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Like the majority of Xbox 360 gamers, I was majorly excited for Crysis 2. The trailers made it look awesome, as did the hype created by Cevat Yerli and the guys over at Crytek. I really enjoyed the original on the PC, so to have it coming to a console was like the best news ever! So, did it deliver?
Hell no! I really didn't enjoy the single-player Campaign...I found it slow and annoying. Pretty visuals, cool moves and the ability to go invisible can't save the game from it's boring enemies, miniscule amount of weapons and samey environments. There is one nice idea in there...you customise your weapons and abilities in real-time. No pause menu, no terminal...it just focusses on the weapon and you edit the relevant parts (silencer, laser/reflex sight, etc) or your hand (for abilities). It's a brilliant idea, but completely ruined by how shoddy the rest of the game is.
You replay the same areas of the city, which look pretty much identical...there aren't any breathtaking scenes like the first game, it's just go here, do this, do that...very boring! Still, a lot of games nowadays focus on the multiplayer side of things, so that should be good...right?
Wrong! Unfortunately, the multiplayer is even worse than the single player...and that's saying something! The moment you start playing the game, you're at a disadvantage to anybody who's played it before. You might argue that this happens with any game, due to their previous playing experience, but Crysis takes it to a whole new level (no pun intended).
It tries to mimic CoD's 'perk' system, yet fails dramatically. The reason CoD's system worked well is because each perk was decent in it's own right, depending on how you wanted to use it...no matter what perk/weapon somebody else on the map had, you could just as easily have a perk to counteract it. Sure, people with a more XP would have access to better weapons, but again, it wasn't unfair...in the Hardcore playlist, for instance, it's basically 1-3 hit kill...doesn't technically matter which weapon you're using, it's all just down to preference. In Crysis, however, the perks give you more health...more armour...longer camoflauge...I mean, come on, how is somebody new to the game supposed to compete against people who have more health?!
The point I'm trying to make is this...in other games (like CoD and Reach), you're given the oppertunity to customise your class, your weapons, your abilities...but none of them actually give you a solid advantage over anybody else. It's all to do with what you feel comfortable using, not about what's better! With Crysis, however, it gives you more health and armour as you level up...who isn't going to like that? It's majorly unfair to new players, it's a ridiculous idea and it's the reason why I won't play it. The graphics are stunning, but you can only pump so many polygons into the same generic wall before people get bored!
In short, Crysis 2 had a lot to live up to. It's reputation from the original, the hype brought on by the trailers...it's a lot of pressure! Crytek screwed up though...not only did they fail to deliver on what was promised, but they've actually tarnished the Crysis name. Not a great second outing for them then...
I'll end with a joke, inspired by this review;
What do you get if you cross a seriously dull single-player campaign, a ridiculously unfair multiplayer mode and a horrendous looking box that says Crysis 2 on the cover?
The biggest waste of £40 I've ever seen!
