Crysis 2

Last month, I played and reviewed Killzone 3 which had a campaign that I thought exemplified my problems with Guerrilla Games: they make great looking games but the "game" part is lacking. Crytek to a certain degree has been called this by others and while I don't have a computer that can run the original game (or Far Cry for that matter), Crysis 2 seems intent to being the developer's first major console release and a step forward for them. However the transition isn't as smooth and for every moment that astounds in single player, some incredibly annoying things show their face. When the online shows promise and potential, you're also reminded why you'd rather play something else. Not everything in Crysis 2 is seamless but when you go from 3 linear "hallway shooters" back to back (Bulletstorm, Killzone 3, Homefront), having a game that rewards experimentation and even strategy is quite welcome. 
 
The plot begins as an alien virus has hit New York City leaving it devastated and empty. Doesn't help that the alien race, the "Ceph" have also shown up and have begun wreaking havoc on the city. You play as the marine callsign "Alcatraz" who's been fitted with the nanosuit which gives stealth capabilities as well as heightened strength and reflexes. You'll have to deal not only with the Ceph but also the private military group that's after you and the suit as you make your way through the empty and ravaged streets of New York as you try to eradicate the Ceph. 
 
The story is...well it's there, I'll put it that way. The voice acting can be really spotty, mission objectives and key figures can blur together. You'll find the storytelling and immersion to be high but the actual story itself to be not that engaging and as someone who's never played the original, I was pretty much lost from minute one. The game does repeat some things a bit too much such as your suit constantly telling you about new tactical opportunities while in other times having less-than-ideal ways to end a level. You'll hop into the back of a humvee, turret in hand only for it to move you to next level. You can reach a certain point, fade to black then the loading screen. 
 
There's kind of a debate about the graphics of Crysis 2 on the consoles and just how great they are compared to heavyweights like Uncharted 2, Killzone 3 and Mass Effect 2. I find them inexplicably spotty since the environments, draw distance and just the amount of stuff the CryEngine has to render onscreen is very impressive and there's some sequences such as collapsing freeways, buildings and bridges that are absolutely stunning. But then the framerate drops, certain textures don't really stand out or shooting a table will still keep whatever's on top afloat in the air. The game can look very pretty but I wasn't constantly going "my god, look at these graphics!" so much as an overall "yep it's a looker."  
 
There's some great immersion into the environments which then get completely reset when you notice the abysmal enemy AI which I notice gets worse the higher you go in difficulty. Running in circles, doing laps around a 6 foot area, running into teammates or other objects, one alien ran all over the area before he finally decided to charge me and on and on. One time I didn't grab the ledge of a roof and fell to the ground below, energy gone so I thought "Crap, uncloak, and let it recharge". No sooner did I uncloak, the entire enemy squad was alerted to my presence despite the fact I was in an alleyway behind a concrete wall ducking behind a trashcan. And the funniest part about all this?  
 
"We have the most advanced AI system in a game," Yerli told CVG. "We think that Crysis 2 has the most advanced AI for both humans and aliens you've ever seen. "   Taken from computerandvideogames.com 
 
Now we come down to the multiplayer which is, well, I try not to be mean but sometimes you just can't sugarcoat so I'll say it flat out: I'm not impressed and I'm not enjoying any of it. Now the idea of combining Call of Duty's perks and leveling up with the cloak and armor abilities of the campaign with the Mirror's Edge-esque parkour aspect makes for a really different online experience. But one thing that you may or may not find but I find practically rampant throughout the game is some of the worst hit detection and lag I've seen since Gears of War 2. Be prepared to pepper guys with bullets sans armor mode for them to finally die yet a couple of bullets will take you out instantly with them. The modes are pretty standard that have been livened up thanks to the nanosuit capabilities and some perks such as seeing enemies that are cloaked, seeing footsteps they leave behind or an automatic spotter allows for some refreshing takes on the FPS genre. But then having modes taking so long to finally unlock, attachments you can't get for a good while and even the matchmaking's off.  It's either ridiculously fast or being in a lobby where more than enough people are joining yet no match is being started can sour the experience. As blunt as I can, you shouldn't buy Crysis 2 for the online and I'd recommend a rent first. 
 
Last week, Homefront was released which many agree had a bad (I say abysmal but tomato to-mah-toe) campaign but an excellent multiplayer, if a bit imbalanced and broken as of now. Crysis 2 is the opposite: offering a really unique and at times kind of stunning campaign that's then soured the minute it's online. Not everyone will see the issues and campaign length will vary since I took 7 hours, 2 minutes, 18 seconds on normal yet others say 10-13 but the game is quite solid and it's nice to play a Crytek game without needing the computer God uses to run it. It's a solid game but a strangely inconsistent one as well.