Review: Metro Last Light

Post-apocalyptic fiction is very commonplace today, available on every bookshelf, DVD collection and every video game console imaginable.  Post-nuclear exchange stories are easily the most visible of the entire genre, especially so since our species discovered a way to extinguish us within the span of just half an hour.  For the majority of these titles, however, the exposure most people experience comes from a Western point of view with creations like The Day After, Jericho, Alas Babylon and more giving us a capitalist nation perspective after the world has ended.  Thankfully, we have more Eastern fiction breaking into the marketplace today than ever before with experiences like Dmitry Glukhovsky’s Metro series bringing us a Russian perspective.

Two years ago a team of Ukranian developers formed by former employees of GSC Games World (STALKER series) released Metro 2033, based on the novel Glukhovsky published in Russia in 2005.  Glukhovsky went on to publish a sequel, Metro 2034, four years later but the plot and direction didn’t fit the pacing and nature required for a video game.  With 2033’s success as a sleeper hit, 4A Games and Glukhovsky teamed back up for Metro Last Light but, in an age in which single player games are far from the norm, does this next entry in the saga of life in Moscow after the bomb have the stuff to prove to publishers that a single player shooter doesn’t need multiplayer to be great?

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Turmoil Below the Surface
Twenty years after a nuclear holocaust engulfed the planet, the last known survivors in Moscow, isolated from the rest of the world, hide in the tunnels of the former city’s metro.  In the two decades since, after the survivors realized that the government wasn’t going to return for them, a power struggle between a fascist division, a neo-Soviet communist movement and the various independent metro stations has whittled down the remaining members of humanity from two hundred thousand to barely a quarter of that.  To keep the war for power from expanding to the entire metro and to combat the growing threat of mutants born of the lethal surface radioactivity, the Sparta Rangers act as an independent faction, doing their best to instill peace and try to save our species.

In Metro 2033, players took on the role of Artyom, a child at the time of the nuclear fire who came of age in the cold concrete confines of the metro system.  Artyom journeyed throughout the metro to deliver a message to the leader of the Rangers and stop the Dark Ones, a new mutant threat that looked powerful enough to wipe us off the face of the Earth.  With his help, the Rangers discovered a legendary command and control bunker from the pre-war era known as D6 and were able to destroy the Dark Ones in a massive missile strike.  Only as the missiles began their flight did Artyom learn the truth however: the Dark Ones had been trying to reach out to humanity in hope of peace and he could do nothing as he watch the bombardment destroy their hive.

One year later, the events of that cold day on the irradiated surface still haunt him.  Artyom’s connection to the Dark Ones and his role as a Ranger conflict him within and it is only when Khan, a friend who helped guide him through parts of the metro a year prior, approaches him with the news that he saw a surviving child of the Dark Ones does he begin to feel that this last one just might be his chance to redeem himself for the sins he committed the previous year.  His journey will be just as hard as his first though: war is brewing in the metro as the legend of D6 has all but been confirmed by the other factions and it is clear that the one to take the bunker will control the entire metro system.

Artyom’s second video game story is, in many ways, an extension of what 4A Games attempted to do in 2010.  You will find yourself exploring new sections of the metro while trying to mitigate the threat that the Reich and Red factions pose on the safety and security of the remaining stations.  You will venture onto the surface and explore the ruins of Moscow.  You’ll interact with old comrades and new enemies alike.  What you won’t do is really explore a lot of new narrative ground.

In the twelve or so hours that you will put into your first run through Metro Last Light you will take note that, while some of the new elements really offer some interesting propositions as to character interaction and potential plotlines, a few don’t really deliver as promised.  Several plot twists that appear in the later parts of the game don’t exactly pay off that well and either were quite transparent from the beginning or are simply resolved in a quick and confusing manner.  In fact, the only unique plot element I found myself really enjoying was a late game companion character that, while I won’t detail specifically due to it being a spoiler, offered quite a unique take on the conflict within the metro.  Beyond that, however, I found myself wanting a deeper take on the metro universe and while I received that in some aspects by the end of the game, there were so many more that weren’t even approached.  We never get to take a look at Hanza, one of the major factions in the metro, the Children of the Underground are not even mentioned and we never get to see Artyom return to previously explored territory like Exhibition Station, Artyom’s home, a year after he left.  For me, there’s a lot that could have been explored and while I enjoyed the story 4A brought to the table, I wish it hadn’t been so direct and allowed me the chance to learn more about the universe.

