To play this acclaimed first-person shooter back in 2007, you had to drop thousands of dollars on a fully loaded PC. Now you need just 20 bucks and an Xbox 360 (where it’s available on Games on Demand). Crysis isn't the be-all end-all sci-fi epic that some folks have made it out to be, but its beautiful open levels and constant sense of tactical freedom make it an extraordinarily flexible game.
The premise has American archaeologists making a shocking discovery on the Lingshan Islands, after which large numbers of North Korean enemies seize the place. Luckily, you're wrapped inside a high-tech Nanosuit that boosts armor, strength, speed, or cloaking capabilities on command. The controls are streamlined compared to the PC version, too, so you need focus only on choosing between armor and stealth. Sprinting automatically triggers a speed boost, and you can throw objects with more force simply by holding down a button a bit longer.
Gauss rifle or no, the alien forces in the latter parts of the game can be tough.
Apart from a few big battles, you're free to creep around undetected like a daylight burglar or murder absolutely every enemy you encounter. Predictably enough, Crysis is more consistently entertaining if you go the homicidal route. After all, how excited can you get about powerful armaments and adjustable weapon modifications like sniper scopes and incendiary ammunition if you never use them? Plus, opponents are blessed with supernatural perception that lets them spot you through thick foliage from a hundred yards away. You won't mind, though, because once a crowd starts to swarm and flank, you're in for some truly intense gunplay.
Granted, you can often trigger an alarm and then snipe from an indestructible building or tower. But if you can resist taking the easy way out, you'll marvel at how a single gunshot on one end of these gorgeously lush jungle environments can change the flow of a mission. Angry reinforcements sprint in from the distance, helicopters won't simply vanish if you hide long enough, and sometimes the only prudent course is to commandeer a jeep and get the hell out of Dodge. Success is always possible, but a thoughtful plan of attack is preferable to a mindless charge into the lion's den.
The absence of the PC version’s multiplayer modes is a bummer, as is the removal of the penultimate mission from the original campaign. But by the time you reach the conclusion of this exciting bargain, you'll be too amped on adrenaline to care.
From lush vegetation to fireball explosions, Crysis' graphics are fantastic.
+ Super-powered armor and stealth; attractive sprawling jungles that allow effective use of both.
+ Relatively smart enemies who don't mysteriously forget you just ventilated their pals.
– Lacks all the multiplayer modes and one of the single-player missions from the PC version; enemies have binoculars for eyes.
? Why is blood turned off in the options by default?
afcgamingzone
October 08, 2011 at 12:42pm
Looks like an interesting game, though I find it wrong to turn off the blood in the games settings. Though I guess the publisher wanted to make it more teen friendly, but that's just me.
