Surprisingly good for a franchise which seemed to go downhill a touch...
Although number 3 has the same build-up as 2 --with shorter missions interspersed with in-game movies-- somehow the immersion is far greater than with "Crysis 2", maybe thanks to the close interaction between Prophet and Psycho.
The small conversations between the two of them are nicely done and the dialogue is well written.
The real stand-out of "Crysis 3" however, are the visuals: they are simply amazing. The renditions of a blown to smithereens Downtown Manhattan are breathtaking on PC. New York might at first glance be unrecognizable but in almost any scene there's telltale signs of where you are; be it a street name or a known artifact or landmark.
The story itself once more evolves around an intrigue concerning the "Seph" and the soldiers from "CELL" and is quite easy to follow, with every new mission adding a new piece to a fairly simple puzzle; a puzzle so simple that you can see most plot-twists from miles ahead.
This simplicity doesn't deteriorate the fun though. Most of the time there's too much going on to be detracted by the obvious step ahead anyway.
Weapons are again awesome --especially the newly introduced bow-- and their effect on enemies and surroundings is astonishingly rendered.
The only slight letdown for me was the introduction of schmaltz, in the form of die-hard Psycho going weak at the knees in true Hollywood fashion for Claire Fontanelli, a resistance operative with a murky past. But hey, that's me.
Overall a welcome addition to the franchise. Nothing new here, granted, but the immersion is intense enough to make you forget instantly that you are playing number three (or four) in line.
Crysis 3 is a job well-done, me thinks.
JJ