Crysis 3

Blog Post: What Are You Willing To Sacrifice?

Orochisama LEVON, Spectre — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 23:55:00 GMT

Your name is Prophet, formerly Laurence Barnes, and you've given up every shred of humanity you once had to battle the Cell corporation and the Ceph, an alien race hellbent on taking over the world. At the center of it all is an incredible discovery that gives birth to a new type of soldier, equipped with Nanosuits, highly advanced technology that dramatically changes the battlefield. Yet, by the time the third entry in the Crysis series begins, we're shown a glimpse of the future, and the consequences of this technology becomes apparent.

Crysis 3 is a solid fps that salvages the series' somewhat convoluted premise in favor of a slightly improved storyline that attempts to humanize the otherwise post-human hero. While it isn't necessarily groundbreaking, its incredibly expansive environments, nearly photorealistic graphics, and varied gameplay makes it an excellent destination for players tired of the overtly linear approach most fps entries have, even despite its seeming lack of polish and direction.

In a beginning that would probably require a Doctorate in Metaphysics to understand, Laurence Barnes is freed from stasis after being captured by the Cell Corporation, basically one of the Big Bads of the Crysis series. During this time however, which lasts a few decades, Prophet receives a new vision, hinting at a threat of world-ending proportions. Yet, that enemy happens to be one that seems to have disappeared, replaced by Cell's new stranglehold in the race for world domination. A lot's changed; Cell's turned New York into its own little Chia pet, and your comrades - including Psycho, who accompanies you for the majority of the campaign - have been forcibly stripped of their nanosuits in a process many did not survive. Throw in a cavalcade of science fiction clichés and you have the gist of Crysis 3. But, try as it might, we all know we never played the Crysis games for their story.

The real fun in Crysis 3 shines in nanosuit combat, where players will find themselves putting all of their talents to use in the fight against Cell and later on, the Ceph. The game mostly operates the same: a rechargeable energy bar drains while you use your camouflage ability or armor skill, you have super strength, as well as the ability to use Ceph technology - in the forms of special alien weaponry that you can get a hold of. Some of them, like the Pinch Rifle, rapid-fire a powerful barrage of particles that rip through the formidable Ceph infantry you'll run into; others, like the XPAC Mortar, fire a volley of explosive plasma rounds that can easily take down tougher enemies like Ceph Pingers.

The array of human weaponry comes standard with a few standouts - the GAUSS Sabot sniper rifle - but the most impressive addition to Prophet's arsenal is the Predator Bow. This weapon packs an incredible punch, usually able to one-shot most enemies on the right setting, and comes equipped with interchangeable arrowheads that can do everything from detonate on impact to plant mines and even fire powerful electrical impulses. It's a wicked new addition to Prophet's arsenal and will probably be your primary weapon of choice for most of the game. With regular arrows that can be retrieved, the Predator Bow will prove to be an invaluable asset.

Another neat feature is the nanosuit's ability to hack turrets and minefields so that Prophet can instantly even the odds. Or, to let your environment do the work for you. The minigame is simple enough, but leaves the player vulnerable. Thankfully, with the Nanovision visor players can hack these objects from a modest distance. Players can still tag their enemies as well as track different waypoints, as well as highlight everything from ammo caches to intel and nanosuit upgrades to collect. The latter comes in a full array of unlockable perks players can customize to suit their playing style, from greater shielding to health upgrades. Completing special milestone challenges for each will increase the effectiveness of each perk, and players can equip four at a time as well as hotkey different combinations and alternate them on-the-fly. Putting these skills to use of course, is what makes Crysis 3 such a fun game, and the nearly seamless control scheme compliments it.

The level design, on the other hand, is a mixed bag. The third entry in the game series attempts to condense its immense sandbox environment with a dose of linearity. For the first few chapters, players will typically recognize a recurring formula of following your comrade Psycho throughout the somewhat claustrophobic buildings and later taking things at your own pace as you assess the enemies in your environment and plan a method of approach for each objective you're given. In some cases, this setup works to your advantage, giving players the freedom they need to explore and exterminate to their heart's content. In other cases, players might find the pacing to be a bit bogged down by the sheer grandiosity of a few of these levels. When Crysis 3 interchanges these elements, the game brims with possibility; the Chinatown level is an excellent example of this.

The lush, meticulously detailed environments are some of the finest of this generation, from the facial animations down to the very animals you'll sometimes see wandering the downtrodden locales of New York. Individual blades of grass will sway seamlessly; light will reflect perfectly off of water; light will highlight dark spaces with shocking visual fidelity. There will however, be odd blemishes in the occasional horrible texture popups or muddy textures. Other visual and audio glitches will also occur; in one instance, the sound completely went out and left nothing but an annoying humming sound that was only rectified with a reboot of the game.