Of Tunnels and Horrors

If there is something that can certainly be said about Metro 2033 it is that the gameplay was a love-it-or-hate-it one as its complexity was very polarizing.  The game’s stealth system could be confusing at times and the combat was a bit more balanced in favor of the enemies.  4A Games seems to have heard these complaints and have addressed them properly.

The game’s emphasis on stealth seems to have remained unchanged thankfully but the mechanics have seen some refinement.  Players can turn out or destroy most of the light sources found in the game and your watch has a light indicator to tell you just when you are hidden or exposed.  In addition, a music cue plays upon being glanced at by an enemy but a player that quickly move out of sight will reward the cautious by having the enemy ignore what they saw.  This system also extends to the mutants this time around as some areas that are overrun with them can be snuck through if the player is careful.

One of the more frustrating parts of Metro 2033 was the fact that stealth, at times, could be a bit of a crapshoot with human enemies.  This is probably the most improved aspect of Last Light as the AI seems to have been all but completely rewritten.  In a manner quite reminiscent of Metal Gear Solid 2, the enemy will investigate tripped alarms, strange noises and potential sightings of the player without going into a full alert mode, allowing the player some leniency.  Once fully spotted the enemy will warn his teammates and they will attack you in force.  In addition, tougher enemies will enter the area wearing heavier armor and potentially more deadly weapons.  If they lose track of you however they will enter a state of heightened alert, actively patrolling for you.  The system works very well and is easily one of the major new additions to the series.

In addition to new human AI, 4A has added in new mutant threats to be wary of.  2033 sadly limited most encounters to ones featuring Nosalises and Watchmen, huge mole and wolf/rat-like mutants respectively, and Last Light offers new additions to the arsenal.  Spiders, giant arachnids that are burned by exposure to light, replace the Lurkers as the principle hit-and-run foe and their environments are just as creepy as the sound of them crawling through the walls is.  Shrimps appear in water-focused environments and usually only attack when the player either gets too close or causes loud noises.  Last Light also sees the addition of mutant boss battles which are quite intense encounters.  While some of the previous species from Metro 2033 do not make an appearance, the roster this time around seems much more varied and offers some unique challenges to overcome.

One disappointing aspect that doesn’t seem to have been particularly updated is the weapon variety.  Though you won’t see any new weapons added to the arsenal (the fact that the Volt Driver isn’t in the game was a bit upsetting) the game now features a customization system to make up for this.  Whereas the previous game forced players to either locate or purchase upgraded weapons, this new title allows you to purchase sight, barrel and various other enhancements to your current weapon selection.  It’s a much needed new feature and definitely allows the player the ability to specialize far better than you could before but, given the narrative and gameplay possibilities that could have opened up by the game’s stronger emphasis on D6, one would have hoped to see a larger variety of weapons.

What amounts to being the best parts of Last Light’s gameplay are the ones that just haven’t changed.  The game retains the bullet currency system from the previous game and keeps the dynamic of forcing the player to choose between killing enemies easier and having cash to spend later quite engaging.  The ghosts of the metro continue to offer a creepy, pace-changing moments throughout the game, adding wonderfully atmosphere at much needed moments.  The game’s “morality” system is intact, offering moments both big and small that determine the outcome of the story. 

The highlight of these elements, however, has to be the game’s emphasis on exploration.  While the Metro series is definitely a linear one in design, many areas offer branching paths as well as nook and crannies to explore that could yield much-desired items and equipment for the player.  Finding Ranger and bandit stashes in the dead city at the risk of setting off deadly traps is great and exploring Spider-infested side areas that may hold enhanced weapons or military-grade ammunition definitely offers the player plenty of incentive to explore.  Heck, several moments in the game either encourage or discourage doing so by trying into the “morality” system.  I can think of no less than six major instances throughout the experience that I either didn’t investigate or did based on the implications of that decision.  This definitely adds to the replay value and makes a second or even third playthrough all the more enticing.

