Game: Heretic
Year (s): 1994 (Heretic), 1996 (Shadows of the Serpent Riders)
Company: dev. Raven Software
pub. id Software
Engine: Doom Engine (id Tech 1)
Type: First-Person Shooter
Game Time: 12-15 hours recently on default difficulty
Obligatory Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lyBtYChbhI
Plot
You should realize that these old games aren't plot driven. Nonetheless. The Serpent Riders came to your world and brainwashed everyone except for your race, the elves. Your race was then labeled as heretics, hunted and scattered. You, an elven wizard, set out to defeat the Serpent Rider D'Sparil and his undead army to free your world from his evil grip.
Is it like Doom?
Same engine as Doom, and a few of the same sound effects. Most of the weapons have different models but are functionally the same as the chainsaw, pistol, chaingun, rocket launcher, and plasma rifle. One enemy is nearly identical to the Pinky Demons, but the rest are more original. You still flip switches, look for keys, and operate a special switch (or step in to a portal) to end levels.
The main separation between Heretic and Doom is the inventory. You can carry a variety of single-use items to use at will. These include torches (light source), wings (flight), health vials, half-ass grenades, tomes that power up your weapons (or at least, makes them function in a different way), and other offensive/miscellaneous items.
As this runs on the Doom engine, I highly recommend zDoom. The inventory system is too cumbersome to use without key re-binding, and I'm too out of practice from the old, contorted control setup to accomplish anything.
Expansions / DLC
Shadows of the Serpent Riders added two additional episodes to the original three. Akin to The Ultimate Doom's They Flesh Consumed, these episodes feature more challenging maps. While the original was easy on default, these had some tough spots.
Final Thoughts
Pretty much any game from the first and second generation of shooters is going to have parts where you'll get frustrated looking for the damn switch/key, and use a cheat to move on without it. Heretic is no exception. While new monsters and an inventory are nice additions to the genre, this is, largely, more Doom. I bought this recently because I'd played it as a kid and it was cheap. If you won't have any nostalgia going in, I don't think you'll get much out of this one.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Jokulhaups Deck
this deck might be tweaked after i play it more, but this is the general idea.
Jokulhaups Deck
60 Card Format
Black, Red
SPELLS- 40
4 Jokulhaups
3 Obliterate
2 Devastation
3 No Mercy
4 Sewer Nemesis
3 Guiltfeeder
2 Mortivore
4 Black Market
3 Darksteel Ingot
2 Mana Seism
4 Dark Ritual
3 Seething Song
4 Rite of Flame
LANDS- 24
4 Sulfurous Springs
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Peat Bog
2 Sandstone Needle
4 Darksteel Citadel
5 Mountains
5 Swamps
Ideally you cast Black Market, then Jokulhaups (or similar), then use the mana from Black Market to cast Guiltfeeder (or similar). Failing that, there are enough mana sources to do alright anyway.
It's a fun deck because you get to blow everything up. It's WAY better than the dozen half-ass Jokulhaups decks I found with google.
Jokulhaups Deck
60 Card Format
Black, Red
SPELLS- 40
4 Jokulhaups
3 Obliterate
2 Devastation
3 No Mercy
4 Sewer Nemesis
3 Guiltfeeder
2 Mortivore
4 Black Market
3 Darksteel Ingot
2 Mana Seism
4 Dark Ritual
3 Seething Song
4 Rite of Flame
LANDS- 24
4 Sulfurous Springs
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Peat Bog
2 Sandstone Needle
4 Darksteel Citadel
5 Mountains
5 Swamps
Ideally you cast Black Market, then Jokulhaups (or similar), then use the mana from Black Market to cast Guiltfeeder (or similar). Failing that, there are enough mana sources to do alright anyway.
