Crysis Review (PC)

U.S. Special Forces, equipped with high-tech nanosuits, are sent to a remote island in the Philippines to investigate some strange energy readings linked to an archeological excavation site. They must be careful, because the North Koreans arrive on the scene first, and will kill to protect their discovery. However, it turns out there's more at stake than being the first country to uncover an infinite energy source, and it's not long before the excavation reveals an alien menace that unleashes a full scale invasion. Calling it a Crysis is a major understatement.

Gamers play as Nomad, a Special Forces soldier equipped with a nanosuit. The suit has everything a soldier needs; increased armor, strength, speed and an active stealth mode to render the player practically invisible. However, the suit's energy only allows one function to work at a time. So, players must choose which ability is most useful to them during any given situation. Leaving it in armor mode will take away from energy reserves instead of health when shot, but it also recovers injuries the wearer sustains. Enhanced strength allows players to jump great heights along with super-punching enemies to death. Taken all together, the suit's power and versatility nicely matches Crysis' style and open-ended gameplay.

Practically every situation in Crysis has numerous approaches. Players have the choice of going in all stealth and silently taking out guards as needed, or jumping straight in and shooting everything in sight. Yet be careful with the latter strategy, because enemies will immediately call in reinforcements and send up signal flares once they're aware of your presence and dispatch patrols if the player starts sniping from afar. A small meter on the side of the minimap shows the total detection level, but enemies tend to stay on high alert even after the meter returns to zero. After the stealth approach gets botched, the game includes numerous ways of disposing enemies. Drivers can be shot through windshields, tires can be blown out from under vehicles and shooting a fuel tank causes a nice explosion.

Players must learn to interact with the environment as much as possible, laying down in high grass to hide from tanks or using superjumps to leap up to a prime sniping position. You can destroy most objects, but the ones you can't lead to some interesting guessing games as to what provides good cover. There's nothing quite as exciting as trying to find refuge in a small house, only to have its roof blown off by an attack chopper, being atop a guard tower as it topples over or watching a trees collapse from heavy explosives.

Continue...