One final note I feel must be emphasized is is that this is, without a doubt, a mature title.  Though the game is a particularly violent one, the mature nature of the title comes more from the pornographic content featured in a particular portion of the game.  In one optional scene the player can pay a stripper five bullets for a topless lap dance and given the attention to detail put into both the animations and the graphical quality of the character model it is quite clear that this wasn't a spur of the moment thing.  This is the kind of scene that clearly caters to the male demographic and so I must warn even the most leniant parents that Metro Last Light is something you do not buy for your 10 year old.  Although, I have to wonder just how that mo-cap session worked and how long it lasted...

The Soul of the Metro
4A Games chose to create their own engine and Metro 2033’s first use of it was a very nice freshman effort.  Last Light features a refined graphics palate with a much better lighting system than before.  The game features a much stronger particle effects system which is a very nice touch.  The makeshift nature of almost everything you saw in 2033 is repeated to a very enjoyable degree, putting even more emphasis on just how desperate the world of the metro actually is.  Faces seem to be the only item left almost untouched save for a few specific character models.

Probably the best part of the visual design is the updated environments and the variety thereof.  Tunnels infested by spiders are incredibly creepy and many of the flooded sections of the metro feature some nicely done water.  Visits to the surface are the clear winner here, however, as the environments melting snow has yielded greener environments and swampland, making for a nice change of pace from the greys and browns seen in the metro.  There’s a lot to love here.

As much as the graphics system has been refined, the sound design has remained unchanged.  Though this may seem to be a mark against Last Light it is actually a strong compliment as the previous title was easily one of the best I’ve heard in years.  Everything from the wind flowing through the tunnels, to the scratching noises and growls of Spiders and Nosalises to even the weapons fire is sweet, sweet nectar for any audiophile out there.  Even the voicework is well done though, I implore you, consider playing entirely in Russian.  Believe me, a HUD-less, Russian-voiced playthrough is the way to go.

One final note I think the reader should be aware of is the PC version’s inclusion of several bonuses.  The final product comes with a free PDF copy of Metro 2033’s novel in case you find yourself wanting to learn more about author Dmitry Glukhovsky’s expanding universe.  In addition, the game features a rather nice benchmarking tool for those wanting to put their system to the test.  They are small items, sure, but they’re definitely nice additions.

The Last Light of Hope
Metro 2033 was a sleeper hit for THQ three years ago and the dedicated team at 4A Games certainly deserve to be praised for their hard work on the game.  With Last Light however we have an even more wonderful experience to take in.  While the story doesn’t deliver in some departments, the overall experience is rather fantastic.  If anything, the best description I can offer is that Last Light is a gameplay refinement on 2033 that offers a continued story in a universe ripe with potential.  It proves that a shooter doesn’t need to have multiplayer to survive and I’m very, very glad that a publisher like Deep Silver would be willing to rescue a title like Last Light from the debacle that was THQ’s downfall.

The transition year for two generations of consoles always yields a crop of very impressive titles and if you were forced to choose only one title to end a generation on, amongst greats like Bioshock Infinite and plentypotentiaries such as The Last of Us, you’d be a fool not to consider Metro Last Light.

Review: Deus Ex Human Revolution

It is an oft-discussed topic in the gaming industry about games that redefine the interactive entertainment landscape as we know it. Every few years we get a game that makes us take a step back and shudder in awe. For gamers, it is the realization of a new way to play or perhaps the next step in modern storytelling. For developers, it’s the culmination of years of ambition and the willingness to push the boundaries of the play experience. It doesn’t happen very often but when the stars align and the right minds sit down to keyboard and mouse with an idea that hasn’t been tried before we get truly amazing titles like Red Dead Redemption, Halo, and Bioshock.