It's a fun deck because you get to blow everything up. It's WAY better than the dozen half-ass Jokulhaups decks I found with google.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Singularity Review
Game: Singularity
Year (s): 2010
Company: dev. Raven Software
pub. Activision
Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Type: First-Person Shooter
Game Time: 10 hours, first time, default difficulty
Plot
In the 1950's, the USSR discovered a new element on the island of Katorga 12. The island was then used as a research and development base until an accident killed the inhabitants. The base was shut down and abandoned.
In 2010, unusual radioactive readings are coming from the island, and a few choppers of US black ops are sent to investigate. An anomaly sends you back in time, where you save someone from dying in a fire. An anomaly then returns you to an altered present, where the USSR has conquered the world. You must use your military skills and a nifty Time Manipulation Device (TMD) to restore history to its rihgtful course.
Back story is filled in by recovered notes, audio recordings, and ghosts.
The TMD
A short jog into the game, you'll find this item. It continues to grow more powerful as you progress. It can age enemies to death in combat, or shove them away. It can be used as a gravity gun. It can age scripted objects to decay, or do the opposite to rubble.
For the most part, the TMD is only particularly useful against bosses or in simple puzzles between firefights.
Other Time Stuff
You move back and forth between the 1950's and the present a few times in the course of the story. The sniper rifle, while scoped, has the ability to stop all enemies for a brief period. One sniper rifle alternative allows you to steer rounds in slow motion.
Combat and Upgrades
There are a variety of weapons, but you can only carry two at a time. Weapons can be upgraded. You can also upgrade general things (like carrying more medkits) and TMD abilities. There is a finite number of upgrades, so a second play could let you explore some different powerups.
Combat is easy. I blazed through this on default, even against the bosses.
Final Thoughts
Near the end, you can choose to be good or bad. A second play would allow you to make the other choice here, and see a different ending. I think it would have been very intuitive for the developers to incorporate several points where you can make a choice, and then you can see how it plays out when you're whisked back to the present. It's a game about time! But, they didn't.
Singularity isn't bad; I had fun playing it. That being said, it was short, easy, and some of the ideas could have easily been expanded upon for a more interactive, complex experience.
If you need something to do for a weekend and there's a good sale on Singularity, maybe give it a go. If you miss out on this one, you won't be missing out on much.
Year (s): 2010
Company: dev. Raven Software
pub. Activision
Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Type: First-Person Shooter
Game Time: 10 hours, first time, default difficulty
Plot
In the 1950's, the USSR discovered a new element on the island of Katorga 12. The island was then used as a research and development base until an accident killed the inhabitants. The base was shut down and abandoned.
In 2010, unusual radioactive readings are coming from the island, and a few choppers of US black ops are sent to investigate. An anomaly sends you back in time, where you save someone from dying in a fire. An anomaly then returns you to an altered present, where the USSR has conquered the world. You must use your military skills and a nifty Time Manipulation Device (TMD) to restore history to its rihgtful course.
Back story is filled in by recovered notes, audio recordings, and ghosts.
The TMD
A short jog into the game, you'll find this item. It continues to grow more powerful as you progress. It can age enemies to death in combat, or shove them away. It can be used as a gravity gun. It can age scripted objects to decay, or do the opposite to rubble.
For the most part, the TMD is only particularly useful against bosses or in simple puzzles between firefights.
Other Time Stuff
You move back and forth between the 1950's and the present a few times in the course of the story. The sniper rifle, while scoped, has the ability to stop all enemies for a brief period. One sniper rifle alternative allows you to steer rounds in slow motion.
Combat and Upgrades
There are a variety of weapons, but you can only carry two at a time. Weapons can be upgraded. You can also upgrade general things (like carrying more medkits) and TMD abilities. There is a finite number of upgrades, so a second play could let you explore some different powerups.
Combat is easy. I blazed through this on default, even against the bosses.
Final Thoughts
Near the end, you can choose to be good or bad. A second play would allow you to make the other choice here, and see a different ending. I think it would have been very intuitive for the developers to incorporate several points where you can make a choice, and then you can see how it plays out when you're whisked back to the present. It's a game about time! But, they didn't.
