph, though the incentive to
kill them off one by one is now no different from humans. In Crysis 2, the
alien species were valuable targets because of their possession of
Nanocatalysts. Now the accumulation of them – now called Nano Modules -- has
been shifted to be strictly obtained as environmental collectables, which as
expected, is a lot less fun. The system is also less intuitive with a
slots-formatted catalog that allows you to have four active abilities on at
once, and requires completed challenges to earn a full upgrade, both in which
are never communicated properly to the player.
But ultimately, Crysis 3 seems to exist in two extremes:
stealth led by the Predator Bow and conventional FPS assault. As said before,
it obsesses itself with stealth, building the environment around you with the
figurative "Use the bow" writing on the wall. Much of the level
design skews heavily on eliminating your enemies silently, erecting crumbled
buildings and shoulder tall structures that Prophet can stay safely hidden
behind while he recharges his stealth energy. Going loud is effective, but
there aren't many cases where you can position yourself to shoot at a decent
range.
Assault stands firmly on the opposite end of the spectrum in
a very rudimentary way. These levels invite a more direct approach by
flattening the layout and opening it up, leaving much less room for cover, and
more open space for direct confrontations. The verticality and dynamism of
Crysis 2 is missing, which found a precise balance between covert and offensive
tactics. The juggle lies in the separate characterized quantity (that'd being:
here are a bunch of stealth levels with an occasional assault arena) in which
individual stages are delivered, not necessarily the quality of the level
design.
There are added layers of brilliance here. Hacking
respectively allows you to convert traps and turrets in your favor and can even
temporarily stun certain enemies. In addition, energy containers supercharge
the suit with a temporary unlimited supply. This coupled with some of the
one-time-use of the devastating Ceph arsenal allow for brief moments of pure
rampage, clobbering humans and sometimes turning the alien resistance into a
purple splattered mess. Crysis 3's final moments are the antithesis of the
entire experience and culmination of its best moments, granting you with
amplified options in a magnified Halo'esk environment. It is extremely
empowering, allowing you to wield a full demonstration of the suit's abilities.
--All your weapon belong to us—
Nano-games
Surprisingly enough, Nanosuit on Nanosuit action better
accomplishes what Crysis 3 set out to do: properly offer desolate playgrounds
that facilitate assault and assassinating maneuvers. Maps take center stage
here, fitting the play styles better than what was seen in Crysis 2 thanks to
their sheer size. Multiplayer this time around has normalized some of its
predecessor’s larger levels, and 3 does a better job accommodating the suit’s
speed and agility. You’ll see teammates and opponents sprinting, leaping and
ledge grabbing with freakish athleticism, and attacking along the axis of
verticality and wide open space similar to what is seen in Halo 4’s War Games.
Opportunities lie in the details as well, with plenty of hiding spots and tight
corners to sneak around. It all supports a proper balance of flanking while
cloaked and blasting enemies with maximum armor. Crysis 3 has built some of the
best multiplayer maps seen in console shooters.
The game’s gaudy proxy of Call of Duty’s formula
(particularly the Modern Warfare titles) still exists. Grinding the use of Nano
Modules and weapons for unlockable options requires a lengthy time investment.
Kill rewards are still cleverly implemented as well. Those not fond of C.O.D.’s
barrage of Score/Killstreaks may be attracted to the cumulative reward’s more
delicate presence in Crysis. The requirement of collecting dog tags of fallen
foes to earn bonuses and the pre-selected load-out to each map ensures the
unlikeness of abusing mid game rewards. In addition, Ceph weapons and heavy
projectiles lay available, some maps feature a circling gunship free for anyone
to take advantage of, and others will randomly drop a mech for a tide-turning
advantage. There are enough little additions to make the moment to moment
action more than play worthy.
--Let’s go hunt us some C.E.L.L.L.L.L.L.L.—
Every shooter must have their own signature match type;
they’re even better if they highlight the idiosyncrasies of the game’s theme.
That mode here is Hunter. It takes the infected game type of other shooters and
makes it its own. Two take the role of the Nanosuit predators, equipped with
Predator Bows and enabled with permanent cloak. Their job is simple, hunt down
and convert the 10 other Cell human players to their side through kills. This is
the best showcasing of the featured bow, as it’s even more rewarding killing an
opponent who’s human rather than predictable AI. As the Cell, these matches are
terrifying, watching your dwindling numbers with hardly any sight of the
hunting players. More work is required here, as anything less than teamwork
will end in complete conversion. Hunter is a very entertaining addition to
Crysis 3 like Kill Confirmed was to Modern Warfare 3.
Verdict
Crysis 3 is a weaker game than its predecessor if not a
strong shooter thanks to its more either-or rather than an as-you-please
design. It misses the mark with its overly aggressive pimpage of the Predator
Bow. Crysis 3 inadvertently makes avuncular "It would be better if you do
it this" gestures instead of being that fully autonomous facilitating
parent, allowing you to gallivant freely as you please. This is a shame,
because we’ve seen Crytek do much better. Thankfully, the multiplayer is
significantly better this time around, polishing and expanding what Crysis 2 began.
If the campaign were just as good as the last installment, Crysis 3 would be
one of the best shooters this generation.
+ Visuals will make
your eyes bleed
+ Predator Bow always
elicits satisfying kills
+ Much improved and
worthy multiplayer
- Noticeably less
freedom in Campaign level design
- Lackluster
introduction of the Predator Bow
SCORE: B-
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