Warren Spector was one of those great minds and, with his team at Ion Storm here in Austin, he succeeded in creating several wonderful, innovative franchises, the most famous of which was Deus Ex. It was a sad thing to hear when Eidos announced they were closing Ion Storm in 2005 (Spector had left the company the previous year) and it was all but a certainty that this once great franchise was gone. When Eidos announced that they were going to bring the franchise back two years later it was a very worrying prospect. Spector had formed Junction Point Studios after leaving Ion Storm and at this point was already hard at work on what eventually would become 2010’s Epic Mickey so without him and his dedicated team behind the new project it was questionable whether Eidos could capture even a tenth of the wonder Ion Storm had put into the franchise. Eidos Montreal, a brand new studio was tasked with making the next iteration in the Deus Ex franchise. As their freshman effort this is no small task.

Now that Deus Ex’s prequel has finally arrived in stores one has to ask: is it really a Human Revolution or just a sputtering, stagnated glimpse at a once great series?

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Laputan Machine and the Flatlander Woman
A quarter of a century before the events of Deus Ex and the rise of biomechanical augmentation, humanity is experiencing an event almost unparalleled in written history: the Cyber Renaissance. Like the rise of education and creativity Italy experienced in the 16th century so too are we seeing the beginning of the physical transcendence of man through mechanical augmentation. Casting off the bonds of flesh, both those who need it as well as those who don’t accept these unnatural enhancements in order to live better lives albeit at a great cost.

This is the great topic of debate in the year 2027 where we meet Adam Jensen, our protagonist. Adam is more than just involved in the debate: he’s smack dab in the middle of it. Jensen is the head of security at Sarif Industries, one of the leading companies in the field of human augmentation. One night, just prior to a trip to Washington D.C. to reveal a major breakthrough that would making augmentation safer and easier, Sarif Industries is attacked and most of the research team, including Megan Reed who is both the team lead and Jensen’s former lover, are killed in a raid by a group of unknown mercenaries. Jensen himself is mortally wounded in the attack and he is forced to undergo significant augmentations in order to save his life.

Six months later Jensen is called in despite still recovering by his boss David Sarif who needs his help once again. There’s been another attack, this one at a manufacturing plant where anti-augmentation radicals have seized the building and taken hostages. As Sarif’s right-hand man, Jensen infiltrates the facility only to discover there’s more here than meets the eye. From here Adam goes on a globetrotting adventure to find out the truth behind the conspiracy that may just shape humanity’s future.

The Deus Ex series was founded on the principle of telling a vast story whose events and outcome are shaped and almost completely determined by the player. While the developer had all the necessary source material to make a story set in that universe there are many things to worry about, none the least of which is that this prequel is supposed to lead up to the original game which is set a couple decades after this one. I can safely report however that, despite all the signs pointing the other way, Eidos Montreal has successfully created not just a great story, but a great Deus Ex game.

The intricate story necessary to make a Deus Ex caliber story are present and accounted for and you’d be hard pressed to find any sort of story point worthy of a complaint. Adam Jensen’s adventure ties in quite nicely into the overall narrative that is the Deus Ex universe and doesn’t compromise the events of the previous games at all. In fact, it can be said that the story in and of itself is perfectly placed as it both explains the origin of the nano augmentations seen in later on in the series as well as very well placing well known characters within the game like Bob Page, Elizabeth DuClare and Joseph Manderley without compromising them.

The world itself though is only half of what makes a Deus Ex story so great: it’s also your main character. Like JC and Alex Denton before him, Adam Jensen is a grey protagonist of intelligence, understanding, and cunning. What they also share is the fact that their ultimate actions are controlled by the player and each attitude the player chooses for Adam help both define your experience as well as how Jensen is perceived in the world. A character like this helps bridge the gap between a defined character you play as and the silent protagonist and this is something we need to see a lot more of. Characters like Adam Jensen and Booker DeWitt are the great balance of player choice and directional storytelling and we’ll hopefully be seeing more of that in the future.

The First Battle of the Invisible War
Like the two games before it, Deus Ex Human Revolution is a first-person shooter that just so happens to be a directed, open-world experience. At its core Human Revolution is philosophically the same as it was eight years ago, which is wonderful to see given the length of time fans of the series, including myself, have had to endure. It is here though where the similarities begin to fray.

Previously in the Deus Ex series there was a finite amount of stealth you had to adhere to. You were going to get killed fast if you weren’t careful but at the same time combat wasn’t exactly a high priority. After all, there were plenty of different ways to approach an objective and simply using strong observation skills you could infiltrate a location, attain your goal, and extract with little to no fuss. Human Revolution not only embraces this; it also takes it to the next level.

