The irony of the Crysis 2 debut trailer being dubbed “The Wall” is that Crytek is toppling a huge wall by developing the game not exclusively for the PC like its predecessor, but also Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. At long last, the graphics kingpin franchise will be available to play without having to sweat over upgrading processor speed, graphics cards or RAM. Hooray… for console owners, at least.
The eventual fate of Crysis 2 on consoles is not as sure bet a slam dunk “game of the year” juggernaut as you might expect. Look no further than Far Cry, another Crytek franchise whose original is visually a beast on PCs and found success on consoles, but was overshadowed by other console exclusive shooters and panned for differing from the PC version. Even a hint of disparity between the PC and console versions stemming from the new CryEngine 3 might make the difference between sitting at the “top” or looking up at Halo: Reach on the November and December sales charts should negativity run rampant on the web. The advantage for Crysis 2 over Far Cry is the console version will arrive in stores simultaneously rather than PC first, console port later.
Creatively questionable is the decision to set Crysis 2 in the concrete jungle of New York City. Not just any New York City; a smoldering metropolis seen demolished in film and video games before. Did the minds at Crytek not witness District 9 and embrace how cool it was to see aliens land someplace else? Turning Point: Fall of Liberty was not that long ago. If the next logical step in the Crysis story is to be told through the destruction of mankind’s cities then why not explore the streets of Berlin, Singapore, Shanghai or anywhere exotic and rarely seen in modern shooters? New York is the safe bet everyone identifies with, and smiles will be abound – mine included – as the game plays out. But I cannot help feel an ominous sense of “been there, done that” by visiting it again and hope the familiarity is not a turn off.
While gamers know the Crysis name like their own, casual console gamer and mom looking for a gift may have never heard of the franchise. To them, Crysis 2 sitting on the shelf could be Hour of Victory or any other mediocre shooter. Stickers EA will likely slap on it with various E3 Awards will likely help, but broad brand recognition will need to be earned between now and release. The more media and hype EA can drum up, the better.
Renowned sci-fi author Richard Morgan is on board to write the game’s story and he has already called the Halo narrative as having “no real emotional effect.” Whether Crysis 2 will offer some twists and turns and the fight will break out from Manhattan is unclear, but strong story and characters could help overcome the all-too-familiar setting. A solid story at this point is almost as sure a bet as visuals that will blow your mind.
The release time frame for Crysis 2 is interesting because it bows as Microsoft and Sony launch their motion control answers to Nintendo’s Wii. Utilizing motion controls in games not necessarily designed for them like first-person shooters has been met thus far with less-than-favorable response. But what if Crytek pulls a fast one and builds in Natal and Move support while other developers sit this first round out with their shooter franchises? Is that enough to catapult Crysis 2 to the top of the console sales charts? E3 is closing in fast, and in the grand scheme of things no one really knows what to expect as far as what title will support what. I expect killer announcements from the conference this June but playing the latest and greatest shooters while flailing my arms and body around pretending I am a super soldier in my living room is highly doubtful.
Regardless of any rumors or speculation circling Crysis 2, Crytek’s resume tells us they should deliver a console “game of the year” contender this holiday season or at the very least “shooter of the year.” Paltry little titles such as Halo: Reach, Medal of Honor, Alan Wake, God of War III, Call of Duty and many more will protest in contention, but only time will tell. All we can do now is assume Crysis 2 should surpass what we have seen up to this point on consoles visually, the story should be leaps and bounds above typical gaming fare and the core game should be identical between consoles and the PC. That’s a lot of “shoulds” though.
– Jason Krahn and Dan Bradley
