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Jan 16th, 2008 at 18:14:02 - Crysis (PC) |
[not part of 80k assignment]
Overall Game Summary:
After beating Crysis, I still believe Crysis is one of the best games to come from 2007, and, in my opinion, the best FPS of 2007. [Note: I have not played Bioshock yet, and I will edit this entry if I discover it to be better than Crysis]
The graphics are still amazing, and the Crytek engine is simply dumbfounding. Things like enemies getting knocked backwards as they die seem to be so simple compared to the effect of weapon kickback in Zero-G, which actually pushes you backward every time you fire. Another thing which is revolutionary is the dynamic destructible environment (Promised by EA last year with regards to Battlefield 2142, but failed to deliver). If you shoot through a palm tree trunk with a shotgun, the blast causes the area where you shot to disappear and the rest of the tree falls over. Also, makeshift shacks or shelters, consisting of a couple 2x4s attached to sheet metal, are easily toppled by a grenade.
The boss battle leaves out a simple explanation that you can't use the TAC cannon until they tell you, so I was quite frustrated by wasting 30 minutes trying to figure out a way to use it, but the boss battle is still quite epic.
The last 30 minutes of the game look like something you get if you throw Halo, Sentinels from the Matrix, and a doomsday Tom Clancy plot into a blender and microwave the results. With the exception of a couple out of sync issues, which gladly fix themselves after each text string, the ending was very smooth flowing.
Overall, I would greatly recommend getting Crysis (check minimum specs first!) if you enjoy fast/intense/strategic action coupled with an eye-gasm generating game engine.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 16th, 2008 at 18:31:15.
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Jan 14th, 2008 at 02:35:08 - Crysis (PC) |
Gameplay Session 2
Summary
The second session of Crysis went quite well, with only a couple problems. As Nomad (you) continue your search over the island, you uncover more and more information about both the KPA and your objective. So far, I have been using the aptly named Sneak, Shoot, and Scoot method. Basically, with my silencer equipped and my cloak overworked, I traverse the island under the cover of brush and foliage, spot the enemies, take aim, and move on before reinforcements can be called. Although not as directly entertaining as blasting my way through wave after wave of angry Koreans.
I have (so far) found only one thing that I feel can make a good game look bad. It is a general problem with some games, often due to either lack of ability or a bug. which is having hiccups in the AI. While I was maneuvering along the beach of this tropical paradise, I spotted a jeep doing standard recon patrol (the basic Point A to Point B, and back routine) and waited for the jeep to make its way back around the corner. I took out the three guards who had been sitting idly and chattering away in Korean (I had my Korean floor-mate verify it was actual Korean and not just gibberish) as the jeep passed by. I then waited for the jeep to come back around, watching it with my GPS after having tagged it with binoculars (another very useful toy/attachment of the Nano-Muscle Suit). I was disappointed to discover that the jeep simply drove by the three slaughtered bodies, clearly displayed by the blood-stained rock on the side of the road, so I tagged the gunner on top of the jeep, and to my dismay, the driver did nothing besides continue his patrol. I later discovered that the driver was sitting in his seat, parked on the road through a base I had just full-on assaulted, guns blazing and other jeeps exploding. I was very disappointed that the AI was stuck in a conflicted (or un-programmed) thought.
Design
Crysis, so far, is a very well planned out game. With the exception of the AI snafu, I have enjoyed this game thoroughly. The suit offers a new way to view on how you make your way through the level. The complex AI, which almost seems to be alive at times, showing signs of curiosity, anger, and even panic, is quite advanced. Possibly the best feature of Crysis, however, is the beautiful landscape and scenery that could only be brought to life by the makers of Far Cry.
The linear-yet-complex level design is open to the user's utilization of terrain. It offers a very unique way to choose your path. Using foliage and trees to become the Predator can be one way of navigating the tropical island jungle. Or you can Stallone it and charge the beaches and camps of local military. This game has a kind of reward structure that is in any other FPS, with the only rewards being new weapons, and staying alive. I have not yet encountered any deep decision making besides choosing whether to pull the trigger or continue recon.