Human Revolution utilizes a stealth and detection system that, deliciously, pays remarkable tribute to classic stealth gaming ala Metal Gear Sold and its counterparts. Thanks to the addition of a “hold-to-hide” cover system much like that of what Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas started, it is very easy to sneak through a restricted area undetected thanks to enemies whose senses are, again, much like that of a Metal Gear title. Enemies can see and hear you but, under the right conditions, you can easily avoid them. Moving from cover to cover is done with a simple press of a button though it can be a giveaway if done at the wrong time. Slip up and the enemy will certainly investigate and attack with extreme prejudice. The result is a gratifyingly enjoyable yet simple stealth system that is almost effortless to adapt to. Keep out of their line of sight and tread softly and you shouldn’t have any trouble. The game even encourages you to utilize stealth as much as possible thanks to an achievement that require no alarm activations as well as one that requires you not to kill anyone in the game. Play smart and these high value achievements can be yours.

Even if you find yourself suddenly in the middle of an unexpected firefight you are far from defenseless. Though the game isn’t built for shooting entirely like modern shooters Call of Duty or Battlefield, combat is achievable and plays much like most cover-based shooters seen today. You’ll pop into cover, peak out to fire, and pop back into cover as necessitated. While Deus Ex utilizes a regenerative health system it is made quite clear from the start that any prolonged exposure to incoming fire will result in death quite quickly. Thankfully ammo isn’t scare at all in Deus Ex if you are playing stealthily and even then you can scavenge the bodies of the unconscious or deceased in order to restock.

Enemy AI in Deus Ex, while not original, can be a formidable foe. Once detected, enemy guards are quick to take cover and trade shots with you and they are smart enough to flush you with grenades and charge you at the right time with the right weapon if you aren’t too careful. They all utilize the same weapons you do so, being careful and carrying the right tools for the job, one can easily turn the tide of a battle. Play smart and you’ll be smart but be too brash and you will be punished.

Overall, the game’s encouragement of stealth doesn’t dampen the already great combat. This is a thinking man’s shooter and if you are like me then you agree that this is an oasis in a desert of mindless shoot’em-ups.

Flesh Amongst Metal, Man Amongst Machine
Human Revolution greatest accomplishment, apart from the stellar story and delivery, is the world Adam Jensen resides in. Sticking to its guns, the latest title in the series retains the classic open-world exploration that separated the original titles from its corridor-based siblings. Between the mission stages you will arrive and return to two hubworlds: the American city of Detroit and the Chinese island of Heng Sha. Each is extraordinarily different with Heng Sha standing out in particular as it is literally two cities built on top of one another. As such there is a strong amount of verticality to be had in Heng Sha, something that games rarely deal with these days save for Bethesda’s upcoming sequel to Prey.

Customization is a large part of the Deus Ex experience as well and Eidos Montreal didn’t have to do much in order to get this right. In almost every way it is remarkably similar to what Ion Storm created over a decade ago in that your character can be customized to your liking. Favor a stealthier, less confrontational approach? Simply choose hacking, cloaking and enemy tracking augments and you’ll be good to go. On the other hand, augments like additional ballistic durability, the Typhoon system and refined recoil control can dramatically help in the event of a firefight. Others like the Icarus Landing System (ironic name huh?) aid quite well in helping the player explore and, for me at least, was a must in places like Heng Sha.

Another great feature worth mentioning is the game’s refined version of the series’ debates. Periodically throughout the game you’ll encounter main characters that you have to question or influence in order to proceed on. During these sequences there are always only two outcomes, either in your favor or not, but the dynamic between Jensen and his opponent can really dive into philosophical territory. The responses and questions you ask, as well as their tone, can heavily alter the direction of the conversation and each one is well worth playing several times just to see exactly what each person has to say.

