Crysis 2
Crysis 2 review is here! A sequel to crysis, developed by crytek in 2011. I had to say i enjoyed this game over the first one. Gameplay was breathtaking as always, given the new nano-catalyst upgrade system and others. Story was just okay and serioulsy i dont see how this is a sequel other than the brought over of prophet. Outbreak of alien virus was due to a biochemical leak and such, nothing clear was brought over to the audience despite them using a television broadcast for the introduction. Graphics was still realistic, i had to say crytek really impresses me with their in-game graphics.
My rating: 8.2/10
Gamespot rating: 8.5/10
Goods: New gameplay add-ons (Nano-catalyst upgrade system/stealth kill/power kick/weapons detaching/objective meter/collectables), impressive environment, more interesting and effective weapons
Bads: Draggy storyline (repetitive missions, story twists), no more smooth maneuvering of skills on the mouse, dumb-ass-fuck main character
My rating: 8.2/10
Gamespot rating: 8.5/10
Goods: New gameplay add-ons (Nano-catalyst upgrade system/stealth kill/power kick/weapons detaching/objective meter/collectables), impressive environment, more interesting and effective weapons
Bads: Draggy storyline (repetitive missions, story twists), no more smooth maneuvering of skills on the mouse, dumb-ass-fuck main character
The goods. New gameplay add-ons, the postive ones. The main add-on in this game is the nano-catalyst upgrade system. By killing aliens depending on how strong they are, you are able to obtain nano-catalysts from their dead bodies and use it to upgrade your suit skills which gives us players a purpose to even kill the aliens! The stronger the aliens, the more nano-catalysts you will get. Suit skills include prolonged stealth mode/air stomp/enemy sensor etc. which can prove to be real useful in tight situations.
Other add-ons like the stealth kill and power kick are fun and useful. Stealth kill worked not only on humans but also on aliens, for the swift kill! Power kick work on large objects, for the decolt and can serves as a sheild. Machine guns from vehicles can also be detached for greater mobility around the battlefield. Directions of the objective is now guided by the blue objective meter, similar to black ops. No longer like the 1st crysis where you have to open your map continuously to check the objective location. Collectables like dog tags and car keys are also available.
Impressive environment. Crysis 2 battlefield is set in New York City, no longer your seaside korean military jungle. Big structures, skylines and buildings etc. are brillantly drawn and put in place. The 'end of the world' atmosphere sets in just right, making gaming experience so much more exciting!
More interesting and effective weapons. In the 1st crysis, the most memorable weapon would probably only be the gauss rifle. In crysis 2, there are way more in-house weapons for example the AY-69 (Machine Pistol), L-TAG (Grenade Launcher), K-VOLT (Electric Pellet SMG), Majestic (High-powered Revolver) and X-43 Mike (Microwave Induced Klystron Emitter) along with their individual attachments. Not to forget crysis 2 new Gauss Rifle!
The bads. Draggy storyline. Firstly, repetitive missions like securing bases sucks balls! You wont know how long these missions will last and there are just too many aliens!! Secondly, story twists fail to impress and presented more missions for the player to suffer through.
No more smooth maneuvering of skills on the mouse, it would be better off using the keyboard to do so. The choice of controlling strength and speed is no longer viable so all that left is just armor and cloak which requires just 2 keys. Personally i still prefer to have control over all my abilities even though in crysis 2, strength mode is so desired that it would be better off inducing it into the nanosuit-uncontrollable. Maximum speed, no longer effective, no more superhuman flash.
Dumb-ass-fuck main character. Alcatraz, being the main protagonist has no control in anything he does. Not having said a single word throughout the whole game, basically just following orders and even goes to his own death if told to do so. Even Noman in the 1st crysis is able to express his emotions by cursing and swearing, Alcatraz never say shit when he got betrayed like 3 times in the game. I feel less connected to the story, treated more like a tool rather than the 'main protagonist'. Take the ending for example, no one gives a fuck about Alcatraz even though he save the world!! Enough said.
Crysis 2 stands alone better as an individual game, not as a sequel. Gameplay wise, crysis 2 improves much ahead of crysis 1 making it way enjoyable for the audience. Story wise, both versions just doesnt connect well and crysis 2 ending wasnt really satisfying, at least for me.
Have a nice day!