The rather hyper vigilant AI will make even the most routine of takedowns a bit more frustrating, especially when enemies are magically able to spot you in pitch darkness from hundreds of meters. Laughably bad B-movie dialogue won't help much either. However, when Prophet is in his stride, players will find themselves systematically wiping out entire zones of Cell enemies with stealth takedowns and well-placed arrows, giving all the tedium a modest sense of accomplishment. Don't expect the game to get any more interesting though; a chance to expand gameplay possibilities even further is wasted. The boss battles aren't much of a challenge either.

Multiplayer is standard, and only made interesting through your opponent's ability to sometimes use the nanosuit's camouflage and armor capabilities. This is perfected in Hunter mode, which pits players in Cell units against two Hunter units. Players downed become new Hunters and attempt to hunt down the remaining Cell members. The tension offered in this mode exemplifies what we love most about the Crysis series and offers plenty of replay value. A nice class-centered progression system with an experience-based 50 level cap allows players to unlock new upgrades with each challenge and milestone completed.

Yet, for all Crysis 3 offers, it never seems to go far enough. Neither does the incredibly sparse story: "It was never about the suit!" Psycho tells Barnes in one desperate plea; yet, the suit is all players and Prophet himself have known for the past two games. When Crysis 3 isn't trying to humanize Prophet with its occasionally melodramatic conventions, or Prophet's hamhanded voicework, it's exciting and everything one can expect. Otherwise, its mediocre foray into alien invasions and Transhumanism will bore most gamers. But we never came for that: the suit, inevitably, is all that matters, and with the wealth of destructive possibilities at your fingertips, it's never a bad thing.

8.75 out of 10

Blog Post: An excellent entry with small but significant improvments

Mr Dilkington — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 14:54:00 GMT

Its more of the same, but different environments, improved AI and a more cohesive story make this an excellent entry in the series. The Multiplayer is also great, especially the awesome Hunter mode, which is one of the most intense multiplayer expeiriences I have ever had.

Blog Post: Crytek's Homerun

Jolt the Cynic — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 03:48:00 GMT

Crysis 3 is the first game in a long time I was legitimately excited for. It was one of the very few preordered games I will partake in this year. If you are a fan of the Crysis series, or a new participant in the franchise, Crysis 3 lives up to the hype.

The game opens aboard a containment ship, as Psycho (a Crysis alumni) frees Prophet (your character) from Cell clutches. Right away, the visuals from the screenshots that we were teased with leading up to Crysis 3's release come into play. The game is absolutely gorgeous, even from the opening player involvement.

As you move from the ship to the eventual inside of the Liberty Dome, Prophet is much more fluid than he was in Crysis 2. Any and all clunky feelings from the previous installment were wiped clean in Crysis 3. The Liberty Dome itself is a character in the game. Inside the dome, the city of New York lies overrun with foliage and ruins, in addition to wildlife and hazards around every turn.

The Cell organization placed a dome around the city to further their power-hungry ways. The alien Ceph race is locked inside, dormant, waiting for their time to rise. Psycho is apart of a rebellion group determined to bring Cell's actions into the public eye. Prophet is thrust into this three-way struggle as the rebels look for any way to get a leg up. The nanosuit donned by Prophet is enough to turn the tide of battle to whichever side its playing for. From the outside looking in, it first feels like quite a bit to comprehend at the start of the game. If you aren't familiar with the previous games, the story is hard to keep track of.

The nanosuit itself has gone through a few upgrades. No longer will the suits energy levels decrease when you sprint, which was a thorn in my side from Crysis 2. The Visor is upgraded, too, as marking targets no longer requires a push of a button. You can also hack enemy turrets and landmines, rendering them useless. In several cases with the turrets, they will fire upon the enemy forces, helping you advance uninterrupted.

As with the previous games, advancing is your choice. You can go in the front door and kill everything that moves (my personal way to play), or you can utilize the suits powers to stealthfully make your way through the Liberty Dome. The nanosuit enables you to be invisible to enemies and allowing you to sneak past them undetected. You have enhanced armor in case someone does spot you, and you are suddenly taking enemy fire in a hopeless situation. And, as always, silencers and scopes attached to your weapons are a blessing.

A newly added feature to help those stealthy players is the bow. Psycho gives you this magnificent weapon early on in the game to give you time to perfect it. The bow enables you to take down enemies from afar without detection. To make things more fun, the arrows themselves vary in usefulness. You have the normal arrows for normal kills, sure, but where's the fun in that? Wind arrows and Explosive arrows add to the variety. And yes, it is extremely satisfying to kill your enemy without them knowing you're even around.