Even the requisite hacking part of the game, which as it turns out is a rather large component in both exploring the environment as well as making your life easier, is enjoyable. While the previous titles were a simple matter of letting it automatically hack a target Eidos Montreal opted to flesh it out and make it into a minigame similar in scope to one used in Bioshock 1. In each instance you have to establish connections from node to node in order to reach the access hub, all the time being wary of the security system that may detect you. This factor is based on probability and while you can buy augments to decrease the likelihood of detection you’re almost always going to end up tripping the system somewhere along the line. Despite this it is surprisingly enjoyable thanks to a good level of strategy to be had each time you do it.

The only point at which I could find a viable complaint to be made was in regard to Jensen’s character. While I previously stated that a blended character like Jensen is a great medium by which to tell a story that is both shaped on its own as well as by the player it seems that Jensen is unfortunately a mostly understated guy in everyday conversation. Only during cutscenes and debates do you really feel Jensen step out of his comfort zone and actually be vocal. This is disappointing considering some of the normal conversations can be a bit heartbreaking or shocking so a little more character exploration, in these instances, would have been nicer. Other than that Elias Toufexis does a terrific job of making us appreciate Adam as character, a protagonist and as a savior.

With that seemingly the only detraction from the overall Human Revolution experience, you’d be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable experience this year.

More Than Human, Less Than a God
Looking back at Deus Ex Human Revolution it is simply amazing how a new team like that at Eidos Montreal could create such a solid gaming experience. It had everything going against it what with SquareEnix’s lackluster reputation as of late, the absence of one of the greatest designers in gaming history, and a large and biased fanbase to impress. What we have today however is probably one of the most interesting and entertaining games not only of the year but of this generation. Ten years ago Deus Ex changed the way we play shooters, creating an experience that games like Bioshock owe their existence to. Human Revolution proudly continues this legacy, reinvigorating series fans while introducing new ones to one of the most beloved universes in the history of modern gaming.

Eidos Montreal, you have accomplished something that I didn’t think was possible. You guys put so much love into this game that, at times, I was simply speechless. If this isn’t game of the year material I simply don’t know what is.

Review: Crysis 2

In 2007 Crytek, a German developer whose initial outing Far Cry shook up the development community years previous, released Crysis, a beautiful and smartly done shooter that, to this day, is still one of the largest graphical benchmarks in all of gaming.  After releasing a standalone expansion that took place concurrently with the game’s main storyline, Crytek went quiet and all but disappeared to focus on internal expansion, opening new studios all over Europe.  It reappeared at E3 2009 to show off the CryEngine 3, a heavily modified, multiplatform version of the engine that powered Crysis, and its flagship title Crysis 2.

With a dramatic shift toward multiplatform development though can Crytek’s latest prove that a PC game doesn’t have to be limited by having console brethren?

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They Used to Call Me ‘Prophet’

Crysis 2 picks up three years after the Lingshan Islands incident that saw a major battle between the United States and North Korea awaken a dormant extraterrestrial species called the Ceph.  As the governments of the world struggle to keep secret the fact that we are not alone in the universe a mysterious and highly contagious virus begins to spread and widely infect the citizens of New York City.  Fearing a statewide outbreak the government quarantines Manhattan Island and declares martial law.  With all communication with the outside world cut off the civilians trapped in the quarantine zone can only watch as their city slowly dissolves into chaos.  As seismic activity begins to rock the city the military realizes that the virus isn’t their only problem: the Ceph have returned and a full scale invasion of the city has begun.

Players take on the role of a Marine codenamed Alcatraz.  His mission: locate and extract Dr. Nathan Gould, a researcher for Crynet Systems, the creators of the Nanosuit.  As he and his team are inserted into New York’s bay area via submarine an explosion rocks the sub, crippling it.  Alcatraz and some of his team manage to escape but only receive a short reprieve as a Ceph gunship rises from the water and kills the survivors.  As Alcatraz floats toward shore dying he is found by Prophet, former US Navy SEAL and commander of Raptor team during the Lingshan invasion.  Dispatching the gunship, Prophet drags Alcatraz to safety.  Alcatraz wakes up sometime later wearing the same advanced Nanosuit Prophet had earlier.  Prophet’s corpse lies next to him and as Alcatraz beings to realize what happened to him the suit plays a flashback video, Prophet’s final message: he has failed and if Alcatraz doesn’t reach Gould in time it may just spell the end of humanity’s dominance of Earth.

