Be the Weapon...(Detailed Review not just a paragraph)
Story 9/10
Crysis 2 takes place in New York City in the year 2023, three years after the events of the original game. You are put in the shoes of Alcatraz. Alcatraz is a Force Marine who has been given ownership of the Nanosuit 2 by Prophet. Prophet puts Alcatraz on a mission to find the scientist Nathan Gould who will assist you in ridding the planet of the Ceph. The Ceph are alien creatures that have invaded Earth. Shortly after locating Gould, he comes up with a plan he believes will destroy the Ceph. Throughout the campaign Crynet Systems are hunting you in an attempt to retrieve the Nanosuit you are wearing. Mistakenly Crynet is under the impression that you are Prophet. As a result of the Ceph invasion, New York City is evacuated leaving only you, Crynet Systems, the United States military, and the Ceph in an all-out war for survival and the future of Earth. This campaign is very action packed. The story is told very well and you do not need to know the background of the series to completely understand it but people who played the other titles in this series will have a better understanding of what is going on. There are minor bugs such ass enemies running in place. The hit detection sometimes is a little off but nothing too major. Unlike the majority of first person shooters, Crysis 2 has a pretty lengthy singleplayer experience. You will be running the streets of New York City for about 8-10 hours. This singleplayer portion of the game is very engaging and will surely keep you entertained.
Gameplay 10/10
This is where Crysis 2 stands out from any other first person shooters. Action is abundant is this game so expect it around every corner. There are tons of different weapons you can use from assault rifles all the way to guns that shoot electricity bolts. The most innovative feature in this game is definitely the new Nanosuit 2. The Nanosuit completely changes how the game is played based on you. There are tons of different things the suit can do. You can be stealthy if you so please because the Nanosuit has a stealth function. This activates a cloak that allows you to sneak past enemies or silently kill them. For all the tough guys out there you can also go head on into the action using your armor mode. This mode gives you the ability to absorb much more damage without dying. Power mode allows you to sprint and jump higher than normal along with a few other features such as a powerful ground stomp. All of these modes can be upgraded with new features. For example the armor mode can be upgraded so that it deflects bullets back to enemies or upgraded so that it can be sustained longer than usually. This totally changes how you play this game as you can adapt your suit to your personal play style. There is also a pretty cool tactical vision mode. In this mode your suit will show you different ways you can approach battles by pointing out areas that are suitable to go into stealth mode, sniping areas, areas than will give you an advantage such as vehicles or turrets. This is a very cool feature and adds to an already unique gameplay experience. Crysis 2 gameplay is breath of fresh air and something new and different. There are tons of different ways to play this game.
Multiplayer 10/10
Crysis 2 multiplayer was very impressive. There are a total of 12 maps and 6 game modes. There is Instant Action, which is basically your free-for-all game mode. You have Team Instant Action which obviously is a Team Deathmatch. Capture the Relay, which is a variant of a normal Capture the Flag. In addition to those normal game modes there are other more unique ones. There is a game mode called Crash Site. In this team based mode there will be a Crash Site where a Ceph drop pod has dropped. Teams have to guard that pod and will gain points every few seconds for guarding it. Periodically the Crash Site will change and players will have to move to different sections of the map. Another game mode is Extraction. Extraction is a round based mode where Alien Bio Ticks must be captured then taken to extraction points. When they are taken there successfully, your Nanosuit powers increase. Within these game modes they are different sections. For example there are Standard, Solo, Classic and Pro. Solo allows no parties, Classic allows no Nanosuits, and Pro is the hardcore version with limited HUD and increased damage. At first glance Crysis 2 multiplayer will look familiar. After a few matches you will come to see that while that why is has familiar features to other shooters of this genre, it plays completely different than anything on the market right now. The Nanosuit takes a lot of credit for the uniqueness of the multiplayer portion. It plays a bigger role than it does in singleplayer. How you play online will determine how you can upgrade your Nanosuit. You