Later in the game, Ceph weapons become a normality. The nanosuit upgrades allow you to wield these alien tools of destruction. One of the heavy duty Ceph weapons allows you to fire mortars at unsuspecting opponents. Another permits a continuous stream of electricity. No longer are you confined to the normal metal arms in Crysis 3.

Nanosuit upgrades are infinitely easier to use and understand than they were previously. You are now able to mix and match upgraded abilities to fit your method of play, and switch in different sets on the fly, to further make Prophet into a one-man army. Gone are the ways of collection alien tissue from downed Ceph for suit upgrades. Instead, you pick up upgrades much like you pick up ammo and guns. In addition to their ease of use, these upgrades now appear on your visor when you are scanning your surroundings (which should be all of the time), making them easily marked and difficult to pass up.

Upgrades are plentiful inside the Liberty Dome. Not only are they acquired in the progression of the game, but they are oftentimes rewards so side missions. When the game opens up to give you free reign, you can accomplish tasks that are off of the main track to enable you to progress more efficiently. These missions can help in the long run, so it is a good thing to take a few minutes to do them. In one case, the path I needed to go through led me to three or four Pinger's (if you are a Crysis 2 fan, you know of these monstrosities). Normally this would be a task for even the most experienced Crysis players. However, if you rescue a group of stranded rebel troops, they'll call in air strikes against marked targets... those strikes make the Pingers a forgotten issue.

There is a section of vehicular combat and airborne battles against Ceph airships as well. These portions seem a little forced, as they occupy so little of the overall game. It feels like the devs didn't really want to include those aspects into the game, but their bosses told them to just for a little diversity. They act as little more than distractions from the storyline, however, and are easily completed.

The story itself has been labeled "absent" and "nonexistent" by several reviewers. In my opinion, the three-way battle between the rebels, Cell, and Ceph is a much more interesting and gripping story than those that occupy the bigger FPS franchises. It's not perfect by any means (nothing is), but it's better than most.

If you are an FPS fan or a fan of the series, Crysis 3 is extremely satisfying. It's by far the most visually stunning game I've ever played. Crytek is a studio to keep an eye on in the future.

Blog Post: Crysis 3 Review: Crytek Finally Got It Right (SPOILER-FREE)

V3NOM67 — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 23:24:00 GMT

This week, I picked up Crysis 3, and I have to say my expectations weren't very high. The original Crysis was mildly awesome, with impressive graphics and an intriguing plot line. Crysis 2 was a bit of a disappointment, my main issue being with the level structure. Crysis is meant to be a sandbox shooter, and 2, being set in Manhattan, felt incredibly claustrophobic at times. As a result, I was skeptical upon hearing that Crysis 3 would make a return to New York. With the series's rocky history, I was certain that the third installment would be a massive let-down. Boy, was I wrong. Crysis 3 is a fantastic shooter, probably the first must-buy of the year. The campaign is a slick, polished, and mind-blowing escapade into the heart of the "Liberty Dome" (The enormous glass dome encasing Manhattan). Prophet makes a return as the protagonist, which might be tough to grasp for some fans. Psycho (from 1) and Rasch (from 2) return as supporting characters, each in bigger roles than in the past. The plot is solid, and is much more cohesive compared to 2's plot. Many people took issue with 3's campaign being drastically shorter than 2's, but that yields a major improvement: no filler missions. For me, every moment of 3's campaign was an absolute blast, and I'd play it over again in a heart-beat. Like with the campaign, I had reservations about the multi-player. Despite this, I was impressed by all of the additions and improvements over 2's multiplayer. For example, 3's new Hunter Mode, which features cloaked nano-suit wearers with bows against just plain marines is a thrilling, pulse-pounding experience every time. Loadout weapons can be leveled up, each level bringing a new attachment. Also, the online is more fairly balanced than in 2, making for a more enjoyable experience overall. Taking into account all of Crysis 3's achievements and (few) flaws, I'd say that Crytek's third entry in the unique shooter series is the best. Remember me...

Blog Post: A Big Step Back for the Franchise

Ed — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 05:33:00 GMT

Let it be known that I hold Crysis 2 in the highest regard. I adored that game so much that I compare every other shooter to it. To me, Crysis 2 is the perfect shooter. It offered linear gameplay, as well as open battlefields. It let you play it as a straight up run and gun shooter, but also let you play it like a stealth game. It rewarded exploration, but didn't punish you if you just wanted to get straight to the good stuff. It is an all around perfect shooter in my not so humble opinion.