The story of Crysis 2, much like many modern shooters, is a tale that plays out over time without many hints as to what has been happening elsewhere or with many of the series’ main characters.  Noticeably absent (and painfully so) is any information regarding what happened to Nomad, Psycho, and Helena Rosenthall, the main characters from the first game, as well as what happened after Crysis 1’s cliffhanger ending.  Unfortunately you learn little about the truth behind Crysis 1 save for a bit more information regarding Prophet’s involvement so for those looking for resolution after being stuck on the edge of your seat three years ago when the credits began to roll you’re sadly out of luck.

What you will find though is an action-packed story with plenty of bumps and events along the way.  The rescue of Nathan Gould is only but a small portion of the story and by the end of it all you really feel like the badass one man army the Nanosuit is designed to make you.  An experienced shooter player can finish the singleplayer campaign in roughly 8-10 hours depending on how they play but the game encourages replays thanks to collectables found in each level.  It’s not quite the epic adventure we experienced three years ago but Crysis 2 succeeds in leaving you quite entertained.

Let Him, Who Desires Peace, Prepare for War

Crysis 2, much like its predecessor, takes a different, welcome approach to combat.  Whereas most shooters these days have you killing wave after wave of enemies before advancing forward and while the cover, shoot, advance, repeat method still works just fine for most games the Crysis series has always been about you being able to protect yourself and survive based on being more tactical than offensive.  In essence, like the marketing tells you, the player is actually the weapon.

The elephant in the room that seperates the Crysis series from other games is clearly the Nanosuit.  As fearsome and powerful as its appearance, it is nigh a character unto itself and is only limited in power by how you play.  Crysis 2’s redesigned Nanosuit retains many of the suit’s powers form the first game while making it easier for players (say those wishing to play on a console) to use them equally.  The new Nanosuit is composed of three different modes: Power, Armor, and Stealth.  Power mode is what you’ll be using most of the time and gives you the ability to move large objects as well as sprint for a short duration and jump much higher.  Armor mode, while narrowing your field of view, increases the density of the suit’s material and allows you to take more damage out in the field before your health starts to drain away.  Stealth gives you the ability to be almost invisible and sneak past enemies, though it is a significant drain on the suit’s power source.  While in many games you are placed in the role of a super soldier with mixed results Crysis 2 makes you feel and play like one.

The great thing about the series’ gameplay is that, apart from a few specific sequences per game, you can tackle and objective almost any way you want.  Need to get into a building and detonate an explosive inside but it’s surrounded by enemies.  You could do some balls-to-the-wall gunplay and eliminate all of them with the added safety of Armor mode.  Or, if you feel like saving your much-needed ammo for later you could sneak in and extract using Stealth.  The choice is entirely yours and you can feel free to mix and match as you please.  The Nanosuit itself will also give you some tactical advice using its visor but you can choose to ignore it if you wish.

One welcome addition to the Crysis formula is the ability to further customize your suit to how you want to play.  Much like the perks system present in Call of Duty, players can purchase new abilities called modules to augment the Nanosuits already powerful modes, though only four of them can be active at one time.  Players can obtain these enhancements by recovering nano-cells from dead Ceph though you won’t be able to reap the benefits of these modules since you don’t actually fight many Ceph until you are over a third of the way into the game.  Still, they are very useful and, since they can be switched out on the fly, it is well worth your time to collect them.

One complaint that has to be ousted though is the size of the levels in the game.  While Crysis took most of its level-design ideas from Far Cry with large, open environments to explore and long distances to travel, Crysis 2 instead switches to a more linear style.  You’ll have pretty of room to maneuver and explore throughout the majority of the game but it really opens up when you enter a large arena-esque area filled with baddies.  The large, open environments from Crysis are missed but the more direct focus of the game’s combat warrants this.  Still however this redesign significantly cuts down on the amount of terrain to explore, effectively reducing the numerous ways to go after an objective.

