Crysis 2 Xbox 360 Preview

Crysis 2 Console Impressions

Our preview of Crysis 2 on the Xbox 360 marked the first time we got to go hands-on with the multiplayer component of Crytek’s upcoming shooter and, considering the sheer size allowed for by Cry Engine 3, we had high hopes for it regardless of the occasional balancing frustration.

Sadly, we were disappointed here too. Both of the maps we had a bash at were based in half-destroyed sections of New York, meaning that there was never a moment where the Cry Engine 3 got a chance to show what it could really do. Vistas were blocked by looming, blocky skyscrapers and the more we played the more indistinguishable areas got from one another. It felt like we were constantly running through empty car parks to get to smoke-filled office blocks.

One thing we were impressed with though was the layout of the level geometry itself, which shone through the muddy textures on account of its excellent design. Not only is there a convincing amount of detail crammed into the levels, including debris that can be blown around by the explosions that regularly ripple through the server, but there’s also plenty of tactical possibility. There’s nearly always a vantage point to gain on would-be campers, or sniper spots accessible only through clever use of the suit's powers.


While it sounds like a small thing, we really liked Crytek’s vision of a devastated New York too. While we’ve already said that we were unimpressed with the technical aspect of Crysis 2 on consoles, we can’t ignore that there’s a tremendous amount of artistry built into the world. Even in the multiplayer maps there’s still a sensation of fighting in a real city, one which is on the edge of falling to an alien invasion.

Speaking of which, the aliens show up in Crysis 2’s multiplayer modes too, with one of the new match types tasking two teams with trying to secure alien drop sites as fast as possible. Alien pods are launched into the level every few minutes and each team has to capture that location and hold it for as long as possible. Honestly, we didn’t find this new mode anywhere near as exciting and innovative as the EA representatives seemed to, but we can’t say we didn’t enjoy it either. In fact, it was a lot of fun.


It’s that sentiment which seems to sum up our opinion of Crysis 2 as we’ve so far seen it, in fact. We’ve been unimpressed to find out that Crytek has apparently taken Crysis 2 backwards a few steps, stripping it of the features we truly craved in the original, such as the open levels and variety of approaches. At the same time though, that disappointment is tempered by the fact that, while Crysis 2 isn’t exactly hugely innovative, it’s still a very enjoyable game.

In terms of how the console version of the game compares to what we’ve seen of the PC version though, we have to say that we’ve been wholly unimpressed. We may have had a lot of fun playing Crysis 2 on the Xbox 360, but we had a lot more fun playing previous builds on the PC, thanks to better graphics, controls and customisation options.

Crysis 2 will be published by Electronic Arts on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It will be released on March 22, 2011.