Multiplayer

If you like the popular flavor of hectic online action that has been the norm for new games since the first Modern Warfare, you’ll probably like the multiplayer for Crysis 2. Crytek basically copied the entire model, from perks and killstreaks to earning XP and unlocking new stuff by leveling up, in an attempt to jump on the Call of Duty bandwagon. They even reduced the player limit by half to 16, which is slightly better than the console limit of 12. The only difference here is that you have the nanosuit, which actually gives some plausibility to the upgrades you’re able to apply to your soldier, as if that’s what people were concerned with… Of course that also means the base gameplay is a bit more varied, with enhanced mobility and stealth capabilities adding a unique twist to the standard military FPS model. Besides, it’s pretty difficult the screw it up when you just recreate the most popular formula.



There are six game modes total and twice as many maps, though there’s nothing we haven’t seen before and the level design leaves something to be desired. Overall there are too many wide open areas, and that can be problematic in a game where you can cloak and hide in a corner with a sniper rifle or far-too-accurate automatic weapon. It becomes really frustrating until you realize that, at any given moment, there are dozens of directions from which you could be shot at. In other words, there are very few places with enough cover to be called “safe,” so you’re better off keeping Stealth turned on when you’re standing still. My experience with Crysis 2 MP generally consists of trying to balance recklessly charging toward objectives and uneasily stalking enemy players... Maybe it’ll become more fun after leveling up more and unlocking the cool perks and such.

Graphics

There is no doubt that Crysis 2 looks really good, and that it is graphically nearly identical on all three platforms. That’s good news for console gamers, since it’s the best-looking game ever for them, at least technically. But at the same time, it’s pretty disappointing for those of us playing it on PC because it does not look any better than the first game. The most glaring evidence of this is in the textures, many of which are simply lower-resolution versions of the same ones used in Crysis. On the bright side, Crytek has put a huge amount of work into achieving that level of graphical fidelity using DirectX 9 and the much weaker hardware inside the 360 and PS3, while still providing playable framerates. Naturally, it follows that the game is far less demanding than Crysis to run on PC, as well, which is nice if you don’t have the budget for a high-end video card or just want better performance, period.

The biggest gripe most people have about Crysis 2 is that it’s lacking features that the first, PC-exclusive game already had, such as DirectX 10 rendering and a 64-bit executable. Considering Crytek’s reputation for cutting edge technology, plus the fact that CryEngine 3 was built to support DirectX 11, everyone assumed there would be DX11 support. When the demo arrived, however, the proverbial curtain was pulled back and this sequel was revealed to offer very little in the way of graphical prowess or customization. Only DirectX 9 is supported, and the graphics options are limited to just three presets: High, Very High, and Extreme. They had stupider, more confusing names for a brief period after the demo was first released, but were changed (along with the prompt to “Press Start” at the main menu). Thank goodness for user-created mods, such as the Crysis 2 Advanced Graphics Options App, which will allow you to tweak all the options you used to be able to in-game. It was finally announced this week that a DX11 patch was being worked on, but will anyone care by the time it comes out?