Singularity isn't bad; I had fun playing it. That being said, it was short, easy, and some of the ideas could have easily been expanded upon for a more interactive, complex experience.
If you need something to do for a weekend and there's a good sale on Singularity, maybe give it a go. If you miss out on this one, you won't be missing out on much.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Red Faction Review
Game: Red Faction
Year (s): 2001
Company: dev. Volition Inc.
pub. THQ
Engine: Geo-Mod Engine
Type: First-Person Shooter
Game Time: SIX HOURS, first time, on default*
Plot
The Protagonist, looking for a change of scenery, signs up to be a Martian miner. After getting there, he discovers slave-like working conditions, more armed guards than miners, and a plague that is killing miners left and right. The miners, led my the Red Faction rebel group, begin revolting against the evil mining corporation for the liberation of Mars.
It's a 2nd-Generation Shooter...
... and includes the things one would expect. We've got polygonal graphics, pre-animated death sequences, the occasional glitch, and the occasional crash. In these regards, it lived up to my expectations.
Sneaking Around
This game has a few sequences where you have only a silenced pistol (no melee) and have to sneak around. I hate sneaking around. That being said, this game offers an obvious tool in these segments: you can drag a dead body to someplace less visible. It's so simple, but I haven't played other games that had that feature.
Geo-Mod Engine
This engine is pretty standard for the time, certainly nothing amazing. Something interesting, though, is the amount to which you can destroy your environment. If you have enough explosives, you can avoid a door by blowing up the walls around it. It's not a useful tool (it's never necessary in the course of the game) but it was innovative.
*Bosses and Cheating
Combat was easy for the first half, and moderately difficult in the last half. However, I cheated against both the mid- and end- game bosses. The first was preceded by a ton of enemies, then no medkits, then a boss. The last boss was preceded by even MORE enemies, and no medkits. If games are going to be stupid like that, I have no qualms about cheating.
Final Thoughts
While Red Faction had a couple of innovative ideas, gameplay was largely mediocre, the plot half-assed, and the single-player campaign horrendously short. I would not recommend paying money for this one.
This game started a franchise that now has four titles, Red Faction: Armageddon came out in June 2011. The SyFy cable network released a full-length film, Red Faction: Origins, to coincide with the release of Armageddon. Events in the film take place between the third and fourth games.
Year (s): 2001
Company: dev. Volition Inc.
pub. THQ
Engine: Geo-Mod Engine
Type: First-Person Shooter
Game Time: SIX HOURS, first time, on default*
Plot
The Protagonist, looking for a change of scenery, signs up to be a Martian miner. After getting there, he discovers slave-like working conditions, more armed guards than miners, and a plague that is killing miners left and right. The miners, led my the Red Faction rebel group, begin revolting against the evil mining corporation for the liberation of Mars.
It's a 2nd-Generation Shooter...
... and includes the things one would expect. We've got polygonal graphics, pre-animated death sequences, the occasional glitch, and the occasional crash. In these regards, it lived up to my expectations.
Sneaking Around
This game has a few sequences where you have only a silenced pistol (no melee) and have to sneak around. I hate sneaking around. That being said, this game offers an obvious tool in these segments: you can drag a dead body to someplace less visible. It's so simple, but I haven't played other games that had that feature.
Geo-Mod Engine
This engine is pretty standard for the time, certainly nothing amazing. Something interesting, though, is the amount to which you can destroy your environment. If you have enough explosives, you can avoid a door by blowing up the walls around it. It's not a useful tool (it's never necessary in the course of the game) but it was innovative.
*Bosses and Cheating
Combat was easy for the first half, and moderately difficult in the last half. However, I cheated against both the mid- and end- game bosses. The first was preceded by a ton of enemies, then no medkits, then a boss. The last boss was preceded by even MORE enemies, and no medkits. If games are going to be stupid like that, I have no qualms about cheating.