Obviously, I was more than excited for Crysis 3. However, I did not let hype get to me. I didn't read a single preview, didn't watch any videos, and pretty much went on a complete media blackout for the game. On launch day, I was all set to pick up my pre-order when a friend text me and told me quite a few reviews pegged the game at around 6 hours. I have a few simple rules developers/publishers have to follow if they want me to buy their game. No Online Pass, and at least 8 hours worth of single player content for $60.

Before you get up on your high horse and hit the comment button, yes, we've all heard the counter argument that there are plenty of amazing $60 games less than 8 hours long. That's great, and I agree, but I won't drop $60 on a game that can't offer me more than 8 hours worth of single player content. So, regrettably, I cancelled my pre-order. Luckily for me, Red Box was renting the game for $2 a day, so I picked up a copy, ran home and popped it in. And, a little over 5 hours later, watched the credits roll.

For anyone not paying attention, that's less than half the length of the first two Crysis games. This disappointment capped of an underwhelming game that I was severely bummed didn't turn out better. Sure, they improved some things like the graphics. Even on consoles, this game is absolutely gorgeous and by far the prettiest game to ever land on consoles. I was consistently blown away by what I was seeing. I didn't know current gen consoles could handle a lot of the things I was seeing.

There is one trivial thing in particular that blew me away. I know this sounds crazy, but there is a mission in a Dam where you have to shut off the turbines. When I got to the turbine and looked at it spinning, it was the most photo realistic thing I've ever seen in a console game, or any game for that matter. It was so gorgeous looking I didn't want to have to destroy it. The lighting, textures, animations, faces, and even the particle effects are all top shelf stuff. This is one pretty game.

However, that's where the good news ends. The rest of the game is a serious step back for the series. It all feels so unfocused. Crysis 2 had some really great firefights that felt like they were meticulously designed through and through. Most of the firefights in Crysis 3 feel slapped together. You can literally see enemies just spawning randomly and running towards you. There's no tension. Instead of designing firefights, they just spawn enemies and let the A.I. do all the work.

Then there's the level design. Sure, they made everything bigger, but in the process demolished the pacing. Not only that, but there's nothing to do in these big environments. What's the point of this huge area if there is nothing to do in it but the objective? Maybe there'll be some ammo cases in the corner, but that's about it. The game doesn't seem to reward exploration nearly as much as the last one.

And then we come to the story, which again feels slapped together. Whereas Crysis 2 had a well thought out and easy to grasp story with lots of well defined characters, plot twists and the like, Crysis 3 feels like it was slapped together with failed ideas that never made it in the the previous entry. It all feels so thrown together. There's no pacing, few memorable characters, silly dialogue, and lousy voice acting.

The frame rate seems to have taken a hit as well. Crysis 2 wasn't running at 60fps on consoles or anything, but it felt a lot smoother than this one does. Things feel jerky and sluggish compared to the last, especially with enemies on screen. The resolution seems to have taken a hit as well. Even the audio is a downgrade from the last. Almost anything you can think of has taken a hit.

Crytek as expressed enthusiasm for going all Free to Play, and abandoning core games for core gamers in search of money in the casual shooter market, and you can tell that they put none of their good people on Crysis 3. It was made by a B Team, no question, and that's a damn shame. If Crysis 3 had matched the brilliance of Crysis and especially Crysis 2, it could have been one of the most well rounded and fantastic trilogies on any platform. Instead, we got a watered down Crysis 2, without any of the things that made the previous entry so special.

If Crytek wants to turn their backs on gamers who like to pay a flat price and actually own the games they buy, let them, but do yourself a favor and don't support them by buying Crysis 3. You would be supporting laziness. Leave Crysis 3 on store shelves, let Crytek go bankrupt trying to make casual Free to Play shooters, and hopefully then they will realize that gamers aren't going to fund laziness.

Crysis 3 isn't worth your time.

Blog Post: Crysis 3

John Wrek — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:44:00 GMT

As with any good near-future story, Crysis 3 is chock full of surprises, and while far from 'future perfect', is still one of the most enjoyable games that I've had the pleasure of playing in a long while. Well, at least since Crysis 2, of course. The game looks better than ever, although there aren't too many major changes to the HUD layout or the other screens and item upgrading, aside from a few minor little tweaks to keep things feeling fresh. The nanosuit still transforms Alcatraz/Prophet into a badass killing machine a la Terminator, and has a whole new list of possible upgrades to boast as well. Right from the start, veterans of the Crysis series should be able to get the hang of the slightly new mechanics before diving back into the fight and cutting their enemies down a size. Crysis 3 is by the far the best looking game I've seen yet, even better looking than Halo 4, and- while it seems more like a 7-hour DLC upgrade to Crysis 2, it has it's own list of memorable encounters as well.

