» Mon Aug 09, 2010 1:18 am I admit:I was all set to hate on this game. In part, because I played both Crysis and Crysis Warhead back to back, and while I thought both games to be pretty decent, I thought and still think that the glowing reviews were more about the graphics than the somewhat mundane game play. However, I "broke down" and bought Crysis 2.
Here are my initial impressions. I'm about two levels into the game.
1. Install and patching of game went off without a hitch. After you start the game for the first time, you are asked via an autopatcher to update to version 1.1. You restart the game and then do a quick online activation, using the supplied key. Game registered fine.
2. Once you are at the option and setting screen of the game, you'll definitely notice the absence of fine grained tweaking options. I selected to play the game on my notebook's native 1920 by 1080 resolution, with all options turned to the highest level. I further adjusted settings via the advanced graphics modifier a user supplied here on the forum.
3. The game is running without a hitch so far. I don't notice any major slowdowns. See my rig's spec in my sig.
4. Crysis 2 starts out with a bang, clearly demonstrating that the Yerli brothers are angling for the "next Michael Bay/Jerry Bruckheimer" spot in Hollywood. The opening cinematics are dramatic and well done, but, as many of you already know, they establish an only tenuous connection between the first and the second game.
5. You are then given partial control of your character as you start performing basic movements: Walk, crouch, swim. You cannot die during these sequences, which are integrated into the opening cinematics.
6. Once you are given full control of your character, you are guided through a kind of tutorial, which starts indoors: you pick up objects, open doors, etc.
7. Your suit's nanomodes are gradually unlocked as you start engaging enemies.
8. I'm playing this on the normal difficulty level, and while the enemies are sharp, they are not as sharp as the KPA soldiers in the original game. The human enemies you encounter at the beginning look a little like the Combine soldiers in HL2.
9. There is no quicksave, so combat becomes much more tactical and a game of cat and mouse. If you are used to relying on quicksaving and loading a lot, you will have to adjust your strategy. I have found the most useful strategy so far to be a liberal use of cloak, which when crouched drains energy only slowly. I find the combat to be fast and fun, and stealth kills to be especially satisfying.
10. Just like in Crysis Warhead, you can walk over ammo to pick it up.
11. The voice that guides you gets annoying real fast, though. The guy sounds a little like Daedalus from Deus Ex.
12. The graphics look quite photorealistic, but far away objects seem less sharp and somewhat blurry.
13. You do notice the "boxed in" outdoor environments. The layout of the map makes it pretty clear where you can and cannot go. It's an odd feeling. ou are in this big city but your movements are restricted through liberal use of concrete barriers. It does look a a little forced and artificial.
14. I'm quite liking the "simplification" of the nano suit controls, and I use the suit's various modes much more so than I did in Crysis or Crysis Warhead, in part because you'll need those abilities to stay alive, in part also because, as mentioned, there is no quicksave option, so combat encounters require a judicious use of cloak and armor.I also quite like the rudimentary "move into cover and shoot over obstacles" system.
Overall, I'm enjoying the game, and I'm not really getting the "this was dumbed down for the console crowd" feeling.
Haven't encountered any game stopping bugs so far. I know, it's blasphemy, but I'm thinking I might enjoy this more than the original.
However, any hoping for a repeat experience of the first game will be in for a rude disappointment.