Final Thoughts
While Red Faction had a couple of innovative ideas, gameplay was largely mediocre, the plot half-assed, and the single-player campaign horrendously short. I would not recommend paying money for this one.
This game started a franchise that now has four titles, Red Faction: Armageddon came out in June 2011. The SyFy cable network released a full-length film, Red Faction: Origins, to coincide with the release of Armageddon. Events in the film take place between the third and fourth games.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Catacomb 3D Review
Game: Catacombs 3D
Year (s): 1991
Company: dev. id software
pub. Softdisk
Engine: Wolfenstein 3D Engine (an earlier-than-Wolfenstein version)
Type: First-Person Shooter
Reminiscing
After Space Invaders, this was one of my earliest computer games. Our version was titled Curse of the Catacombs, but it's the same game. This isn't only the first shooter I ever played, it was one of the first shooters, period.
Ultima Influence
The Catacomb games previous to this were 2D, with an overhead view. Though Catacombs 3D came out first, it was arguably influenced by a demo of Ultima Underworld that featured texture mapping. One member of the Ultima team "recalled a comment from Carmack that he could write a faster texture mapper" (Wikipedia).
Hey! Look at all the id guys!
Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, John Romero, and Tom Hall. These guys were in the credits for Doom 3 thirteen years after Catacomb 3D. I'm pretty sure they'll be in the credits for Doom 4 (slated 2013) twenty-two years after this game. I guess it's more fun to make and play games than retire.
Plot
I really don't remember a plot, just that you're a wizard roaming a dungeon/fantasy landscape. You throw fireballs at gorgons, tree-monsters, skeletons, vampire bunnies, and other mean critters.
Combat
I already mentioned throwing fireballs.
This game introduced showing the character's hands in the player's view.
If you throw a fireball at particular walls, they are destroyed and you can find secret areas!
Sequels
Three Catacombs 3D games were released after this. Catacomb Abyss was developed by Gamer's Edge (published by Softdisk).
Catacomb Armageddon and Catacomb Apocalypse were developed by Softdisk and published by Frogman. All sequels use the original engine and, except for Apocalypse, follow the original protagonist.
Final Thoughts
We got rid of our copy of this probably about the same time we threw away the 3.5-inch floppy drives. I thought this would be a fun one to do mostly by reading online, unfortunately, it's so old (and, compared to later games, not a big splash in the water) that aside from a short Wikipedia article, sites that copy/paste that article, and a ton of damn youtube videos, there's nothing to read.
Fortunately, you can relive the game (minus the combat) by watching the Windows 95 Maze screensaver! Always reminded me of Catacomb 3D, anyway.
Year (s): 1991
Company: dev. id software
pub. Softdisk
Engine: Wolfenstein 3D Engine (an earlier-than-Wolfenstein version)
Type: First-Person Shooter
Reminiscing
After Space Invaders, this was one of my earliest computer games. Our version was titled Curse of the Catacombs, but it's the same game. This isn't only the first shooter I ever played, it was one of the first shooters, period.
Ultima Influence
The Catacomb games previous to this were 2D, with an overhead view. Though Catacombs 3D came out first, it was arguably influenced by a demo of Ultima Underworld that featured texture mapping. One member of the Ultima team "recalled a comment from Carmack that he could write a faster texture mapper" (Wikipedia).
Hey! Look at all the id guys!
Adrian Carmack, John Carmack, John Romero, and Tom Hall. These guys were in the credits for Doom 3 thirteen years after Catacomb 3D. I'm pretty sure they'll be in the credits for Doom 4 (slated 2013) twenty-two years after this game. I guess it's more fun to make and play games than retire.
Plot
I really don't remember a plot, just that you're a wizard roaming a dungeon/fantasy landscape. You throw fireballs at gorgons, tree-monsters, skeletons, vampire bunnies, and other mean critters.
Combat
I already mentioned throwing fireballs.
This game introduced showing the character's hands in the player's view.
