Crysis almighty!

Hey Gamers! Time for my Crysis 2 review! I know I've been very inactive of late, but I've had a lot going on, and posting has slipped my mind unfortunately; hopefully this makes up for it with this review! Now I know people don't really want to be reading a massive wall of text, so I will try make this as short as possible, highlighting the key points in the game, whether they be positives or negatives :) 


Straight off the bat, this game was always likely to be an epic, following on from Crytek's massive success with the first in the series, back in 2007. When Crysis: Warhead came out, the expansion pack for Crysis, which was released in 2008, that wasn't anything short of an immense ride, either. However, prior to release, there were a few rumbles from gamers, in regards to the fact that Crytek may have dulled down the PC version too much so they could easily cater for the consoles at the same time, this giving the impression that Crytek were being lazy.. but this didn't end up being the case! Well, not totally anyway. 


From what I have seen from all platforms, Crytek have done a sterling job! However, even though they didn't end up dulling down the graphics for our beloved PC platform as such, there were still certain restrictions in the way you could tailor Crysis 2 to suit your visual needs, which is slightly annoying if you're a graphics snob like myself. I wasn't best pleased to find that you could only edit the visuals in a general sense, giving you a drop down menu which contained choices ranging from High, Highest and Extreme (options may differ depending on your system.) There is absolutely no other way to change the settings officially. However, there has been a third party program released, that you can integrate into your Crysis 2 directory, which enables you to tweak almost everything within the game, before start-up; but I found that it doesn't work as well as if there were in-game options. 


All restrictions aside though, the game looks fantastic and well polished, even down to the game's Menu. Even though the Anti-Aliasing settings within the game are virtually unknown, the "Extreme" settings seem to do a good enough job, automatically, in getting rid of unwanted 'step-ladder' effects around objects. I don't know what style of Anti-Aliasing is automatically used, but the game engine seems to blur the edges, subtly, so everything melds in quite nicely. The only downside to the Anti-Aliasing is that it doesn't make the game look as sharp as possible, but it still looks good because of the environment you're in; there's a lot of steam, smoke and dust floating about, so sometimes the fact that the game doesn't look as sharp as it could do, is hardly noticeable. 


The animations, textures and lighting in this game all look spectacular. From gun reflections to collapsing terrain/buildings, you're always in awe of what Crytek have managed to achieve with their Cryengine; it seriously feels like you're in a Blockbuster movie at times, especially in the opening 20 minutes of the game.

The campaign's length is decent, could have been longer, but it's not a bad length at all; certainly not as bad as Homefront anyway, no where near! The voice acting and music score will always grab your attention and immerse you into your surroundings and the general mood of the game, keeping you glued to your seat and making you feel compelled not to quit before you've completed the game.. which would be very irresponsible and unhealthy, don't do it! 
Now, there is a big downfall in the campaign, which is the AI, as per a lot of games. You will often find that the AI will make some questionable decisions in their tactics to try and take you down, whether it be firing and moving, or just getting into position. I witnessed that on many occasions, the AI will fire a few shots off, and then run into the most stupid spot ever, leaving them open to be fired upon; this is after they were already in adequate cover. Another thing I noticed was that when the AI are patrolling, they tend to walk into objects, and sometimes into other AI models.. it really took the attention away from the games realism, but I guess that getting the AI perfect in all video games is an ongoing battle for developers, and not just Crytek. 
The gameplay in the campaign is fluid and stable. I didn't come across any problems at all when moving about, nor did I have any problems with weapon recoil or anything of the like, so there isn't really that much to say about it in this section, as in general, everything tied in with the gameplay in Crysis 2 is awesome. 


If you played the first Crysis game, or Crysis: Warhead, you will know all about the Nano suit modules. There were plenty of suit options for you to play around with, including Speed, Strength, Armour and of course your Cloak; all of which were accessed from a selection wheel on-screen. In Crysis 2, they have taken away said selection wheel, and instead made a short-cut for just your Stealth and Armour modes. But don't worry, they haven't got rid of Speed or Strength as such, they have just melded it in with the Sprint button, and the Jump and Melee buttons. At first I was a bit disappointed, but then I got used to the idea and it really isn't that bad.. it's easier if anything! The Nano suit works well, I haven't really come across any imbalances or bugs, so thumbs up in that respect! 