For a change, the crappy plot of Crysis 2 is thrown unceremoniously aside (it was by far the worst part of that excellent game), and only alluded to in retrospect a few times as the plot of Crysis 3 progresses. (And is by far on par with that of Crysis 1, if not above it.) Seeing as *spoiler Prophet's conscious slowly overtook Alacatraz's in Crysis 2, and that he was basically a walking zombie anyway, *spoiler this game directly features Prophet, a small amount of familiar faces, and a startling host of new adversaries and allies alike. That dude from Crysis Warhead (Yes, Psycho) saves your butt a couple of times, wants you to join their "resistance" against CELL control, and generally expects you to dog along and follow his every order. Obviously, being the badass that he is, (and the fact that Psycho somehow managed to get rid of his nanosuit like the idiot he is) Prophet instead helps the resistance when he can, stalks around New York 'under the dome', and hunts for the "Alpha-Ceph" that could mean the end of the world if unleashed. Yeah, he's tough as nails, I know. Basically, although it continues the trend of Crysis 2's throwing of the narrative to the ground, and focuses more on tense action and brief firefights, Crysis 3 also leans towards Crysis 1 in terms of pacing and NPC encounters among other things. It's the game that balances the best of both worlds in order to keep the players who were fans of the first game but alienated by the second, as well as those who only ever experienced and enjoyed the second. A wise move on Crytek's part...

The similarities in purposeful balancing do not stop there however, and continue on to incorporate the entire sandbox world in and of itself. Whereas Crysis 1 was wide open for players to terrorize, and Crysis 2 was a little more contained and paced a bit slower- Crysis 3 mixes these methods and the end result is quite satisfying. Instead of always limiting your movements and containing the action, the battles are now broader at times, and open up the playing field considerably. You are free in many cases to tackle multiple objectives at once, or go various ways about your explosive business as well. You can also of course choose multiple approaches to situations, including the classic run and gun or stealth options, as well as some concerning vehicles and subterfuge as well. It's a mixed breed. Regardless of what you choose however, be aware that the difficulty present in Crysis 2 seems to have been toned down a bit (or we're all just getting better at playing), so you'll want to amp up the settings a little for a real challenge. I'd personally suggest fans of the first two games play through once or twice on veteran before going in for the ever-impossible Super Soldier run.

Also present in helping to tone down the difficulty is the apex predator of this world: Prophet. With even more augmentations possible to the nanosuit, a whole plethora of new weapons to enjoy and master, and alien technology to fool with- he truly is the best chance for humanity's survival. To counter your being completely overpowered however, a host of new enemies have been added to the game, and the AI has not only been beefed up in terms of brawn, but now possesses more intellect than in previous titles as well. Cloaking may still get them at times, but be as silent as possible, unless you want a storm of bullets, rockets, and grenades headed your way. As it is, playing through on easy or normal is still no challenge whatsoever, unless you're doing it simply to get the hang of the hardcore boss encounters that go down, because those are pretty bad indeed...especially on Super Soldier...

Accompanying the rich single player experience once more this time around is the equally impressive, yet for whatever reason, never quite popular multiplayer mode. Not much has changed in terms of ranking and progression since Crysis 2, however there are a few new modes of gameplay as well to add into the mix. While it is true that they aren't as great as the rush of classic deathmatch games, they do mix things up and are quite intriguing to witness. Hunter pits two cloaked nanosuits against roughly twelve CELL operatives and supports teamwork and a predator-prey outlook, whereas other modes are simply revised versions of standard ones. While not special enough to make it a multiplayer destination in competition with Call of Duty or Halo, and bogged down by a few inconveniences such as poor hit detection and vertical traversal across the environment during firefights- these multiplayer modes are still brutally fast and equally fun.

On a graphical sidenote, as usual, and to nobody's great surprise I am sure, Crysis 3 boasts some of the most astonishing visual highlights that I've ever seen before. Cry Engine 3 is probably the best looking graphics engine I've seen yet, even beating out Metal Gear Rising's Fox engine and Halo 4's graphics as well. From rippling water and gorgeous illumination to extremely realistic environmental details and enemy looks, Crysis 3 nails it all with a solid landing in terms of visuals. Even in the fast-paced multiplayer, the graphical awareness is still there and just as potent- although sometimes affected by slight drops in framerate and mixed up textures at times as well. Otherwise, your jaw will hit the floor and you'll soon find yourself covered in drool whilst enjoying the single player if you aren't careful... Pair this with the excellent soundtrack of tense concertos and ambient noises, as well as the realistic and destructive sounds of war, and you've got yourself an enshrouding experience.

