With Crysis 2, we begin to see Crytek evolve into more than just an "awe-inspiring visuals" company.
Nowadays, it still costs a substantial amount to complete such a feat. To put it simply, this is the only game that could render most games today obsolete, as far as graphics go, anyways. For a game that is four years old, that is one hell of an achievement on the part of Crytek, which made use of Cry Engine 2 in the best possible ways.
4 years later, with a new engine primed for consoles (as well as where the series got its start, the PC), Crysis 2 emerges as a game that has drawn from numerous influences, ranging from Call of Duty to Crytek's own Far Cry series. PC elitists might be off put by the games home console nature, but if you are willing to look past some of the limitations and flaws, you will realize that Crysis 2 is not only a worthy follow up to the original, but also a game that can be recognized in the ocean of FPS's. Crytek has done an excellent job in exceeding in both the technical department, but also the design and gameplay compartment.
I picked up on the story of Crysis pretty easy. By "easy", I mean I only really found out about Prophet and the aliens. That's basically all you really need to pick up on from the previous game to understand Crysis 2. The narrative never detracts from the experience, but it ends up feeling like a wasted opportunity. It's an interesting take on a tired genre, but it never really does anything with itself. I paid attention to it throughout, and my main motivation for going through with it was all of the great mechanics that work well enough in the single player. They aren't as tight as they should've been, but they work well enough to provide a solid experience that'll last you around 7 or 8 hours. There are also plenty of collectibles that can be found throughout the campaign that extend the life of what offline players will get for their money, ranging from E-mail messages from characters in the game, to New York Souvenirs.
Level design is made in a non-linear fashion, like pretty much all of Crytek's past titles. You are always headed in the same direction, but you can get there in different ways. There's this neat trick on your Nanosuit that allows you to see these multiple approaches, and you can even mark them to your liking (as well as ammo and enemies). It's a very neat aspect that makes the campaign fresh throughout, with multiple strategies and factors that will lead up to you either succeeding, or dying. It's mixed up more with the numerous weapons that you can upgrade and manipulate to your liking. You won't really be picking favorites in the single player, mainly because you need to constantly switch weapons when you run out of ammo, and you will run out of ammo (unless you camp next to an ammo box.)
Enemy AI is at times, pretty bad. They act fine some of the time, but other times they are either running in circles or running against a wall. I think the main culprit, like a lot of games, is the stealth mechanics that are present in the game. It can get pretty bad sometimes, but for the most part, it works just fine. Ally AI works substantially well, and they usually don't rush into battles like they're suicidal. Visual glitches also hamper parts of the game here and there, but it's nothing to serious, just mildly annoying, like an unwanted 6 year old.
In addition to the weapon upgrades, you can also upgrade your Nanosuit in four different categories. These four categories differ between various modes you can use with your Nanosuit at the touch of a button, like Stealth mode. The way you upgrade your weapons is fairly standard. You collect what is called Nano Catalyst, a currency that you scavenge from dead aliens to use to buy new upgrades. It gives you something to think about when strategizing about your next big fire fight, and it adds a fresh variable to an overall "by the numbers" FPS.
Speaking of "by the numbers", multiplayer tips its hat to numerous influences, with Call of Duty being the biggest of said influences. It's an old formula that has been adopted by many other developers, but the subtle touches by Crytek definitely make it enjoyable. It plays out in five versus five matches spread across some great maps that mix in elements from the single player into the team play. It's not perfect, but it is a unique twist that offers a ton of fun for those who have open minds. Progression and stat tracking, again, are similar to other games in the genre. But there are a lot of collectibles, and there is plenty to go through if you want to get everything. It's expanded to the point where it is a pretty good time waster that will have you coming back. Some will hate it, but I personally enjoyed it a lot.
The overall presentation of Crysis 2 is the main thing that bothers me. It's fantastic, but its colors certainly do not shine on the PS3. Sadly, we have a shoddy port that pales in comparison to the 360 and PC versions. The game still looks impressive, with some fantastic animations and huge scale. But numerous bugs and glitches aren't easy on the eyes. Multiplayer takes a step down in graphical prowess, sadly, but the frame rate never dipped for me. It really disappoints me that Crytek did a lousy job getting this game onto the PS3, so if you have another system to play this game on, I recommend getting it for that.
Sound design is great, with gun sounds and explosions sounding superb. What I was really looking forward to was music that was praised very much. It's great, but it feels like it doesn't fit in with the setting and premise of the game. Voice acting is decent, and works well enough to make the story a little more interesting. The game shows a high level of polish in this department, but it isn't fully shown on this less than perfect port.
Crysis 2 was a game that I really didn't like all too much at first. As time went by though, I really began digging the small, settle touches that Crytek made to a tried-and-true formula that has reign supreme in the past 4 years. It definitely isn't perfect, but if you have the money and the correct system, this is definitely a worthy investment. You might think I really despise the PS3 port, but in reality it's just a slight step down from a game that will definitely be remembered for its masterful presentation, which is kinda why I recommend other versions.
+New gameplay style that feels great
+Nanosuit makes for more variety in a nicely crafted single player
+Outstanding visual and audio presentation
+Nice multiplayer that offers plenty of rewards
+New Game +
-Meh story and characters
-Shoddy on the PS3, visually
-AI is imperfect
-While great, multiplayer is derivative
*****DISCLAIMER*****
This is an old review that was deleted from my old profile and reposted on this one.