Review: Crysis

Most times, it’s hard reviewing two games at once because you tend to forget what you’re doing and try game function A in game B. For once, this actually worked in my favour – you have Deux Ex: Human Revolution to thank, Crysis.

Thanks to developer Crytek and the new CryEngine 3, the reigning PC benchmark champion (since its first release in November 2007) finally makes its debut on consoles. You play as Nomad, a nanosuit-clad American military hotshot, as he infiltrates an island in the East Philippines. Why, to take on North Korean baddies, of course. Oh, and aliens. Didn’t see THAT one coming, did ya?

Honestly? Thanks to Crysis 2 and that brand-spanking new engine, this title has never looked better. The engine creates lighting effects that I feel are superior to the PC release, and thanks to Crysis 2, the game’s controls are a bit easier to use when compared to the PC behemoth. You can tackle the game any way you’d like – you’ve got the ability to carry four weapons, so you’re never short on ammo, and your nanosuit can make you temporarily shielded, or camoflagued. Fight, or flight?

Thanks to Deus Ex, I (eventually) chose flight for a majority of my playthough on Hard mode. After dying constantly, my new take on the game made it easier (ie: I didn’t want to throw my controller at a way), and supremely enjoyable. Pro tip? Don’t fire from camo-mode…instead, switch to your tactical mode (you shoot tranquilizer darts) and get used to hitting RB-RT-RB when you want to take someone out. That handy procedure drops your camo, fires a bullet, and puts you back into camo. It took me half the game to figure that out and I did SO much better rather than firing from camo and losing the stealth effect only to get picked off by multiple enemies. Oops.

Story-wise, Crysis is way out there, but I enjoyed its splash of sci-fi. Having only played the first Crysis for a tiny bit (my PC wasn’t good enough – happy now? I admitted it!), and having never played Crysis 2, I was pleasantly surprised. EA’s made a great decision to bring this over to consoles…and who knows? I have a feeling we may see some PC gamers make a migration over to Xbox or PlayStation as a result.

It’s a solid title, with vast landscapes (admittedly, sometimes TOO vast. We get it.) and plenty of fun to be had. If you’re finding it too easy running and gunning, try some stealth. Or vice versa. If you’re a fan, it’s worth checking out to compare to the crown jewel of the PC gaming market. If you’re into first-person shooters with a bit of personality, this won’t disappoint either.