While the core gameplay remains the same, and it hasn't been long enough for the novelty of Crysis 2 to wear off for me personally (from 2011), Crysis 3 is just a step up from some upgrade to the previous title. The PC and console versions are very similar as with the second game, but ever since the first title released exclusively to PC before being ported to consoles- it's clear that PC is the way to go, and that it was made for those graphical big rigs that can handle the burn. Either way you go, it's still amazing and a strong reminder to those who are eager to push on to the next generation of consoles, that all of the revolutionary resolution and animation related changes in this game were done on current gen consoles- thus pushing them even farther past the recognized thresholds of endurance, and still succeeding. Crysis 3 is a visual marvel above all else, although good gameplay and an okay story is thrown in as an added bonus.

Concept: Continue in the jaw-dropping and beautiful tradition of producing Crysis games that allow players both freedom and restraint.

Graphics: The visuals look gorgeous across all consoles and PCs, however the PC does have the upper hand as with the previous two games.

Sound: The guns and explosions are a sight to witness graphically, but they sound just as amazing as they look, which makes for a nice bonus, as well as a great way to wake up sleeping children.

Playability: Everything from Crysis 2's brilliant nanosuit upgrade and control systems returns, and one thing mixes the action up even more this time around: sprinting no longer adversely effects your stamina, so you can run, gun, and cloak at the same time. Excellent if I do say so myself.

Entertainment: With the freedom to approach situations as you see fit, players will note that all environments are open to experimentation and tactical assessment.

Replay Value: High

Overall Score: 9.25

Blog Post: An Expansion That Doesn't Need To Exist

mthams — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:55:00 GMT

Crysis 3 doesn't need to exist. Crysis 2 provided a satisfactory end to the original story arc. Crysis 3 more or less came out of nowhere and feels like a tacked on excuse to jump back into the Crysis universe for a few hours. It also definitively re-satisfies said story arc. There are some plot pieces that raise more questions than they answer and a twist that most should see coming that then turns into an out of place lovers subplot, but for the most part the story is entertaining. I just feel that it didn't need to be told and that the reasoning behind Prophet's presence (yes, the original Prophet, forget about Alcatraz) is extremely contrived.

For the five hours (six is being generous and I stopped often to sightsee) that you'll spend saving an overgrown New York, you'll be awed by magnificent views and wield familiar weapons. The graphics are beautiful. Even on 360 (my console of choice), Crysis 3 puts most other games to shame. Every sight is worth taking in and a great amount of detail went into every aspect. The weapons are more of the same from Crysis 2 (which isn't a bad thing) with the addition of the Ceph arsenal. The Cell weapons can be fully customized, but the Ceph weapons are one-offs that feel ripped from Halo. There are also a couple of vehicle segments that reminded me of the sand buggy sequences from Half Life 2 except this one handles terribly and seems disproportional to the rest of the world when inside it. The game is fairly linear. I disagree with Bertz's statement that there are multiple objectives that you can tackle in any order you please. It's more like there are inconsequential optional objectives that you can go a few meters out of your way for. There are multiple ways to tackle any objective, but I never got the feeling that I was exploring a massive area like I did with Crysis 2. Also be prepared for two back-to-back, out-of-place boss fights.

One segment that still stands out in my mind that I think deserves some praise and recognition is near the start. Players are tasked with taking out a defensive tower surrounded by ruins and tall grass. Within the tall grass are Ceph and they move and hunt like the velociraptors in Jurassic Park. I felt pangs of fear and anxiety in dealing with those foes. That whole segment made me long for a Jurassic park game, because that's what I felt like I was playing. Near the end while making a final assault on a Cell base, I longed for a Mass Effect FPS with Crysis graphics, because I felt like I was caught in the crosshairs between Cerebrus and Reaper forces. Crysis 3 contains a lot of cool moments, but I found myself wondering what the point of Crysis 3 is (it existing, I understood my mission objectives) and thought it should go the route of Mass Effect 4, a new direction with pieces of the past. Luckily for Crysis fans, Crysis 4 is underway and is expected to be a radical new direction.

