Beaten: Aug 25 2021
Time: 9 Hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
So yeah, I wasn't expecting to like this game quite this much? I played a little of Far Cry 3, which is ostensibly built on the same rhythms as Crysis (If you don't know, Crysis is the game that Crytek made after Far Cry got sold to Ubisoft, and it is structurally and visually very similar), but the rpg-lite mechanics and frat dude story of that game didn't end up drawing me in too much. Crysis, on the other hand, has what's probably a weaker story, but the structure of the game and it's mechanics make it just a freakin blast to play!
Let's get my least favorite part out of the way first: The story of the game is just kinda there. The more militaristic side of the story in the first half of the game is rather generic, and the apprehension they try to set up for the second half of the game doesn't amount to much more than a small scale Independence Day. I've seen all these characters before in other media, and I didn't like them the first time.
Alright now that that's over with; this game is so much fun. It's got these kind of mini sandbox levels, where they'll drop an objective and just be like "get there and do it, however you want to". You can be stealthy, cloaking and sprinting around the enemy camp as you take them all out silently, or you can grab a pickup truck and send it flaming through the enemy's front door, while you roll out, turn on your armor, and mow down enemies with a really great feeling shotgun. It's free, but not overwhelming. Expansive, but not open world, I mean hell it's got actual levels. And most importantly? It's not just a series of checklists, like so many of the games that've iterated on this formula are.
As you get to the back half of the game, the design changes, and now you're fighting different enemies in much more linear areas. It's fine, but you can tell the mechanics aren't built for this. These enemies don't drop guns to scavenge, and are too beefy to make sneaking around worthwhile. You end up feeling on edge, constantly running low on ammo and health. I think that's what was intended, but it sacrifices the best and most unique part of the game for it.
Regardless, the first 6 or so levels are just about perfect. A little pulpy, a little militaristic, but not more than the other shooters of the era (or god forbid a more recent shooter), and just really good, really tight, really focused open ended levels. If you want a bizarre mix of halo's level design and far cry's combat rhythms, you literally won't find anything else to scratch that itch. Big recommend.
Time: 9 Hours
Platform: Xbox Series X
So yeah, I wasn't expecting to like this game quite this much? I played a little of Far Cry 3, which is ostensibly built on the same rhythms as Crysis (If you don't know, Crysis is the game that Crytek made after Far Cry got sold to Ubisoft, and it is structurally and visually very similar), but the rpg-lite mechanics and frat dude story of that game didn't end up drawing me in too much. Crysis, on the other hand, has what's probably a weaker story, but the structure of the game and it's mechanics make it just a freakin blast to play!
Let's get my least favorite part out of the way first: The story of the game is just kinda there. The more militaristic side of the story in the first half of the game is rather generic, and the apprehension they try to set up for the second half of the game doesn't amount to much more than a small scale Independence Day. I've seen all these characters before in other media, and I didn't like them the first time.
Alright now that that's over with; this game is so much fun. It's got these kind of mini sandbox levels, where they'll drop an objective and just be like "get there and do it, however you want to". You can be stealthy, cloaking and sprinting around the enemy camp as you take them all out silently, or you can grab a pickup truck and send it flaming through the enemy's front door, while you roll out, turn on your armor, and mow down enemies with a really great feeling shotgun. It's free, but not overwhelming. Expansive, but not open world, I mean hell it's got actual levels. And most importantly? It's not just a series of checklists, like so many of the games that've iterated on this formula are.
As you get to the back half of the game, the design changes, and now you're fighting different enemies in much more linear areas. It's fine, but you can tell the mechanics aren't built for this. These enemies don't drop guns to scavenge, and are too beefy to make sneaking around worthwhile. You end up feeling on edge, constantly running low on ammo and health. I think that's what was intended, but it sacrifices the best and most unique part of the game for it.
Regardless, the first 6 or so levels are just about perfect. A little pulpy, a little militaristic, but not more than the other shooters of the era (or god forbid a more recent shooter), and just really good, really tight, really focused open ended levels. If you want a bizarre mix of halo's level design and far cry's combat rhythms, you literally won't find anything else to scratch that itch. Big recommend.