If you throw a fireball at particular walls, they are destroyed and you can find secret areas!
Sequels
Three Catacombs 3D games were released after this. Catacomb Abyss was developed by Gamer's Edge (published by Softdisk).
Catacomb Armageddon and Catacomb Apocalypse were developed by Softdisk and published by Frogman. All sequels use the original engine and, except for Apocalypse, follow the original protagonist.
Final Thoughts
We got rid of our copy of this probably about the same time we threw away the 3.5-inch floppy drives. I thought this would be a fun one to do mostly by reading online, unfortunately, it's so old (and, compared to later games, not a big splash in the water) that aside from a short Wikipedia article, sites that copy/paste that article, and a ton of damn youtube videos, there's nothing to read.
Fortunately, you can relive the game (minus the combat) by watching the Windows 95 Maze screensaver! Always reminded me of Catacomb 3D, anyway.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Serious Sam: The First Encounter Review
Game: Serious Sam: The First Encounter
Year (s): 2001 (original), 2010 (HD)
Company: dev. Croteam
pub. Gathering of Developers
Engine: Serious Engine. Serious Engine 3 (HD)
Type: First-Person Shooter
What I Paid: Cheap-o!
Game Time: 12-14 hours, first play, on default
Obligatory Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHpiu-VI7wQ
It's Time to Get Serious
I killed cyberdemons with a shotgun. I beat Quake on the nightmare difficulty. After that, games became increasingly interested on elements other than strafing and shooting. Plot, characters, musical scores, realistic physics, advanced graphics... yup, times were a-changin'.
Not for Sam, though. Serious Sam take it back to the basics, and then ramp it up several notches. No problem killing headcrabs? How about dozens at a time? A handful of cyberdemons? A couple hundred fiends? It's time to get serious.
Original versus HD
These are the exact same game, straight down the the sound effects. The only changes are visual, using new textures and a more up-to-date graphics engine.
This is Insane
Facing dozens of enemies at a time is pretty nuts. To add to insanity, headless suicide-bombers scream while they run at you. Without heads. The protagonist has an occasional amusing quip. These games don't take themselves too seriously.
Plot
A bad guy named Mental has a huge alien monster army attacking Earth, and only Sam stands in the way.
Combat
Definitely reminded me of the Doom's Thy Flesh Consumed and some of the harder Quake levels. Only one weapon has to reload. Combat is pretty straight-forward: don't stop moving. It's hard (partly because it's been so long since I've played a new old-school shooter) and in one spot I HAD to use god-mode Other than that, levels were challenging but possible, and beating one felt like an accomplishment.
This game supports up to sixteen players, which would make combat situations much more manageable.
Expansions / DLC
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter also exists in both original and HD versions, and follows Sam as he takes the fight to Mental. Serious Sam 3 is due sometime this summer.
Final Thoughts
If you remember playing first and second generation shooters, the gameplay here is nostalgic. If you've grown up on Halo and afterward, you probably aren't going to appreciate the simple joy of constant strafing.
Year (s): 2001 (original), 2010 (HD)
Company: dev. Croteam
pub. Gathering of Developers
Engine: Serious Engine. Serious Engine 3 (HD)
Type: First-Person Shooter
What I Paid: Cheap-o!
Game Time: 12-14 hours, first play, on default
Obligatory Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHpiu-VI7wQ
It's Time to Get Serious
I killed cyberdemons with a shotgun. I beat Quake on the nightmare difficulty. After that, games became increasingly interested on elements other than strafing and shooting. Plot, characters, musical scores, realistic physics, advanced graphics... yup, times were a-changin'.
Not for Sam, though. Serious Sam take it back to the basics, and then ramp it up several notches. No problem killing headcrabs? How about dozens at a time? A handful of cyberdemons? A couple hundred fiends? It's time to get serious.
Original versus HD
These are the exact same game, straight down the the sound effects. The only changes are visual, using new textures and a more up-to-date graphics engine.