Overall, Crysis looks to me like one of the best games to come out of '07, with mind-blowing graphics (it almost makes me wish I had splurged $300 on a new video card with DX10 capabilities), nice AI, and large amounts of weapon customization, I will definitely put this game on my “To Play” list and keep it there for a while.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 14th, 2008 at 02:37:01.
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Jan 14th, 2008 at 01:37:24 - Crysis (PC) |
(Note: for the purpose of this class, I will only be GameLogging the Single Player Campaign)
Gameplay Session 1
Summary:
Crysis, developed by Crytek studios, is a near-futuristic first person shooter. In Crysis, you play as Nomad, a soldier in the US extra-Special forces team Delta Force. Each member of the team is equipped with a full-bodied Nano-Muscle Suit, which provides super-human qualities to the user. Each of the four qualities can be selected by the user on-the-fly. These powers include giving enough strength to punch a refrigerator a dozen yards, grant the user the speed of a gazelle, cloak the user to the point where he can stand right in front of an enemy, and electronically powered armor over the entire suit.
Gameplay (#1)
The game starts out with Nomad (your character) waking up in the back of what resembles a C-130 gunship. Your team leader, Prophet, explains the details of the mission, very few information is presented to you. All you and your team knows is there is someone on the island who needs rescue. As you HALO jump onto the island, you get a sense of free-falling into the dark abyss knowing absolutely nothing of what your getting into. The “tutorial” effect is somewhat there, as you make your way from checkpoint to checkpoint, the game shows you the buttons you use to do certain things, like crouching, breaking through certain objects, etc. It also explains the usage of your suit. The tutorial effect wears off after a while, as the game throws you into the world basically on your own, with only Prophet, a GPS system, and your suit.
The game is somewhat open to what you decide to do at this time. You are able to choose between different sets of tactics, such as using your cloak to sneak around each group of Korean soldiers (it is later revealed to you that the ruthless and brutal Korean People's Army General Kyong is behind the military presence) or going in an all out assault against each recon element. This brings up a sort of mini-management system with your suit. Like all fun toys in games, the Nano-Muscle Suit has a battery, which recharges rather rapidly, but gets depleted just as rapidly if the conditions are against you. For example, if you go prone and crawl your way though the environment, the battery can last several minutes, but if you run while the cloak is activated, the battery lasts only several seconds. The same goes for strength, armor, and speed. If you get hit while armor is activated, depending on where you get hit and how many times, your battery will either be depleted completely or only a fraction. Also, the health system is regenerative, as long as your suit has power, your health gradually gains itself back to full strength.
This game is incredibly fun, with a very adaptive AI, a wide array of weapons customizations, and gorgeous graphics. The AI will pull the same tricks as you, sneaking around, hiding behind shrubs, and taking cover while reloading. These elements make any game fun, but the ability of alerted AI to call for reinforcements adds a particular intelligence boost to the KPA. The realism and personalization effect of being able to customize your weapons however you feel, gives this game an edge over games that don't allow such options. If you feel like a secret agent, you can equip the silencer, red dot scope and a dart attachment, or you can pull a Rambo and use nothing but iron sights and a flashlight. Lastly, but most definitely not least, as long as you have a decent mid-range to high end computer, you can enjoy some of the most beautiful level design I've ever seen. The first time you leave the so-called tutorial area, the game goes to cinematic and displays a beautiful sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, with glorious lighting effects that almost look like a photograph. Also, the terrain around you, being a tropical area, has tons of vegetation all around (most of which you can and will use for strategic cover). With a promising beginning akin to Call of Duty: United Offensive (my favorite Single-Player game of all time), I look forward to playing Crysis for hours to come.
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 14th, 2008 at 02:37:54.
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