Preamble: This isn't a review. It doesn't contain critical analysis, just the subjective opinions of one person. The intent is to remember the games I've come across in my life and share the nostalgia, nothing more. And some of those games I didn't play in great depth.

I'm introducing a new rating system to cut the confusion but I'm open to suggestions if anyone can think of better categories?

Crysis

Developer: Crytek
Platform: PC
Release Year: 2008
Impact on my Life: 6.5/10
Impact on the world: 7.5/10
Overall game rating: 7.5/10



Basic Plot

The main "thing" about Crysis (at least initially) is the concept of a nano-suit. It's a combat suit which has different "modes" of operation which enhance a soldier's abilities.

There is cloak mode - which allows the soldier to move small distances undetected. Armour mode allows him to take additional hits, absorbing even bullets. Strength mode allows him to pick up cars and objects and throw them around, jump high, or even beat an opponent to death with a single swipe. Speed mode allows him to sprint very quickly over short distances.

You play the role of a soldier cosigned Nomad who has the privilege of using one of these nano-suits. The plot revolves around investigating strange activity by the North Korean military on an island.

Half way through the game the story changes dramatically. The entire island is frozen solid, strange alien looking creatures wipe out everything that survives.



Gameplay

Crysis is a first person shooter with the addition of having to change nano-suit modes during the game. It is not possible to simply walk up and shoot all your opponents (you will quickly become surrounded), the game forces you to use stealth and forward thinking.

The story is often progressed with in-game cut scenes which don't overpower the gameplay and provide information usually at the beginning or end of a section of the game.

Each part of the game will usually involve one or more objectives and secondary objectives. Objectives are mandatory and progress the story, secondary objectives usually require taking on additional enemies with the reward being ammunition, weapons, and supplies.

There is a certain amount of freedom that the player has to explore, especially in the first half of the game. The island is quite vast at first glance but is actually quite limited in terms of where you can go - it tends to point you to your objective even if you purposely try and head off course.

As is fairly common with many first person shooters there are a multitude of weapons to find, including grenades and explosives, an additionally you can jump into just about any vehicle in the game and drive it.

One thing that was new when this game came out was destructible terrain. As you shot at enemies past trees, the trees would fall down.

Another unique thing was being able to customise your weapon. As you went through the game you collected rifle scopes, laser sights, silencers, and other peripherals which you could attach in any combination you liked to your guns.

There is a multiplayer mode but it's not very well thought out. This game was obviously designed as a single player campaign.


Maximum Strength mode.

Positives

From an objective point of view, despite my own experience I have to applaud the combination of gameplay and plot in respect to the "shift" the game takes when the island gets frozen. it sets you up as this super sodier. When you work out how to use the suit, you're basically a demi-god roaming a tropical island slaughtering everything in your path. Then the shit hits the fan - aliens come, the island gets frozen. You don't know where you are anymore, the aliens are much stronger and don't fall for your tricks. You're essentially helpless. The contrast to how you felt before is powerful. It really comes to fruition when you enter the mountain and go into the strange and disorientating alien nexus.

Prior to the point I had a lot of fun roaming the island destroying stuff. In fact sometimes I'd drive all over the island collecting trucks and gasoline barrels, pile them all up, run to a safe distance and blow them up.


Aliens!

Negatives

From my perspective, and I had the same problem with Crysis: Warhead, I lost a lot of enjoyment in the game once the island got frozen. Although it worked with the plot, the helplessness and disorientation that it threw me in to was not enjoyable for me. I did go on to finish the game, but had a lot less fun than the first half of the game.

UPDATE: I actually met one of the Crysis developers and he said the entire team felt the same... that they never really "hit" the second half of the game but had to release it because of timelines/budget etc.

Some of the weapons in the later part of the game were not very satisfying to use. They either had a slow projectile speed, or slow rate of fire. Although they were powerful and necessary to beat the aliens they weren't much fun to use.

The multiplayer was hopeless.

Memorable Moments

Blowing up stuff. Terrorising soldiers. Feeling completely freaked out inside the alien nexus.