The Crysis series has always been defined by bleeding-edge tech, each instalment a lucid demonstration of apex videogame visuals and the great pulsing brain powering successive CryEngines. In Crysis 3 we have the pinnacle - the undisputed best-looking game of all time - but beneath the glitz, Crytek's shooter isn't quite as progressive as it seems.
Twenty years after an alien invasion, deadly epidemic, mass exodus and probable house price plunge, mega corporation CELL have encased New York in a 'Liberty Dome' - think a cross between Kew Gardens and The Simpson's Movie. This nature-reclaimed city is prime habitat for CryEngine 3. Gaming's best deer prance down gaming's best streets over tangled swathes of gaming's best flora. Gaming's best sun breaks between blades of gaming's best grass and shimmers in pools of gaming's best water - where you'll also find gaming's best toads.
You are now heir to a fearsome arsenal thanks to the Nanosuit 2.0
Before it all stands an entirely otherworldly feat of engineering: Nanosuit 2.0. This time, Prophet's the man in the tin can, leader of Raptor Team who, in the first game, were sent to rescue a group of scientists on Lingshan islands. In Crysis 2, he stepped outside to let newbie Alcatraz Nano-up, but now he's back, and with an even more formidable arsenal. On one side, balls-to-the-Wall-Street action incorporates armour defence boosts, car-flipping melee and the superhuman strength to grab and throw both men and mailboxes. On the other, stealth play revolves around invisibility cloaks, heat vision and the hacking of turrets, mines and doors.
Mostly you'll mix and match. One level surrounding a towering research base can be surveyed at distance by power-leaping to vantage points and tagging enemies using your telescopic visor. This is where the compound bow comes in, a fearsome bit of retractable kit that's always on you, able to be loaded up with arrows electric (they fry fools in water), explosive, and thermite-tipped. Its string can be tightened, which decreases drawback time but lessens arrow damage, and it's the only weapon in the game you can fire without having your cloak instantly dissipate. In theory, of course, you could choose to forgo weaponry altogether and sneak in through vents, right under CELL soliders' boots. There's always more than one option
FALSE PROPHET
At which point, the first problems hit: inevitably, best intentions descend into violent chaos thanks to a lack of stealth meter (a 'threat gauge' instead displays how annoyed everyone is). As well as that, you'll have to cope with enemies seemingly assisted by a sixth sense and, ironically, maps so busy it's often hard to tell bloke from building. Far Cry 3 solved stealth; Crysis 3 hasn't.
When it does go all Expendables, some lustre is lost. Enemies are a hive mind - alert one, alert everyone - and when they're not barraging you with pinpoint tracers at squinty distances, they're endlessly lobbing grenades or charging blindly. Being shot from numerous unknown positions, unsurprisingly, isn't much fun. That's why you have to play Crysis 3 on hard.
Blast through the game, and there's the nagging feeling you're not playing properly
Caution, not chaos, is where the game excels, and Ceph Stalkers provide perfect evidence. Effectively introduced in a memorable moment amidst pea-green head-high fields, on hard mode they're a foe to respect, slasher-flick baddies whose circling footsteps and menacing mechanical growls demand constant vigilance. On easy, they're just annoyances at the end of your gun. This distinction is important: it's entirely possible to cloak up and bypass levels in minutes, but when you do there's a nagging feeling you're not playing properly. Crysis 3 is an experience to savour rather than slurp, laced as it is with multiple avenues, optional suit upgrades and bizarre in-jokes. (For some reason, there are a lot of corpses sitting on toilets.)
And 'savour' is definitely the word in a game only five to six hours long. There are seven levels, with the first and last wasted on linear corridors and most of the rest set at night. Though always stunning, less than a quarter of your play time unleashes CryEngine 3's majesty in full daylight.
And that raises another issue: your choice of platform will heavily influence what you get out of the game. What was, in Crysis 2's time, a minor rift between PC and console has now deepened into a titanic gulf. On a high-end PC, it's five-to-six hours of constant gawping awe; on consoles, inevitable graphical compromises means Crysis 3 loses that spark and spectacle.
Comments
36 comments so far...
MagicBoughie24 on 19 Feb '13 said:
I thought Alacatraz became Prophet at the end of the last one.
StonecoldMC on 19 Feb '13 said:
I missed out on Two, is this gonna be a problem?