This is Insane
Facing dozens of enemies at a time is pretty nuts. To add to insanity, headless suicide-bombers scream while they run at you. Without heads. The protagonist has an occasional amusing quip. These games don't take themselves too seriously.
Plot
A bad guy named Mental has a huge alien monster army attacking Earth, and only Sam stands in the way.
Combat
Definitely reminded me of the Doom's Thy Flesh Consumed and some of the harder Quake levels. Only one weapon has to reload. Combat is pretty straight-forward: don't stop moving. It's hard (partly because it's been so long since I've played a new old-school shooter) and in one spot I HAD to use god-mode Other than that, levels were challenging but possible, and beating one felt like an accomplishment.
This game supports up to sixteen players, which would make combat situations much more manageable.
Expansions / DLC
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter also exists in both original and HD versions, and follows Sam as he takes the fight to Mental. Serious Sam 3 is due sometime this summer.
Final Thoughts
If you remember playing first and second generation shooters, the gameplay here is nostalgic. If you've grown up on Halo and afterward, you probably aren't going to appreciate the simple joy of constant strafing.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Crysis Review
Game: Crysis
Year (s): 2007 (original), 2008 (expansions)
Company: dev. Crytek
pub. EA (Electronic Arts)
Engine: CryEngine 2
Type: First-person shooter
What I Paid: five bucks for the Crysis and expansions on a Steam sale
Game Time: 10 hours, first time, on normal (default)
Crytek?
Who is Crytek? They're a game developer centered in Frankfurt, Germany. They also made the Far Cry games. Crytek is unwavering in dedication to one crucial philosophy, "Everything we make will have the word 'cry' in it" (TOTALLY not a made up quote).).
Plot
In the year 2020, a team of scientists working on an excavation site in the Lingshan Islands send out a distress signal. North Korea sends in troops, and states the distress signal is related to volcanic activity. The island has no geologically interesting history, so a squad of special forces, black-ops, is flown in to investigate.
The scientists think they've found an ancient temple. The Koreans think it could be a weapon. It's acutally a dormant alien craft, and now the aliens are waking up. They have not come in peace.
Difficulty
This is harder than most shooters. Yes, your shields and health regenerate, but if you try to just run-and-gun, you'll die. Difficulty settings don't alter damage you deal or receive, instead they alter gameplay elements. On normal, if you hop in a vehicle, you can both drive and fire weapons, and Koreans speak English. On the most difficult, it's impossible to be in the driver's seat and the gunner's seat at the same time, and Koreans speak Korean.
Combat
You have a nanosuit! Nanosuit energy can do more than regenerate shields and health. You can set your suit to maximum-, shields, speed, strength, or cloak. Maximum strength allows for super jumps and melee murder. The rest are self-explanatory. Using your suit energy for such alternate purposes drains your shields.
Cover is necessary, but most structures can only take so many bullets (or a grenade) before falling apart, leaving you exposed.
Miscellany
If you're a quick-save whore like me, take not that enemies won't do the same thing every time you quick-load. I like that in an AI.
Crysis lets you see your feet and hands, which is a nice nod to reality when climbing a ladder or holding an object in front of you.
Trucks are jeeps are somewhat widespread, but the other vehicles (tanks, AA guns, a plane, and boats) are more confined to specific missions.
You sometimes have infantry, vehicle, or air support, especially if you complete secondary objectives.
Expansions / DLC
Crysis: Warhead follows a different member of your squad and events are concurrent with the main game. You still have a nanosuit, so gameplay is much the same. Warhead introduces a few new weapons and vehicles, and the ability to dual-wield handguns. There was another difference I was less enthused about, the game mixes third-person cutscenes with the first-person gameplay. I felt this detracted from immersion and made the story more cartoonish. Gametime clocked in at four hours.
Crysis Wars is a multiplayer version of the game that I own but have not played.