Last but not least, it's time for the multiplayer; it's pretty damn awesome. Let me just say, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Crysis 2 has your simple custom class load outs, with a few weapons to choose from (some which you must unlock, including attachments), a side-arm slot, a special grenade slot and three suit module slots (aka perks; one for each Armour, Stealth and Power slots). Crysis 2 Multiplayer is to-the-point, and it isn't overkill when it comes to choosing your equipment, like Black Ops is. There's a decent amount of equipment to choose from, but not too much, so you can select your things and get playing as soon as possible, with minimal time wasted; it's excellent. 


The gameplay itself is fluid, much like the campaign. I didn't notice any major glitches in the multiplayer, nor did I notice any imbalance or massive connection issues, apart from one, which has been resolved now, but I will explain anyway. When I first attempted to enter the multiplayer menu, it asked me for my CD-key, which I duly delivered. However, I then entered a server for it just to kick me back into the menu, stating that I had lost connection. I restarted the game, clicked on the Multiplayer option, and it asked me to enter my CD-key again.. which I thought was very strange. I repeated the same process around about four times, and by then I knew that it wasn't a problem with my computer. After trawling through many forums myself, I was then pointed towards a helpful thread by a friend, which stated the following fix:


Enter the multiplayer menu, and input your CD-key. Once you have done that, and you're in the multiplayer section, go back to the main menu again. Re-enter the multiplayer, and re-enter your CD-key, if prompted to do so (if not, it doesn't matter). After this process has been completed, the game should work.


..and that it did work! So, I was finally all happy again and I went on my way to be all jolly and shoot people in the head and stuff. 
Despite the aforementioned hiccup with the game server, the multiplayer does seem stable from my own experience, I've had no problems to note since then, thus making it pretty much perfect! 
The game did have an auto-aim feature for the online, but it was removed by popular demand, luckily, so how well you play will all be down to skill, and skill alone; and that's pretty much it for my review! Hope you've enjoyed the read, and I would highly recommend you play this, whether you buy or rent it, for any platform you have at your expense. 


Personally, I give this game a 9 out of 10. Epic visuals, fluid gameplay and a multiplayer feature to keep you entertained for a long time.


Take care guys and girls,


Jayhmmz.

Well.. here's a curve ball that I wasn't expecting!

Hey Gamers, time for a quick follow on from yesterday's post about Homefront.. and I bring news, of somewhat disheartening proportion. 
After many gamers having bigged up the game after visiting game conventions, and gameplay trailers conveying what seemed to be a pretty amazing looking game.. turns out it isn't all what it was hyped up to be. However, it is still "fun" and "unique".


I watched a video review on IGN.com this morning, and they pretty much delivered a curve ball, in terms of what the game is like overall. 
First of all, they reported that Homefront's presentation isn't all that great, but that it didn't look bad; it just wasn't going to be battling it out with the rest of the awesome looking games, such as Killzone 3 and Crysis2, but it's still playable and it does a great job in presenting the mood and surroundings of the setting. It's also been said that the voice acting and sound effects aren't outstanding, but they're still good. 
The last negative worth mentioning, is the fact that the campaign will only last the average gamer for five hours. However, where the campaign length fails, the multi-player impresses. Homefront's multi-player is said to have added significant value to the game overall, with a lot of customisation and great gameplay, which has been described as "fluid".


IGN.com gave this game a 7 out of 10.. but with that and the negatives that have been stated, it still doesn't put me off buying Homefront, as the story-line, "fluid" gameplay and the multi-player still tickles my fancy. 
The problem is with developers and their games these days, is that the focus seems to be more on the multi-player, rather than the effort being equally distributed between both the campaign and the multi-player.. it's either one or the other with a lot of games. The first developer that pops into my head in regards to campaigns filled with effort is Crytek, with their Crysis games.. but the sacrifice being that the multi-player left a lot to be desired, but they look like they have learnt their lesson, and have put more effort into the online aspect in Crysis 2. Fingers crossed for an all-round fantastic experience on both the single-player and multi-player fronts.


Anyway, that's all from me, it was just a quick news blast to let you all know what's going on in the Homefront, just in case you wanted to reconsider buying the game. 
If you want a nice, long campaign to play through, and you don't really care about the multi-player aspect, then steer clear of Homefront until the game comes down in price! Or you could go out and rent it, due to the fact that you could probably complete the game before you have to return it!


Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.


Have a good day,


Jayhmmz (''')(O.o)(''')

The Bulletstorm Crysis!

Hey guys and girls, I have returned! Sorry I have been a bit distant lately, but I've had a lot of things to sort out and a lot of gaming to catch up with!

So to get the ball rolling for us again, I just wanna bring you an update real quick on two of the hottest games due for release this year, said hottest games being Bulletstorm and Crysis 2! You need to be interested in these games... No, I mean like... you need to be interested in these games!

Both of these demos have already been released on their respected platforms. However, Crytek and Microsoft agreed to a deal which makes the demo for Crysis 2 only available only for Xbox Live! ...sucks for PC and PS3 owners! But... there has been news! *trumpets* Crytek announced at the back end of January, that there will be a pre-release demo available for PC gamers in March! Fortunately, I got to play Crysis 2 now along with Bulletstorm, and I was blown away, by one game more than the other... and I will now explain! So sit tight. 

Following on from my last blog post, which contained information on the Crysis 2 release, it would make sense for me to explain this game to you all first, before I do Bulletstorm. I was really excited for the Crysis 2 demo, even though I was majorly disappointed that it wasn't released on the PC as well, considering that it will be the platform I will end up getting the game for anyway. I wasn't raising the bar of expectation too high for the Xbox version when my television screen relayed a message to me saying that the download had finished... downloading, anyway...

Shit just got real... Sunny!

The menu screens in Crysis 2 are what you would come to expect from a futuristic shooter, they're sleek, attractive and they give you the sense that you're some sort of secret super-solider in a cool suit, which essentially, you are! It just so happens that you will be cutting around in a much cooler suit than James Bond has ever worn in his nine lives, after all, his suit doesn't have Maximum Armour mode...pfft, fail.

The multiplayer matchmaking in the demo is rather unstable. If you don't have a completely open NAT type, which in short means that if you don’t, you won’t be able to connect to anyone and everyone on Xbox Live, you're going to find it pretty hard to find a match, more so than in other games. If any of you guys and girls own Halo: Reach, you will know what I am talking about. I myself was going through a bad patch on the Xbox where my NAT would be randomly appearing as open, and then going back down to moderate again, giving me real problems finding a suitable match to join in the Crysis 2 demo... it was really frustrating. My NAT type eventually fixed itself, and alas there were still instability issues; two of the main issues including bad host selection and generally awful connection problems in terms of attempting to join a game, regardless of your NAT type. Sometimes you are connected to a game just so you can be kicked right off it again, putting you back to square one to try and find a match! Let's hope they fix the issue swiftly for the game's release. 

Tending the greenhouses

When you eventually connect to a game, it isn't half bad! From the console screenshots however, I was expecting the game to look a lot more smart than it actually does; the graphics look very patchy, lacking in texture quality in places, and at times there is a major over-use of soft lighting which kind of makes you think that you need glasses. Apart from that, I would say that the graphics just about hit the above-average level for a console.

The game play in Crysis 2 isn't all that much different from the likes of Call of Duty; essentially it's exactly the same feeling, just with added screen shake and weapon drag (head moves before the weapon) which is quite a nice addition nonetheless. 

However, what makes Crysis 2 differ from Call of Duty is the suit that you will be wearing. You will have the ability to go into one of three modes at any given time, providing your suit has enough power; Maximum Speed, Maximum Armour and Cloak (Invisibility...to some extent, so it's basically camouflage). Crysis 2, as far as I have seen, doesn't have a separate option for Maximum Strength, which was a big feature in the game's predecessor, but I guess it just ties in with your melee button, just as the sprint button is your Maximum Speed, instead of it being a separate selection; Maximum Strength and Maximum Speed seem to be put on an if and when needed basis.

Base classes for Crysis 2 MP

The weapons class set-up and the ranking up systems are pretty much a mirrored version of the latest Call of Duty titles. You will have your base weapon to unlock, and then many additions for that weapon to unlock afterwards. In regards to the ranking up system, even though Crysis 2 does have unique ranks, you will basically be getting the same types of awards that you would get from, for example, Black Ops. You have your own Playercard which you can unlock a background picture for, which displays your rank and your name, which also grants you new avatar unlocks to add to that... it's really nothing new, and I am kind of disappointed that they have, in a nutshell, copied off Call of Duty.