get experience points for your Nanosuit depending on what you are using when you kill opponents. For example if you like to use stealth and kill people while using it, you will upgrade the stealth portion of your suit. This is the same with the armor and power sections. There are over 20 suit upgrades. These upgrades are very different from each other and add to the uniqueness of each player. Crysis 2 also has killstreaks. You unlock a killstreak at your third, fifth, and seventh kill. There is a Maximum Radar which shows your opponents on your map. There is a radar jammer which obviously jams your opponent's radars. Maximum Nanosuit makes your Nanosuit armor much stronger and also you to take extreme damage without dying. These are only a few of the killstreaks that Crysis 2 offers. You have 5 different classes you can customize with whatever weapon set you desire. There are also Skill Assessments. Skill Assessments are challenges that have you completing things such as getting a certain amount of kills with weapons, winning certain game modes etc. These are fun to do and encourages you to play everything that multiplayer has to offer in order to complete them all. A service record is also available to view. This records all of your states. Everything you do can be viewed here. It tells you the amount time played in each suit mode. It will give you a record of everything you do. There is a Nanosuit Showroom also. This is a pretty cool room that allows you to look at your suit and check out how it looks when different modules are applied to it. Overall Crysis 2 multiplayer is extremely addictive and unique because it isn't like most online shooters out there in which all you do is run and gun. The Nanosuit adds some versatility and adapts to how you play and will definitely keep you coming back playing online for long time.
Graphics & Sound 10/10
Crysis 2 is beautiful. Crytek introduces their brand new CryEngine 3 and it is simply jaw dropping. New York City looks amazing and very colorful. This is arguably the best looking first person shooter to come out this generation. The environments are really crisp. Water physics are second to none and look extremely realistic. Grass and trees also look really good. These are some of the best looking explosions this generation. New York City is definitely brought to life in this game. Textures are perfect. This game is extremely polished. Crytek has paid extreme attention to detail, even the smallest things that most people don't notice. For example reloading mechanics are perfect. If there is a round in the chamber you will not chamber another one. Bullet shells that fall to the ground match the caliber of the rounds shot off. The framerate maintains a steady 30fps with only very few minor hiccups here and there. Surprisingly for a game that looks this good and has so much action going, slowdowns weren't a problem. Be prepared for the visuals to blow you away. The sounds are also top of the line. Weapon firing sounds really good and the guns all sound different. Reloading sounds awesome as well. You can hear your magazine coming out as you slide another one in. If you are closer to an explosion or gunfire they sound louder and crisper than they would if you were at a distance. The voice acting is top of the line and the score will keep you immersed in the action.
Playtime/Re-Playability 9/10
As mentioned earlier Crysis 2 singleplayer takes around 8-10 hours to complete. If you are a completionist it will take much longer. Scattered around New York City there are dog tags that will allow you to view characters in the menu. There are also vehicle keys along with other collectibles such as email conversations. Collecting all of these will definitely tack on a few more hours to your playthrough. Aside from playing on a harder difficulty setting and collecting everything there really isn't a reason to continue playing singleplayer after your first playthrough. The multiplayer will have you coming back for hours and hours as it is so unique and different than most shooters out now.
Final Verdict 9.5/10
Pros
+Stunning Visuals
+Unique Gameplay
+Fun Multiplayer
Cons
-Minor Framerate Drops
-Few AI bugs
Closing Comments
Crysis 2 gets the highest rating I have given to a game at 9.5 and is well deserved of this score. This game is nothing short of spectacular. It offers different ways to play the game unlike most shooters which basically just run and shoot. The Nanosuit is a very fun addition to the game and changes how you approach it. With an action packed singleplayer experience and a highly addictive multiplayer component, Crysis 2 will surely keep you entertained for a very long time. This game is highly recommended for any fans of first person shooters and without a doubt worthy of its $60 dollar price tag.
Thanks for reading my review. Please rate!!!