Crysis 3
Crysis 3 takes place 20 years after the events of the second game, whereby the original Nanosuit’s user Prophet overrides Alcatraz’s personality at the end of Crysis 2. However, the previously-Alcatraz-now-turned-Prophet is in cryo-stasis thanks to CELL, an organization in charge of manufacturing the Nanosuits.
One of Prophet’s subordinates from Crysis 1, former nanosuit user Psycho is now in a resistance army to stop CELL from monopolizing the seemingly unlimited energy it sells to countries all over the world. After Psycho and his new squad saves you from your cryo-sleep, you will soon uncover more about CELL’s source of energy as well as (yet another) doomsday plot device.
We all know about the Nanosuit and its abilities for a while now – cloaking, strength enhancer and additional armour amongst others -, but what makes this interesting is that EA reorganized its functions into a more intuitive experience. The AI has improved, and are smart enough to flank you when you least expect it, even on Normal difficulty.
The multiplayer interface is pretty much the same as Crysis 2, similar with what I have reviewed about the Beta version. Apart from Hunter and Spears mode, everything else in 3 is identical to 2. Spears mode plays very similar to Crash Site mode, with the only difference in capturing the area. The locations of these Spears (or towers) are fixed, and do not require you to be at the Spear constantly. Unless of course, if you wish to prevent your enemy from capturing it. By standing next to each Spear for a few short seconds, your team effectively captures each Spear. You can also rip off platings from each Spear, which acts as a shield.
As with all Crysis games, Crysis 3 is nothing short of sheer graphical awesomeness. Practically every frame is rendered so perfectly that one can mistaken it as a Michael Bay film. Of course on the PC version which is reviewed here, you need to have a pretty high end graphics card to churn out those beautiful pixels at respectable frame rates. Lush greenery and lighting that surpasses games like Far Cry 3, with objects looking as real as they can get. From the muddy terrain to the rocky cliffs and even buildings, the textures on these environments probably can’t look any better in the next year to come.
However, in spite of the graphical appearances, the gameplay still feels like a pretty but generic shooter. The story is weak and tasteless, throwing standard plot devices and characters with personalities like a watered-down cordial drink. The singleplayer experience brings about 8-o hours worth of gameplay, which is fairly decent for you to immerse yourself into the dark, danky and muddy forests of New York.
The multiplayer modes don’t fare much better either. There just isn’t much intuitive and fun modes that shooters can engage players these days, though the introduction of the Hunter Bow brings about new tactics to team play. I however do like the fact that each multiplayer session is quick to enter, play, and quit. The only chore is to constantly play to gain XP for weapon upgrades, dog tags and other modifications which will improve your experience.
VerdictCrysis has been the game to be compared with for its graphical marvel, pushing every but the best spec-ed PCs to their knees at the highest graphical settings. However, it stops at that. The singleplayer and multiplayer modes are fun for a while, but will probably not last you more than a month. If you have been a fan of the Crysis franchise, then this latest instalment should provide you with many hours of fun, not to mention closure to the series.