Continuing on from where I mentioned the weapons, they themselves are okay. There are a decent amount of them to choose from, and they do look cool, however at the moment they do seem very imbalanced, and some of the weapons don't even work anywhere near as effectively as they should do. The shotgun for example, requires you to be closer than you should have to be to the enemy, in order to blow their nuts off. One of the colossal problems with the weapons at the moment, is the melee side of the action. Crysis 2, at the moment, is very slow to respond to the fact that you've just owned someone in the face with the arse end of your weapon; even though it shows the animation swiftly, the result of the player feeling the blow comes a good second or so after... not very handy if you're in the middle of cross-fire and need to run away!

Holy Sh-!

As I have already mentioned, the controls are pretty similar to your regular first person shooter games, just with some added features aforementioned regarding suit controls. The actual stability of the game play leaves a lot to be desired; it needs a lot of work as it feels very slow to respond and the movement feels quite clumsy considering you're pretty much a super-soldier. It doesn't feel like you're doing anywhere near enough damage to the enemy either; even though the opposing players have the same bad-ass suit as you, it still seems like you have to shoot them in the pupil ten times for them to actually flinch, depending on what weapon you have... there needs to be a lot more balance introduced into the multiplayer before the full game goes live on release.

Being as this was a multiplayer only demo, I sadly cannot comment on the campaign mode first hand. However, if I know Crytek, it will be an amazing storyline, fingers crossed! 

To conclude, I would say that it is well worthwhile for you to give the Crysis 2 demo a download, providing you have an Xbox, or a friend who owns one, so you can just steal it or whatever... I don't know; just give it back when you’re done, okay? But at this stage, for the people who are not going to be able to play the demo, I will not say that you should buy this game when it comes out, because at the moment it has a lot of bugs and glitches that need ironing out. However, having played the demo and it not particularly grabbing me in, I will still be buying Crysis 2 for the PC when released, so I will give you guys and girls a full review on it when I have played on the game for a fair amount of time, and tell you first hand whether you should consider buying it, or not.

Anyway, on that note, I will bring what is to be part one of my latest update to you, to an end. I hope you feel enlightened by my review of the Crysis 2 demo, and that you people without an Xbox don't feel as much in the dark as they did, you're not missing out on anything spectacular.

My review of the Bulletstorm demo will be following on from this post in the next few days, so be sure to come back and check it out, as it's a must see, must play game! So far, from what I have experienced, Bulletstorm should be a definite purchase for all of you gamers who love your hectic, first person shooters, because this game has it all... as I will explain in a few days ;) 

Take care gamers, hope you're all well!

TTFN,

Jayhmmz (''')(O.o)(''')

Crysis 2 Multiplayer Demo

Finally! The potentially epic game gets a multiplayer demo! Welcome back gamers for a very brief news flash!

EA and Developer Crytek have today announced that the Crysis 2 multiplayer demo is confirmed for exclusive release on January 25^th for Xbox Live Gold members only. Crysis 2 is the sequel to the highly rated game Crysis, and its expansion, Crysis: Warhead, which was only available for the PC. This time around, not only will Crytek be releasing Crysis 2 for the PC, but they will also be releasing it for the game’s console debut on the 360 and the PS3. The demo will include one map, Skyline, with two game modes: Team Instant Action and Crash Site. The following was said regarding the new game times:

“Team Instant Action follows standard team death match rules, while Crash Site will see players vie for control of alien drop pods a la Capture the Flag.”

If you haven’t yet seen anything relating to Crysis 2 in the past few months, then shame on you! You have to be excited for the game’s release if you’re an FPS gamer, I know I am. However, I do have a slight head start on the whole feeling of excitement in regards to the release of Crysis 2, as I am a big fan of the first game and its expansion, so I am highly anticipating how awesome the next chapter will be!

Take a look at both the reveal and gameplay trailer for a quick glimpse of what to expect! Enjoy.

 

 

That was about it for today’s splash! Hope you’re going to be just as excited as me for this game, it is set to be ground breaking! Let’s hope it follows through, eh?

Anyway, thanks for the visit and the read, hope you’re all awesome.

Enjoy your weekend.

TTFN,

Jayhmmz (,,,)(O.o)(,,,)