The release of Crysis in 2007 marked a new age for graphical capabilities. People were astounded by the impressive graphics the Cryengine achieved and ever since visuals have been a cornerstone of the series. Crysis 3 is no exception. With a week full of trailers for next-generation games, Crysis 3 could stand beside any of them visually.
Following the events of Crysis 2, players once again find themselves filling the shoes of nanosuit-adorned badass Prophet. New York City is also once again the setting for the game. However take the dilapidation of the last game and multiply it by a thousand. The streets have collapsed into water- and weed-filled swamps bordered by the hollowed out skeletons of the buildings of New York. The settings you explore are varied but always beautiful and interesting.
Crysis 3 once again has players battling both Cell agents and the dreaded alien Ceph. The story is simple but the pacing fast, which keeps the story engaging. Phases of the game often climax in set moments, which are like cut scenes in which the player is still an active participant, even if it is just operating the camera. These set moments are beautifully crafted and often act either to expand the story or as much-appreciated character development. Players can also contribute to story development through optional side missions, which reveal information about characters, enemies and the world itself.
Though the game is a first person shooter it embraces the growing trend of diverging combat options. The three main ways to approach combat situations are through assault, stealth or hacking. Though these three combat styles are present in many first person shooters, Crytek have included an upgrade system, which allows players to augment the game to their preferred play style. In this way you can turn yourself into an unstoppable tank, an undetectable ninja or the world’s most badass nerd. However, the upgrades are also part of a loadout system, so you can transition between any three of these proficiencies at anytime. This makes any combat situation an awesome mix of firing madly, slitting throats from the shadows and turning your enemies’ own turrets against them.
The game also includes a multiplayer mode. However, unlike the campaign the multiplayer has the look and feel of a last-minute addition. The main problem with the multiplayer is the overpowered nature of the player themselves. The nanosuit which each player wears allow them to use abilities such as increased armor or a stealth cloak. These abilities mean that opponents are either invisible or near invulnerable. On top of that any player can do a dive bomb after jumping which if aimed correctly is an instant kill. The multiplayer maps and gameplay themselves are cool; all of the problems come from issues of balancing skills and damage.
Overall, Crysis 3 is a very nice conclusion to a series that has pushed the boundaries of what could be achieved in our current generation. No doubt Crytek will continue making games and improving the Cryengine in the quickly approaching next generation. I look forward to seeing what they accomplish next.
8/10
