Crysis 2

[onelifecrisis]

There's quite a bit of footage knocking around now that E3 is done. What are your thoughts? Mine:

Since this is a Crytek game I think it's appropriate to start with the graphics. Crysis 2 might be the first ever sequel to have graphics that are worse than the original. Not that it looks bad, you understand, but it doesn't look as good as Crysis. I think they've had to downscale the engine quite a bit to get it to run on consoles. The silver lining? At least this time we shouldn't have any frame rate issues!

Moving on... what is Crytek's obsession with boss fights? You'd think that after all the complaints about the Crysis boss fight, Crytek might have gotten the hint. But nooo. They just have to have something big to shoot. I'm talking about that walking contraption that crashes into the train station and... guess what? There's a rocket launcher nearby. And guess what? Most of the walls are indestructible. And guess what? If you pop out from behind one of the indestructible walls you get just enough time to fire off a rocket before the big bad scary thing gets you in it's sights! Ugh. Haven't we all played this scenario about a thousand times in hundreds of games? Crytek seem to be going backwards in time. I predict that Crysis 3 will feature untextured polygons and medkits.

Still, I'll probably buy Crysis 2. It looks pretty, and the big walking contraption clearly needs to die.

[Arclight]

So instead of a boss here and there, you'd rather have a few more hordes of copy-paste grunts? :hmmm:

Don't get me wrong, I can understand the complaint, just don't agree. Personally I prefer a little variaton and something that actually requires a little more thinking to defeat than point-and-shoot.

The only reason I liked the first one was because you could aproach it as a stealth game, so untill I see more of the stealth in Cry2, I'll reserve my judgement.

One thing I will say though: Crytek knows how to make a shooter, even if it's a bit generic, and/or old-school/old-fashioned.

[onelifecrisis]

Oh, I don't mind boss fights too much, I just think the one I saw in the preview video was rather uninspired. But I've seen worse.

As for copy-paste grunts... yes, give me more! The copy-paste grunts in Crysis were more than just cannon fodder... at least, they were with a simple tweak. In case you are unaware of it, go into diff_bauer.cfg (which controls the "Delta" difficulty setting) and change ai_RODLowHealthMercyTime to 0. That disables "Mercy Time" which means they will actually try to kill you instead of simply looking like they are trying to kill you. It doesn't affect damage or accuracy or other AI behaviours; it just stops them from missing you on purpose when your health gets low. Start a new game on Delta and you will find a new level of respect for the AI in Crysis! (which is actually quite good but for some reason was "dumbed down" with this Mercy Time mechanic)

BTW, I also play Stealth. :)

[Arclight]

Come to think of it, gimme more Koreans! :lol:

No doubt my favorite thing in Crysis: Sneaking around, stalking Koreans. I'll trade all the aliens and bosses for 2 or 3 more towns full of those soldiers. :yep:


Was cool letting a patrol of 3 pass by, moving up in stealth, grabbing the rear one and tossing him into his mate with Strength. Then tranq the guy in front and knock them over the head to put 'm down permanently. Voila, patrol disabled, no alarms raised, no bullets fired. :DL

* Delta was still a little easy. Thanks for the tip, sure I'll try it out next playthrough. :up:

[onelifecrisis]

You must have better dexterity than I. Strength mode was too risky for me. I "sniped" in so much as that I would decloak, shoot, recloak, relocate (usually to behind a bush), decloak, recharge, recloak, rinse and repeat. Sometimes a grenade would find me or I'd stumble into a Korean I didn't see and then things would get really interesting really fast, and those for me were the best bits of Crysis - when my plan failed and suddenly I had to think fast and improvise. One of the things that Crysis does well is provide the player with a lot of options for improvisation! :D

[onelifecrisis]

BTW, did you see the Crysis 2 video I was talking about? I was a little concerned by the bad voice acting... but hopefully that'll be sorted out before release.