Played the Demo on Live and actually quite enjoyed it!
sonic_uk on 19 Feb '13 said:
Yep, he did. The reviewer was quite badly mistaken, and this should be corrected. As for playing on Hard - no thanks. I'll play it on Easy first time (and probably every time after that). I find hard modes just frustrating and tedious. I am surprised at the lack of length though. I had heard reports that the game was only 5-6 hours long but thought this was just because players were rushing through the game, literally, and it typically takes me about 2-3 hours longer to finish a game than the quoted time. Only 7 levels though? I had heard that too, but assumed it would be more like 7 different areas with numerous levels in between. If its only 7 levels it makes me think its more dlc than full sequel and is pretty lazy to be honest (although I'm glad it isn't dlc as I refuse to buy any). Finally, I suppose there is no day-to-night or night-to-day transition that was included in Warhead and the original Crysis several times (but cursorily missing from Crysis 2)? And can I ask how the reviewer knows about the console frame rate if he only reviewed the PC version?
koimaster on 19 Feb '13 said:
"Only millionaires will max it out"
This is why I don't bother keeping up to date with pc gaming. In 10 years time you'll be able to max this game out graphically on even the cheapest computers. Most likely even in a few years time.
sammikid on 19 Feb '13 said:
Even when playing it through on easy! whats wrong with you?
Get Over Here on 19 Feb '13 said:
This is a bit silly with this all-in-one review solution.
I doubt the console versions are an 8.5 out of ten game. I got stung with Crysis 2. On PS3 it was rubbish, with the frame-rate dips making the whole experience horrible. And the reviewer says this has the same problems.
There should be a separate review/score for the PC version to not mislead people.
illage2 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Yeah he did.
Black Mantis on 19 Feb '13 said:
No, the story is very forgettable and the game gets boring halfway through. That's the thing with the Crysis franchise, they look great and start off well, but everything else is kinda lame (the alien AI is some of the worst I've come across). I'll be waiting for it to drop in price.
illage2 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Wow 8.5?
StonecoldMC on 19 Feb '13 said:
Cheers for the heads up Mantis. Ill maybe pick up Dead Space now and wait a while before getting this then.
richomack360 on 19 Feb '13 said:
I am sure CVG are referencing any Nintendo thread with this comment
UPPERS
• The best-looking game of all time
• Refreshingly open levels
• Surprisingly good multiplayer
DOWNERS
• Only millionaires will max it out
• A lack of new ideas
• Single-player lasts 5-6 hours
Hang on, a game is worth 8.5 because it requires NASA to upgrade your computer, and has “good” MP ? Single player only lasts 5 hours ? A lack of new ideas ?
So its just a graphics demo really isn’t it ?
Ali_ on 19 Feb '13 said:
Not sure, but the enemies kept assuming he was Prophet.
toaplan on 19 Feb '13 said:
Nice for those who have bought the latest graphics card and now get to show it off. I don't even own a Kepler series card, so while I'm giving the game 3 "Cevats" for the visuals, it only deserves a "Yerli" for optimization...
Beebop10 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Most of the time you can make a few tweaks to the settings that don't really change the overall look all that much and get a big performance boost . For example , often the difference between medium and ultra settings are hard to perceive. Some things are just performance hogs without the visual justification. Whereas, some things, like high quality lighting, absolutely create a better, more immersive gameplay experience. I think realistic lighting , global illumination and variants upon , are probably the most important development in recent years.
deadlydanscott on 19 Feb '13 said:
For starters the story in 2 was Pish and didnt make much sense at all. Gameplay wise Crysis 1 was all about freedom of tackling situations over wide open spaces.I thoroughly enjoyed it and played through it a few times (and the Crysis Warhead side missons). Crysis 2, apart from a few moments like that in , it was a big let down for me, with too many corridors. despite always looking amazing. I played that on Ultra PC settings and it was (an still is) just unreal in the graphics department.
I downloaded the Crysis 3 beta for PC and quite enjoyed it but the review hasnt sold me that the single player is going to be much better experience than 2. Yes even on my, now 2 year old gaming rig, it looks incredible (also downloaded the PS3 beta which was poor in comparison) and althought I now have bumped down to 'high' settings, that is not enough to warrant a day one purchase. I think I'll wait and read a few more reviews first.
Shame this wont be sold on steam and be in some incredible sale in 6 months time. (is that still right btw????)
clayf1ghter on 19 Feb '13 said:
I really enjoyed the first one but thought the second was gash.I've got enough money to buy one game this week was gonna get this but after reading reviews I'm not so sure now.
My choices are:
Crysis 3 - maybe more similar to 2 than 1 which puts me off
MGS Revengeance - maybe to hard, demo was nails (for me)
Persona 4 Golden - never played a JRPG before
Can't decide
Reegeee on 19 Feb '13 said:
5-6 hours seems a bit stingy for a Crysis game.
I'm really not a fan of the series much anyway to be honest, but I got almost 10 hours out of the last one so it sounds like it's been cut in half campaign wise.
casshern09 on 19 Feb '13 said:
"Only millionaires will max it out."
Got my
intel i7 3770K 4.6ghz
16GB DDR3 2600mhz
2 x GTX 680 SLI
ready to destroy it. *smug*
richomack360 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Hey Ladies - we have a player amongst us....form a queue here.
deadlydanscott on 19 Feb '13 said:
Depends if you think the MP could add anything for you for CY3??? That could add some depth. Certainly the single player in MGSRR is around the same length....obviously the JRPG is going to be a significantly different experience all round.
