Crysis 2 (Gameplay #5) - Assimilation Complete [Final Thoughts]
2Although I've consistently found it to be an impressive game in some respects (mostly graphics, detailed environments and great weapons), my opinion of and especially interest in Crysis 2 changed considerably over the course of the reasonably lengthy singleplayer campaign.
At first I was annoyed by the checkpoint system - or, to be more precise, how far apart the save points were positioned - and after that I was concerned about how the relative linear structure of the game seemed to be a step back from Crysis 1's open level design. However, once I started approaching the game in a decidedly more action-oriented way (thus ditching the stealth elements which didn't work well with the game's limited save points) it was considerably easier to get really hooked on the basic mechanics, and when I then got to experience the epic last fourth of the game's campaign there was no longer any doubt in my mind that Crysis 2 is, on balance, one of the most accomplished shooters released in quite some time.
The game certainly has a slow build-up and there is not a single memorable character anywhere in the story, but once you realize that the narrative structure is centered around the Nanosuit and its changing properties (which sounds dull on paper but is expertly communicated with almost Wagnerian bombast throughout the game) and that CryTek are also unexpectedly good at delivering spectacular set pieces, Crysis 2 starts to "click" with you on a whole new level. Still, like a lot of people I do hope the German developers return to a more open-ended gameplay style with their next game, since that (rather than fancy graphics as such) was what made Crysis 1 such a special entry in the genre.