Complaints
The engine is pretty solid, and I only ran in to one or two clipping glitches, no crashes. Combat is rewardingly challenging. This is a quality shooter; the only minor issues I had were losing track of where I was going in a zero-gravity area, and being able to run past enemies when I couldn't figure out how to beat them. Also, gameplay is relatively short.
Final Thoughts
Crysis 2 was released in March, 2011. Events take place three years after the first, and in New York. At least one character returns from the first game. This is the first non-jungle environment Crytek has created.
Crysis is pretty awesome, but I can't justify recommending you spend thirty bucks on a 10-hour game. If you catch it on sale though, grab it. You'll like it.
Year (s): 2007 (original), 2008 (expansions)
Company: dev. Crytek
pub. EA (Electronic Arts)
Engine: CryEngine 2
Type: First-person shooter
What I Paid: five bucks for the Crysis and expansions on a Steam sale
Game Time: 10 hours, first time, on normal (default)
Crytek?
Who is Crytek? They're a game developer centered in Frankfurt, Germany. They also made the Far Cry games. Crytek is unwavering in dedication to one crucial philosophy, "Everything we make will have the word 'cry' in it" (TOTALLY not a made up quote).).
Plot
In the year 2020, a team of scientists working on an excavation site in the Lingshan Islands send out a distress signal. North Korea sends in troops, and states the distress signal is related to volcanic activity. The island has no geologically interesting history, so a squad of special forces, black-ops, is flown in to investigate.
The scientists think they've found an ancient temple. The Koreans think it could be a weapon. It's acutally a dormant alien craft, and now the aliens are waking up. They have not come in peace.
Difficulty
This is harder than most shooters. Yes, your shields and health regenerate, but if you try to just run-and-gun, you'll die. Difficulty settings don't alter damage you deal or receive, instead they alter gameplay elements. On normal, if you hop in a vehicle, you can both drive and fire weapons, and Koreans speak English. On the most difficult, it's impossible to be in the driver's seat and the gunner's seat at the same time, and Koreans speak Korean.
Combat
You have a nanosuit! Nanosuit energy can do more than regenerate shields and health. You can set your suit to maximum-, shields, speed, strength, or cloak. Maximum strength allows for super jumps and melee murder. The rest are self-explanatory. Using your suit energy for such alternate purposes drains your shields.
Cover is necessary, but most structures can only take so many bullets (or a grenade) before falling apart, leaving you exposed.
Miscellany
If you're a quick-save whore like me, take not that enemies won't do the same thing every time you quick-load. I like that in an AI.
Crysis lets you see your feet and hands, which is a nice nod to reality when climbing a ladder or holding an object in front of you.
Trucks are jeeps are somewhat widespread, but the other vehicles (tanks, AA guns, a plane, and boats) are more confined to specific missions.
You sometimes have infantry, vehicle, or air support, especially if you complete secondary objectives.
Expansions / DLC
Crysis: Warhead follows a different member of your squad and events are concurrent with the main game. You still have a nanosuit, so gameplay is much the same. Warhead introduces a few new weapons and vehicles, and the ability to dual-wield handguns. There was another difference I was less enthused about, the game mixes third-person cutscenes with the first-person gameplay. I felt this detracted from immersion and made the story more cartoonish. Gametime clocked in at four hours.
Crysis Wars is a multiplayer version of the game that I own but have not played.
Complaints
The engine is pretty solid, and I only ran in to one or two clipping glitches, no crashes. Combat is rewardingly challenging. This is a quality shooter; the only minor issues I had were losing track of where I was going in a zero-gravity area, and being able to run past enemies when I couldn't figure out how to beat them. Also, gameplay is relatively short.
Final Thoughts
Crysis 2 was released in March, 2011. Events take place three years after the first, and in New York. At least one character returns from the first game. This is the first non-jungle environment Crytek has created.
Crysis is pretty awesome, but I can't justify recommending you spend thirty bucks on a 10-hour game. If you catch it on sale though, grab it. You'll like it.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)