I am VERY late to the party but finally started Dark Souls:PTDE over the weekend. What a game that is! Brutal and brilliant. Think I'm set for a while for sure. Bioshock next game for me.
FishyGinger on 19 Feb '13 said:
Performance-wise on consoles will it be on a par with 2 or has it dipped? I assume by the massive gulf they mean the pc version looks amazing rather than the console version has taken a step backwards.
c97dem on 19 Feb '13 said:
According to IGN's review, you are still Alcatraz and you meet Prophet in the dome
clayf1ghter on 19 Feb '13 said:
@ deadlydan thanks for your thoughts
Think I'll take a chance on Persona 4 it's gotten stella reviews, hopefully the learning curve won't be too steep for a JRPG noob.
Even the thought of playing dark souls makes me weep!!
Imaduck on 19 Feb '13 said:
Frankly it sounds like exactly what it should be. Sounds like it'll bring back fans of 1 and include fans of 2, good stuff.
Agent75 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Never got to play the first one which only came out on the PC. Insidently, it flopped because hardly anyone had a powerful PC to run it. The second one on the Xbox 360 and PS3 has framerate problems, but it's a poor game. The PC version will probably have better graphics and run better, but I bet it's the same gameplay wise. Will give Crysis 3 a go when it's under £10 used, but it wouldn't surprise me if it's more of the same. Like with a lot of games these days, I can never understand the hype after playing them.
sonic_uk on 19 Feb '13 said:
I am nit-picking but another thing I don't like is that the hud now shows you the icon of the other weapon you are carrying (and not the one you are using) but shows you the ammo count for the weapon you are using just above it. At first I thought this was a major bug when I first saw it in the Beta. This is confusing and you begin to wonder at times in the heat of battle if its actually showing you how much ammo you have in your secondary weapon at times when you forget how this actually works (in the previous games it showed you your currently equipped weapon and its ammo count). Oh, and psycho doesn't look or sound anything like he did in Warhead or Crysis. He has a competely different face and reminds me of a film where they got someone else to play a lead character in one of the sequels. Worse, he sounds like an american actor trying to sound like what he actually thinks british people sound like.
Er, because I like to take my time, explore, check things out, appreciate the artwork, use different strategy's...rather than just run past every baddie.
1Nightmare1 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Its not looking good for Crisis 3. After all that hype the game is receiving 7s and 8s, PC reviewers especially don't seem to happy. I guess this means that I probably won't be getting it (especially at full price) since I got enough of Crisis 2 and low on budget. I guess it's going to be a fight between Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite early this year.
gmcb007 on 19 Feb '13 said:
Hang on a minute, you say one of Crysis 3's pros is that it's the "best looking game to date", but then you say one of the cons is that very few will experience top visuals.
Is it really an advantage then?
I don't understand how after reading this review that it can be rewarded a solid 8.5. It has a pathetic story length and the stealth is apparently broken. Overall it sounds pretty shallow.
Bambis Dad on 19 Feb '13 said:
Not that hard. I'd say inappropriate in the first post but as Stonecold mentioned in the next she hadn't played the second game a little consideration doesn't go amiss.
liveswired on 19 Feb '13 said:
Sounds great - have to laugh at Wii U owners only getting that pathetic Gearbox game. Nintendo would've been wise to encourage EA to have ported this instead of the other rubbish shoved down Wii U owners throats.
richomack360 on 20 Feb '13 said:
Its cool, the chap who did this review also thinks DRM in the new SimCity isn't an issue.
Will leave you to make your own conclsuions on that one
Mark Hayhurst on 20 Feb '13 said:
Crytecs games are poorly optimised. I know this because I can run any game at 1080p on ultra with maxed aa etc EXCEPT Crysis and Crysis Warhead and as good as they looked when they came out they shouldn't be causing my rig any probs. It's obvious Crytec are lazy when it comes to optimising, maybe they get a back hander from NVidia from forcing perfectionist geeks to buy another graphics card lol.
qSPARTANp on 20 Feb '13 said:
Churn out another game super quick and make it 5hrs lon.... sorry short and then charge us for some crappy random spawn maps and co-op mode.....No thanks...Oh oh do I wait and get a secondhand hand copy instead?
paul on 20 Feb '13 said:
gmcb007 on 20 Feb '13 said:
Oh dear...makes a lot of sense now.
mij on 19 Mar '13 said:
The ps3 game is badly broken. An ammo glitch with certain weapons which displays negative ammo counts and won't allow ammo pickups. The wrong weapon displayed on the HUD. Sound dropouts at various points....most notably the suit voice. Crytek make me laugh....."we want to max out your machine" .....how about writing some decent code and testing your product .....arseholes..... the game is unplayable on the ps3.....