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Monday 14 January, 2008
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.
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