Crysis 2

“BE STRONG. BE FAST. BE INVISIBLE. BE THE WEAPON”. That’s EA’s slogan for Crysis 2, to prepare us for this suped-up, sci-fi first-person shooter. It wouldn’t sound out of place in an eighties action flick, but, then again, neither would Crysis 2.

We’re not talking about its graphics, because they’re splendid and would certainly look completely out of place; we’re referring to its unashamedly macho, action spirit. Crysis 2 belongs in an era which celebrates the overpowered guy, the guy who can single-handedly take down an army in the middle of New York without shedding a sentimental tear.

Take the nano-suit as an example (a one-piece number, capable of going invisible, leaping great heights and going harder than adamantine); it’s a suit all people of a certain age would have loved growing up, back when the Predator was the coolest thing on Earth. This suit allows you to be the Predator.

Hit R2 and Alcatraz (your guy) will go into stealth mode, turning him nigh-on invisible. Like the Predator, it’s not entirely invisible – the cloaking leaves a shimmering outline, but by the time the enemy soldier notices, you should already have snapped his neck. Should you run into a bottleneck, and expect a rain of bullets to descend upon you, hit L2 and you’ll activate armour mode, offering you a few more valuable seconds to survive.

Another of the nano-suit’s features, and for our money the most important of the lot, is the ability to do power jumps. Hold down X and Alcatraz will leap to great heights, and what’s more, he can grab onto ledges and pull himself up. It’s all done in one swift effortless motion. It makes Crysis 2 more exciting, dynamically, than any other shooter on the market. The battle isn’t just on the ground level; it’s on higher floors and even on the rooftops.

Because of the number of powers at your disposal, you are constantly re-evaluating the situation. Am I approaching this area in the right way? Should I climb that scaffolding? Do I go in all guns blazing and think about the consequences later? Do I have enough time to sneak through? You’ll ask this last question a lot, because the nano-suit, for all its power, runs on batteries. They hold more power than a Duracell bunny, and they can even recharge, but they won’t last long in the energy-sapping stealth mode, especially if you’re moving or firing a weapon.

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