[Arclight]

Ehr, been keeping track of it, but can't recall anything particular about voice-acting. Here's a rundown of the headlines on Cry2 (first 3 have videos):

Making Manhattan Chowder with Crysis 2 (http://kotaku.com/5573180/making-manhattan-chowder-with-crysis-2)

Crysis 2 Trailer: Big Apple, Nice Buns (http://kotaku.com/5511259/crysis-2-trailer-big-apple-nice-buns)

Crysis 2 Preview: Two Ways To Save New York, New York (http://kotaku.com/5511492/crysis-2-preview-two-ways-to-save-new-york-new-york)


Crysis 2 Eyes-On Impressions: Rumble in the Asphalt Jungle (http://kotaku.com/5570321/crysis-2-eyes+on-impressions-rumble-in-the-asphalt-jungle)

Crysis 2 Goes 3D On 3 Platforms (http://kotaku.com/5563385/crysis-2-goes-3d-on-3-platforms)

Crysis 2 Beta Keys Go First to Site Registrants (http://kotaku.com/5562271/crysis-2-beta-keys-go-first-to-site-registrants)

Don't Hate Crysis 2 Because It's Beautiful (http://kotaku.com/5538650/dont-hate-crysis-2-because-its-beautiful)

"Brutality" Of Console Gamers Sharpened Crysis 2, Didn't Dumb It Down (http://kotaku.com/5513591/brutality-of-console-gamers-sharpened-crysis-2-didnt-dumb-it-down)


Something to note about the graphics; Crytek claims to have been focusing on scalability for the new engine version. It's possible the game won't actually look worse on PC, but instead requires a little less power than expected to still look decent, while running it maxed out might again be impossible on anything but the latest hardware.

All the trailers so far, as far as I know, are run on the 360. It's arguably the weakest platform (graphically) for Cry2 to be released on.

[onelifecrisis]

For Yerli, one of the differences between PC gamers and console gamers is the difference between a minute and 10 seconds. On consoles, he said, "we have to make sure split seconds they accept Crysis and not reject it. That's the brutality of the market. In PC games, you have a bit more time, maybe a minute left before you get rejected. In the console it feels like you have 10 seconds to tell me why you're awesome."

That console gamer, in other words, has less patience and demands a more streamlined experience.

Yerli was willing to brainstorm what making a game hospitable to a console gamer's more hurried judgments might mean: "It can be we're going to start with a big boom and have a fast tempo. And, like don't make them think too much.

Made me lol!

[Arclight]

Aye, that why all the explosions. :haha:


Personally I still think it's the difference between looking for a challenge, or simply looking for entertainment. To do some horrible stereo-typing: PC-gamers want a challenge, console-gamers want entertainment.

As a result, PC-gamers take a little time to dig deeper to find that challenge, while a console-gamer simply won't accept being bored.

Not intended as a slight against anyone. ;)

[onelifecrisis]

I just find it hilarious that he's so forthright with his opinion... or maybe he just chooses his words poorly... either way it's funny to see the CEO of a major game developer telling his future customers that they are a bit thick! :haha:

[Arclight]

Not the most brilliant marketing move, definetly. :DL

[stabiz]

Its funny because its true.

[Arclight]

Right, Crysis 2 is out for a bit, and generaly received well. I can say some good things about it and some bad things, but not having played it myself it wouldn't carry much weight. So, a review from the usual source:
Wot I Think: Crysis 2 (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/26/review-crysis-2-pc/)


Also, 2 articles to balance the flak it is receiving from a good part of it's PC fanbase, based on the compromises made to run it on consoles:

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/03/29/crysis-2-technical-analysis/ (yeah it's a joke, targeted at the pseudo-specialists)

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-tech-comparison-crysis2


All I care about at this point is whether it has the female suit-voice option. Can't stand the default male one, gots to have the female one from the original. :D

Well, that and an options menu that actually has options... graphics setup is limited to 3 presets without allowing customisation. Only see that in shoddy ports and $10 dollar indie games nowadays. :-?

[Feuer Frei!]

If, as some critics say, the AI is crap, then i won't get it.
No amount of eye candy or wow factors in a game can sway me if the AI is crap.

[Rilder]

I saw the commercials airing for it... looked about as fun as dipping your face in magma.

Then again you know how much I hate linear storyline games.

[Bort]

I think this game is receiving a lot of unnecessary hate from people. I was, originally, in the same boat, thinking that it was a console port, that it was a dumbed down linear game for the kind of people who play through the Black Ops campaign and think it's awesome.

