Video Review
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Intro
Before delving too deeply into my review of Crysis 3, I want to say that I only played the Xbox 360 version. I would imagine the PC version would be the optimal choice. I should also mention that I have not really played the other two Crysis games, unless you count me beating a couple levels on Crysis 1 a year ago. Luckily, I don't think me not having played the previous installments matters much in the overall scope of this review, especially considering the game has a "Previously On Crysis" cut-scene, which fills players in on important plot points. One sign that this is a good game is that, now having completed it, I have a strong urge to go out and buy the first two games.
Presentation/Structure
Crysis has always been known for being astonishing on the graphics front, and this newest entry is no different. While my playing the Xbox 360 version prevented me from seeing this game in all its glory, that doesn't stop it from being one of the best-looking games on the console. Pretty much everything about this game is gorgeous, but the feeling doesn't kick in until the first time you step outdoors. The environments are fairly varied throughout the campaign, but the overall theme seems to be overgrowing plant life trying to reclaim the world for its own. These plants really make the graphics pop; actually I'd go so far as to say that this game has the most realistic looking grass I've seen in a game. Some may find it odd or lame to be impressed by such small a thing as grass, but for some reason, watching it rustle from the wind in this game is much more intriguing than doing so in the real world where we take it for granted.
Crysis 3 is set up like your typical run-of-the-mill FPS game. Its levels are very linear-based, but try to trick you into believing they're more expansive than they really are. Some may say that this game is a little on the short side, offering only 6 missions at about an hour apiece, so on the normal difficulty, you're looking at a 6-hour game. Aside from an online mode that I'll get into a little later, the only thing this game offers to increase its longevity is higher difficulty modes, along with a mission select feature.
Story/Gameplay
As I stated earlier, this is the first Crysis game I've really played, which is why it probably took me awhile to get into the story of the game. For the first few levels of the game, I just wasn't that into what was actually happening, but I have to say that during its second half, I began to care for the characters and plotline a bit more. Enough so that I want to go back and play the first two installments, so I can see first-hand how all the characters ended up where they are, and to help understand some of the references more. A basic synopsis of the plot without major spoilers would be as follows. Prophet, the sole remaining Nano Suit user, must battle his own humanity, which has been tainted/influenced by the Ceph (Alien Race), along with seeking revenge against CELL (Evil Organization). The story events in this game are all done using in-game graphics, which is nice. It makes the game flow together better. Character models in this game are extremely well done, and have very realistic-looking facial animations. In turn, this makes the surprisingly good voice-acting come to life that much more. Strangely, the only character's voice that at times seemed out of place, was that of Prophet's, who also just happens to be the guy you play as. This was more of a personal issue, though. I just expected the man behind the suit's voice to sound, I don't know...different. To me, the voice just didn't match the character, but it's not a big deal. Another thing that kind of surprised me about this game is it has some good supporting cast members. The best was the good-humored Psycho character who, from my understanding, has been with the series since the beginning. Also, the game has an interesting, if not slightly predictable plot twist towards the end. I believe that this series was planned as a trilogy, which makes this the final entry, and although I may not have a lot of experience with this franchise I found the ending to be satisfying.
From a gameplay perspective, Crysis 3 plays very similarly to most FPS games on the market today, but it brings a few interesting qualities that help set it apart from the pack. There are two major elements to your suit that affect the gameplay. These are your cloaking ability and your armor ability, which are mapped to the left and right bumpers on the Xbox 360 controller. It's interesting how these two simple abilities can be used to drastically change the pacing of the game, allowing the player to play according to their personal preferences. A player wanting to approach a situation stealthily has an option to do so by utilizing the cloaking ability to silently dispatch foes without ever being detected. Stealth in this game works very well; my only real complaint is that, at times, I felt as if the enemies could detect me too easily. For example, I could be a good distance from the enemies, come out of my cloaking, and yet as long as they had a clear line of sight towards me, they would instantly know my position, even though I had only just come out of cloaking. Dispatching foes stealthily can be done through quick executions activated from behind with a click of the Right Joystick. On top of that, the player is granted with a compound bow that they have on them at all times. This bow can be used for long-range stealth kills, and in my opinion is quite satisfying. Not every player likes using stealth in games. Players who prefer to just run 'n gun, ignoring all forms of strategy, will likely find themselves using the armor ability a lot, seeing as it grants Prophet with a extra layer of defense for a limited time period. I believe that allowing the player to choose how to approach all areas in this game was a smart way to diversify the gameplay and also allow the player a sense of freedom.
Overall, I would have to say that this game felt very polished, which is to be expected, since this is the third entry into the series. I did have some issues with gameplay, however. My first complaint is a very minor one. At times, my character seemed to get stuck on the environment. Sometimes it would be when I was crouching, trying to walk over some very small rubble in my path, and I couldn't get over it unless I was standing. My second issue with this game is kind of a love/hate relationship in how the game's visor is handled. In the game, you're able to flip your visor down. In doing so, it allows you to hover over important objects and enemies within range and mark them on your HUD. I love this feature, because I feel that giving your character's visor a purpose was undeniably smart, along with kind of forcing the player to get an idea of the opposition laid out before them and strategize. What I didn't like about it was that I almost felt too forced into using it, causing it to become a nuisance at times. The reason I felt so forced into using it is because the enemies in Crysis 3 are ridiculously hard to see without a marker on them. Even when the enemies are moderately close, they can be difficult to spot; they just don't stand out from the environment enough. Because of this, I found myself getting into the habit of stopping before entering any new area and marking every enemy before engaging them in combat. My third issue, probably the largest, is the segments involving vehicles. Generally, a game would include vehicle segments to break up the combat, which this does. I just feel that the placement of these segments was poorly thought out. There aren't very many of them and they happen back to back at the very end of the game. Plus, the actual vehicle handling is terrible, which obviously causes a lot of frustration and defeats the purpose of including them at all. Really, it's a missed opportunity, and the Halo series has proven that vehicular combat in First Person Shooters can work if done correctly. Sadly, this game does not do it correctly.
Crysis 3 features a fairly entertaining online option, packing a fair share of different game modes and features. Some may get addicted to it for awhile, but I honestly can't see myself ever getting hooked on it. Nothing about it is really unique enough to set it apart from all the other shooters out there. That being said, it is in no way bad.
Conclusion
Crysis 3 is an absolute graphical powerhouse. Graphics aren't enough to save it from its flaws, no matter how few they are. Issues such as atrocious vehicle segments, movement complaints, repetitive visor usage, and enemy detection. Crysis 3 is a very polished first person shooter that has potential for perfection, but can't quite seem to be as dramatic or climatic as it aspires to be. This turns the game into a fun average shooter with a few unique ideas that aren't expanded on or implemented well enough. The characters were surprisingly interesting, aided by some good voice acting and the plot brought about a mostly satisfactory conclusion.
Pros
+ Gorgeous
+ Stealth and armor abilities
+ Coolest use of a suit since the Halo series
+ Good characters and plot
+ Fun
Cons
- Vehicle segments suck
- Visor usage becomes repetitive
- Enemy detection isn't balanced right
- Despite its cool ideas and stellar graphics, fails to break from the pack
Rating
8 / 10
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