The multiplayer is entertaining for a few rounds, but it wont keep most players returning for more. I believe that Crysis' foundation is in single player and am not giving the multiplayer equal weight in making my review. Let's face it, Crysis is no CoD, Halo or Battlefield. Crysis 3 is an enjoyable and worthwhile experience. I recommend it, especially if you've enjoyed the past entries. Just don't pay sticker price. Redbox it like I did or borrow it from a friend. In a month or so, it'll be going for much cheaper or used. Crysis 3 should have been a downloadable expansion to Crysis 2, not a full sequel. Most of my review may seem negative, but my goal is to bring some issues to light that I feel Bertz overlooked or didn't regard as issues. I agree with the rest of his review and feel that overall, Crysis 3 is a worthwhile gaming experience.

Blog Post: Crysis 3- The New Bar is Set for Shooters

jktmowell — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 01:47:00 GMT

When it comes to shooters, most of the time you get the same thing in a different case. The genre has been very stale as of late, with nothing exciting and fresh to offer for gamers. Then comes Crysis 3, a first person shooter that simply raises the bar on so many levels.

1) Graphics

Speaking of Crysis games must be in the same sentence as graphics. The guys from Crytek have not cut corners on anything when it comes to the masterpeice that is Crysis 3.

Take a glance at this shot. All the vegatation and overgrowth moves as the wind blows in the game. The lines of the Liberty Dome never blurr or fade. The light is so crisp and clean it is beyond clear. Even the motions of the soliders and characters are so life like it is creepy at times!

To get a better understand of the graphics and how it is acheived, check out the videos from Crytek showing off their CryEngine 3 system. It is awesome

2) The Campaign

With most shooters these days, you are buying the game for the multiplayer only. That is not the case with Crysis at all. In fact, if you do not experience the campaign you haven't really played Crysis 3, as with the games before it from this series.

The story is alittle hard to follow if you are not paying very close attention. Questions could arise like, "How does Prophet survive the bullet that he puts in his head from the second game?" Who is Psycho, where did he come from?" If these questions arise and it bothers you, my suggestion is to go back and play the first 2 games from the trilogy. You will love them!!!

The environment again is simply amazing. You get to experience New York City overgrown by nature and ruled by a milatant group named Cell that is out for your blood. Alien tech is scattered beautifully across the landscape. Surprise enemies and side missions are also seen throughout the campaign. This environment gives you so many options as to how YOU want to play through the game.

When it comes to the campaign it is defiantly, one game fits all.

3) Options

I love options in a game. Crysis 3 gives you so many that it will make your head spin. The nanosuit is upgradeable, with cloaking power to give you that nice stealth feel that you may love. As well, you can turn on the armor, grab a large weapon and run and gun until your heart is content.

The nanosuit is enough to make me happy. However, you begin to look at the weapons. Each weapon in Crysis 3 is upgradeable and interchangable. With in game menus to change your scope and accessories, you can start with a reflex sight and change halfway through a multiplayer round or level in the campaign to a long range scope with a silencer. EPIC OPTIONS

4) Multiplayer

My favorite part of the multiplayer in Crysis 3 is hands down the nanosuit options that is brought to the table in this Multiplayer. If used right, you can wield an enormous amout of damage to your enemies using all your options from your nanosuit: cloaking, armor, long jumps, visor options, and tagging enemies for recon so they are easily picked off by your team.

The maps are great. There are 12 maps that are all common in the fact that they are big. Alot of gamers that I have talked to are upset that most shooters recently have made their maps alot smaller, taking away from the snipers in the game. That is not the case with these maps. They are large and better than that they are layered. You can get a high view point for sniping or you can come in low with a run and gun style. Either way you can find what you want in these maps.

The custom classes are your normal format and workings as other shooter multiplayer games, so it should be easy to navigate through customizing your loadout.

I will do a deeper review on the multiplayer later, as I rank up and experience more of it.

5) The Predator Bow

The most amibitous part of the Crysis 3 experience is the Predator Bow. How nice it is to see Crytek show some balls and change things up. Your most valuable weapon is a bow and arrow. Is it weak? NO It is amazing!!! Your cloaking feature is put to its max potiential when given the predator bow. You have the ablity to fire arrow without coming uncloaked. This gives you a hunter's edge and brings a whole new feel to the whole game and genre. Very risky move making this happen, but it was done right and it is bad ass!!!

As you can tell, I could go on and on about this game! Why? I am that excited about it!!! I am going to come out and say that this is a contender for me when it comes to the best game of 2013!!! With alot of new fresh ideas and graphic genius, Crysis 3 has not only met the Bar of excellence for a video game, but has raised it to a whole new level. Other shooters are going to have to put in alot of long nights to come out with something as fresh as this sweet game. Thanks to Crytek for giving me my new obession!!!

