Having spent quite a bit of time with the first game on PC, I found myself in a far better position at the outset than most when suiting up for the sequel, Crysis 2, at a recent multiplayer preview event at San Francisco.
That isn't to say that Crysis 2 is the same as the first game; Crytek has streamlined the use of the game's core feature, the Nanosuit, through a surprisingly intuitive control scheme, giving you the ability to utilize more than one suit function at the same time. This gives Crysis 2 more tension and asks you to work harder to manage the suit's myriad functions, making for a much more enjoyable and energetic multiplayer experience compared to its predecessor.
When it's not being used as a great punchline to that joke about the microbe visiting the tailor (it's not that good), the nanosuit is trotted out as Crysis 2's superhuman advantage over other first-person shooters. Crytek and EA hope to make that clear in a Xbox-exclusive multiplayer demo, set to launch on January 25.
Xbox Live Gold members who download the demo will gain access to two modes, the "Skyline" map -- just one of many set in a demolished New York City -- and the nanosuit, which can augment your speed and strength, or lower your visibility. In the "Team Instant Action" mode, two groups of players attempt to kill as many enemies as possible, whereas "Crash Site" has you and your comrades capturing and guarding alien pods.
Crysis 2's multiplayer component is developed by Crytek UK, which was formed from failed TimeSplitters developer Free Radical. The full game, due on March 22, will offer six multiplayer gameplay modes, 12 maps, a leveling system -- and nanosuits for all!
Starting Jan. 25 Xbox 360 gold members will be able to check out a Crysis 2 muttiplayer demo. The demo will include the Skyline map and two game modes: Team Instant Action and Crash Site. The first is essentially team death match, the second has you fighting for control of alien drop pods. No word on a demo for other platforms. More »
#3dgaming
Crysis 2 makers Crytek do, saying that they've created "a benchmark 3D implementation" with their upcoming sci-fi shooter, one they're likening to James Cameron's billion dollar blockbuster Avatar. But what does James Cameron think? More »
If you have no idea what Crysis 2 is all about, then this trailer is a good primer. Basically: aliens invade, dude dons crazy nanosuit, does crazy stuff. It's pretty much the same exact plot as that Jackie Chan movie, The Tuxedo. We just hope Crysis 2 skips the awful song-and-dance number.
Here's Crysis 2's latest trailer - "Be The Weapon" - which showcases plenty of gameplay, some of being abilities and maps seen at the closed-door screenings back at E3. More »
#preview
I needed to control Crysis 2 to appreciate it. Sitting next to the head of the studio making the game as he played wasn't going to suffice. More »
Vindictive aliens descend upon New York. A malicious plague cripples the shaken city's human inhabitants, who can only fall backwards into the outstretched arms of a cyborg saviour. (He had to put his guns down for just a moment.)
So, pretty out there material for a video game, but perhaps the gloomy premise could be better explored in an older medium? Set to debut in March 2011 under the Del Rey banner, Crysis: Legion will adapt Crytek's upcoming first-person shooter into a novel, written by Hugo Award-nominated author (and ex-marine biologist) Peter Watts. Watts' characters and tone haven't been known to elicit smiles -- if you want a sample of his dark science-fiction you can read Blindsight online, thanks to its Creative Commons license.
Peter Watts is the second well-known sci-fi author to be associated with Crysis 2, which is being written for the high-definition screen by Altered Carbon's Richard Morgan. Watts will be seen as the real genius, though -- he's getting Crysis to run on a Kindle.
#books
Del Rey brings the story of Crysis 2 to book stores everywhere in March with Crysis: Legion, the official game novelization by Peter Watts, the Canadian science fiction author once famously involved in a scuffle with the U.S. Border Patrol. More »
Crysis 2 may still be on the horizon, but Crytek already sees a future in which Crysis is a vastly popular franchise with several sequels. "It's in our best interest to grow Crysis into a very long-running franchise. Maybe that means Crysis 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ... Crysis Infinity," executive producer Nathan Camarillo said in a recently published interview with Eurogamer. (We imagine Bam Margera doesn't show up until at least number seven, a la the Tony Hawk series.)
"It's the start of a new future for Crysis. We're taking it very seriously," Camarillo said, adding, "That's all I can really say about it. We wouldn't put this much effort into it if this were where it was ending. That doesn't make sense." And, despite earlier ambiguity, he further solidified the future of the series by outright stating, "We plan on growing it into a big franchise." So there you have it! Crysis 3? Confirmed ... alongside Crysis 12.
Last month, EA sent out invitations to a Crysis 2 closed beta on the Xbox 360, and now one apparent player has uploaded this sharp-looking video preview of ... the preview. Don't think looking this good comes easy, though -- do you even know how much the dry cleaning bill for a suit like that costs?
#guesteditorial
For PC Gaming Week, Kotaku has invited top creators to predict the future of computer gaming. Today, Cevat Yerli, CEO of Crytek, makers of legendary PC-only first-person shooter Crysis and 2011's PC and console Crysis 2. More »
You probably don't need us to tell you to check your emails -- unless, of course, you're one of those people who still mostly rely on analog means of telecommunication. If that's the case: Check your email! There might just be an invitation for the Xbox Live Crysis 2 multiplayer beta in there.
#betawatch
The first round of invitations to the Crysis 2 closed multiplayer beta test are going out, indicating that this first session is a strictly Xbox 360 affair. More »
#gunweek
In many genres, the gun is the point where the gamer meets the game, making it the single most important element in a given title. That makes the guys who make the guns important, too. More »
EA has released a video detailing the bonuses included with the Limited Edition of Crysis 2, which you can see after the break. This special release of the game, which includes a SCAR weapon skin, hologram decoy, a unique Platinum Dog Tag and bonus XP, is somewhat less exciting than the Nano Edition, which adds a statue and a backpack -- but, of course, it's more exciting than the standard edition, which only includes ... Crysis 2.
Prepare for the medium level of excitement, is what we're saying.
#screens
I spent some time last week playing through two maps and two modes of multiplayer in Crysis 2 during GamesCom, here's a closer look at those levels. More »
#ratings
David DeMartini - Metacritic score predictor extraordinaire - is at it again, confidently telling Eurogamer Crysis 2 is going return 90 ratings, upland territory that all publishers crave for big games but few acknowledge so boldly before release. More »
#ratings
David DeMartini - Metacritic score predictor extraordinaire - is at it again, confidently telling Eurogamer Crysis 2 is going return 90 ratings, upland territory that all publishers crave for big games but few acknowledge so boldly before release. More »
So you probably think you're pretty good at first-person shooters, right? Well, we're pretty sure you're not as good as the person playing Crysis 2 multiplayer in the video past the break.