Plenty to Prophet From

In addition to having a robust singleplayer experience Crysis 2 has taken note of today’s more traditional multiplayer experiences like Call of Duty and brought their own unique interpretation to the game.  Players take on the role of either US Marines (contrary to the Navy SEALs that the main characters were in the first game) or CELL mercenaries hired by Crynet amidst the chaos of the singleplayer campaign.  Taking place across twelve maps, players will compete with or against fifteen other players in seven gameplay modes.

The gamechanger though is, once again, the Nanosuit.  In almost every mode the player is fitted with a Nanosuit with the same abilities as Alcatraz has in the singleplayer.  Crysis 2 utilizes the familiar leveling system created by Call of Duty that has become a standard for online multiplayer.  You’ll kill enemies, collect experience points, and level up to unlock new things to enhance the overall experience.  The leveling system ties directly into the same Nanosuit module system used in the singleplayer (though with altered abilities and not carrying over to the main campaign) so you’ll notice a definite impact in your gameplay based on what you choose to enhance.  You’ll have to utilize your suit’s Stealth, Power, and Armor modes though in order to unlock these modules but in the end you’ll find that the things you want to unlock are the ones you actually want.

Crysis 2 features takes on the standard fare of multiplayer modes with their own little twist.  Instant Action (Deathmatch) is well worth playing as well as Crash Site (Domination) but the two most interesting modes have to be Assault and Extraction.  Assault tasks to opposing teams with the objective of either defending or downloading data stored at terminals throughout a map, a mode very reminiscent of Splinter Cell multiplayer’s Neutralization mode.  Extraction is similar to Assault with defending/attacking teams but this time the attackers are trying to steal Bio-ticks that give the user enhanced Armor or Stealth Nanosuit abilities.

Wherein Crysis 2’s singleplayer level design was a mostly boxed-in approach with less exploration than anticipated, the multiplayer component’s twelve levels offer a nice variety of locations of varying sizes taken from both the main game as well as entirely new levels, giving you lots to traverse and explore.  The levels also feature a large focus on verticality, something that is being increasingly featured in shooters but hasn’t yet reached a zenith level quite like Crysis 2 has.  Each map also contains killstreaks specific to each one that can be activated with the collection of dogtags dropped by fallen enemy combatants.  These killstreaks range in power and scope and can be a little hard to obtain but the reward far outweighs the frustration as a friendly Ceph gunship rains down molten lead upon your helpless enemies.

Overall players will find a delightful and addicting multiplayer experience that nicely blurs the line between Call of Duty and Halo.  For PC and Playstation 3 players who have never experienced the later, Crysis 2 is a great way to see what Xbox 360 players have been fussing about for nearly a decade.

Beauty within Destruction

Crysis was a benchmark three years ago for PC gaming and, without a doubt, Crysis 2 will be its successor for some time to come.  Simply put, Crysis 2 is gorgeous across the board and, though the game doesn’t currently take advantage of DirectX 11, when played on Extreme settings it is probably one of the most beautiful games in recent memory.  Even despite playing on the maximum settings the game is incredibly stable with almost no slowdown to be had throughout the entire experience. Textures are beautifully drawn and character animations both feel and look great.  Facial animations, particularly those on main characters, are quite believable and feel like they’ve received the same amount of love Valve put into their characters in the Half-Life 2 saga.

The work Crytek put into the game’s sound design is just as impressive.  Weapons each sound unique and give a sense of power to them and ambient sound effects really help sell the environments.  Ceph sound effects in particular are very well done and really sell you on how alien they really are.  The game’s voice acting is a little off at times but this can easily be attributed to the script and screenplay more than the actual dialog.

If you’ve been looking for a game to test out your new PC gaming rig then look no further.  Faster, even better looking, and far more stable than its predecessor, Crytek’s showcase title for their Cryengine 3 is quite the testament.

It’s Up To You, New York, New York

2011 is looking to be a hot year for shooter fans what with a jam-packed Fall and Winter season coming up but Crysis 2 may just be what you’ll keep coming back to for the rest of the year.  An exceptionally enjoyable singleplayer campaign is married to a well thought-out multiplayer component that is just as addicting as Call of Duty ever was.  If you were ever looking to find a game whose overall package could stop even the most insatiable gaming snob you’d be hard-pressed to not show them Crysis 2.  Do we have a 2011 Game of the Year contender?

We just may.