But I was wrong. And I'm really, really enjoying this game. The game feels very cinematic while you're playing and there are plenty of jaw dropping graphical moments that just make you say, "Wow." Also, Crytek has definitely gotten the feel of the game very correct. Every action you take, be it shooting a gun, kicking a car into someone's face, or jumping up to a high ledge, feels incredibly polished and it feels good. Some of the game is linear, but the fact that there is more than one way to go about each situation (stealth, run and gun, tactical...) makes up for that fact. The AI is also certainly better than I expected and much better than in the original Crysis or Warhead. Also, definitely better than anything you'll find published with the Call of Duty stamp on it.

I really like this game and hope people will give it a chance without judging it for what they think it is before they play it.

[Feuer Frei!]

I saw the commercials airing for it... looked about as fun as dipping your face in magma.

:haha:

The AI is also certainly better than I expected and much better than in the original Crysis or Warhead.
Well, if that's the case, i may give this game a crack then.
AI is a game-breaker for me.
Might need some more feedback on that one before i comit.

[Dowly]

Yahtzee:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/3079-Crysis-2

[Spike88]

Ive been playing this game for the last 3 hours and have to say it is pretty good. It's definitely hard to stealth in, and gunfights can get the better of you on normal. I tend to play a little like predator in the way that I blow enemies away(shotgun is my favorite gun) and then cloak. I can't really say I have any complaints although I did notice a few Ai hiccups, such as an enemy running into a car nonstop and another enemy I was shooting at jumping back and forth over cover. Although I am playing the 360 version, and since I hardly take my 360 online(not that I can at the moment anyways) this could have been patched out already.


I did feel rather dumb when I first encountered the aliens, due to a review I was under the impression you needed to stealth kill them to get the level points, it wasn't until I replayed the same portion 5 times did I realize you could just kill them anyway and walk through the area that they died in.

[Arclight]

Guess I'm the only one that doesn't like it; all the open level design is gone. Just 1 long, narrow but pretty corridor.

[Feuer Frei!]

Guess I'm the only one that doesn't like it; all the open level design is gone. Just 1 long, narrow but pretty corridor.
Yes, i have to agree there, finished this the other week, one big cut scene at the end and that was that, as they say.
Was a little disappointed tbh.
Graphics look great but imho quiete linear.

[Spike88]

Finished it the other night, and I would say, grading it on a scale compared to what you can currently buy on the market, it's a 8 out of 10. Compared to the first crysis it's a 5 or 6 out of ten. It is a great game and a beautiful one but I did have my nitpicks mostly with the story
Warning spoilers.


Okay so you kill the cell leader and dozen or so cell troopers, hargrave betrays you(was one of the best betrayals in a videogame, I atleast didn't see it coming) and then your working with cell to escape the prism. If they ignored hardgraves orders before, why are they suddenly listening to him in regards to you?

Also the ending was a bit off. So you just saved New York City and possibily the world, and are the only one who can fight off any future invasions, and yet no one is looking for you? I would think Strickland and Gould would be doing that instead of helping civilians. Its not like you went far from central park. Instead you wake up two days later on your own accord. Although I guess if they had looked for you it wouldn't have fit the ending that they gave.


The end where your crawling through the spore thing and your suit is burning is basically the end of MGS4.

Another nitpick, but I notice it with mass effect, there for its a 360 problem, is the fact that after loading sometimes, the world would be texture less.


I do like how the suit has to redraft on occasion, but then it starts to happen so much, you wonder if it's running on windows 98. Also the button pressing scenes where fun, until you ended up doing the same thing several times in the story.


In other news, to fill in story gaps I've started replaying Crysis 1. Noticed the game is a lot better on delta setting. I'm playing on high :D and fixed my sound lag by reducing sound quality to low. Still get the occasional cackle but the game is definitely playable. And I think it may look better than crysis 2.


In other other news, you know you've played too much Crysis when you pick up heavy stuff and hear "maximum strength" in your head.

Edit: I also prefer the dedicated suit modes, compared to speed and strength being rolled into the other two. Although I like the option of holding jump in any suit mode and automatically using strength.

[onelifecrisis]

So in the end I didn't buy Crysis 2 because of the many, many reports of fubar AI. But I see it's now up to patch 1.9, so is the AI fixed now? Or does it still walk into walls, off tall buildings, and other Lemming-like things?