Crysis 2 - Immediate Impressions

by: Shawn Sines - posted: 3/22/2011 11:18:00 AM

The much anticipated Crysis 2 hit the streets today and I'm busily working on a full review, however with even the limited playtime I've had since receiving the game I wanted to post some thoughts so far.

I'm new to the Crysis series, having avoided the original and Crysis:Warhead when they saw release. I only know that they were very pretty, like most of the Crytek games. That aside, my impression was they were more of the same - a super soldier tromping through levels dispatching baddies and facing challenges and yes I realize that description is vague enough to include just about any game.

So, that said, my introduction to Crysis 2 (which I'm playing on the Xbox 360) is much like the new lead character's - I'm expecting a military shooter with sci-fi elements and bam! all of a sudden I'm a Marine Force Recon guy who is forcibly bonded to a nanosuit in a quarantined New York City fighting a trigger happy PMC (Private Military Corporation - basically mercenaries with a privateer mark - think Blackwater) while fending off alien invasion.

The action quotient is high, and the ability to interact with the environment is levels above what I'm used too in an FPS game, but so far the setting makes absolutely no sense..

Why are these mercs allowed to run roughshod over the people of New York City, apparently indiscriminately shooting anyone they want?

Why are Marine Force Recon immediately killed by these mercs when they are "rescued" from an alien assault?

Why are the aliens only invading New York?

Will any of this make sense or am I just supposed to turn off the brain and enjoy the gorgeous scenery?

Crysis 2 plays well enough, it manages to baby crawl new players into the control scheme and is not very forthcoming on logic, but I'm not ready to put down the controller just yet. During the time I've played I've experienced a refreshing adrenalin rush. Look for my full review in the next few days.