Blog Post: Average in every way

Steel braker — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 23:39:00 GMT

This game is average in every way. The graphics are nice but doesn't make up for awful AI or bland game play. You have played this game a million times. I would just say play Halo 4 again or Far cry 3.

Blog Post: Evolutionary Gameplay, Revolutionary Graphics

Matt Bertz — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Modern science fiction is filled with wondrous alternate realities showcasing awe-inspiring technologies, but good stories are hard to come by. The Crysis series, with its rotating cast of sterile protagonists and questionable hard sci-fi plot twists, is just as guilty of this deficiency as the majority of Syfy shows. While the nanosuit is an amazing asset capable of transforming players into deadly hunters, the narrative vehicle for this great gameplay mechanic has been so badly damaged over the course of the last three games that it barely runs. [Excerpt]

Though it’s still saddled with the plot baggage of its predecessors, Crysis 3 is at least the most cohesive story in the series. The game opens with Crysis 2 protagonist Prophet being rescued from captivity by Psycho (the hero from Crysis Warhead), who has joined a dissident group fighting against the evil corporation that quarantined a decimated New York City to harvest alien technology for its own nefarious purposes. Psycho, who no longer dons a nanosuit, expects Prophet to turn the tide against the overreaching corporation, but his former commander has his own agenda. While in captivity he saw visions of the end of the world, which comes courtesy of the Alpha Ceph alien that lies dormant under Manhattan. Prophet will stop at nothing to prevent this extinction-level event.

Crysis 2 traded the wide-open jungles of the first game in favor of a series of smaller micro-sandboxes. This approach still allowed players to use the attacking tactic of their choosing, but some players longed for the freedom the first game provided. Crysis 3 delivers a better balance of these two design philosophies. Many battles still take place in controlled spaces that limit your movement, but the action eventually opens up. The best missions, which come later in the game, feature multiple objectives you can tackle in any order, a healthy mix between standard infantry enemies and menacing heavies like the Pinger, larger tracts of land, and an array of vehicles the player can choose to use or ignore in favor of a stealthy approach.

Whatever tactic you use, Crysis veterans should turn up the difficulty if they want a serious challenge over the course of the six-hour campaign. With a customizable nanosuit that allows you to tailor the suit’s powers to your play style, a new compound bow that you can use in stealth mode, and several high-powered alien weapons at your disposal, Prophet is more deadly than ever before. The AI is more competent than it was in Crysis 2, but it still has trouble tracking a cloaked enemy. Those who have mastered the nuances of the nanosuit will have no problem breezing through the game on the basic difficulty setting. The exception is the jarring boss battles, which require repeated playthroughs to decipher how the game expects you to emerge victorious.

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If you take your time moving through the missions, you have more opportunities to admire the amazing sights provided by the CryEngine 3. From the gorgeous water effects and global illumination to the detailed character animations and photo-realistic environments, Crysis 3 is one of the best-looking games on the planet. I often found myself activating the cloaking device while in the presence of enemies just to watch a frog hop along the jungle floor or to regard the wind effects on a canvased shipping container.

This impressive graphical fidelity takes a serious hit in the transition to multiplayer. Though Crysis 3 has some of the better-designed maps in the series, the muddied textures are a far cry from the jaw-dropping visuals of the single-player campaign, especially on consoles.

With 50 levels, a progression system of unlockables, and your standard array of modes, the multiplayer doesn’t feel much different from its predecessor. The new Hunter mode, which pits a small team of nanosuit wearing stalkers against a larger force of human operatives, captures the thrill of being the predator and prey, but I still preferred the classics like team deathmatch or domination. The sketchy hit detection (of which there is ample evidence on killcams), questionable respawns, and some problematic terrain navigation need to be addressed if Crytek wants to compete on the high end of the multiplayer spectrum.

Crysis 3’s evolutionary enhancements don’t move the needle for the series very far, but the core nanosuit-based gameplay is still thrilling. If you have a rig that can run the PC version of Crysis 3, I strongly recommend you go this route. The high-resolution textures, realistic lighting, and detailed facial animations gives you a taste of the graphical fidelity we expect to be standard in next-generation consoles.

Blog Post: Evolutionary Gameplay, Revolutionary Graphics

Matt Bertz — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:00 GMT

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Above: Watch our episode of Test Chamber on Crysis 3.

Blog Post: Evolutionary Gameplay, Revolutionary Graphics

Matt Bertz — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 14:00:00 GMT

[View:2047986078001]

Wiki: Crysis 3 Guides

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 06:32:00 GMT

Guides for Crysis 3

File: Crysis 3