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[adelante]

He has one Crysis 2 video so far, but that's only for testing purposes. (still oozes attitude)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srGH-tPWqjY

Some neat indirect lighting at work there (4:06 - 4:16), you see the gun illuminated by the yellow EMAT tent behind the player...awesome

 

[Red]

The regularity of bugs, clipping and dumb AI is much more prevalent and common than either HL2 or RE4. Obviously not every game is bug-free, but the amount I encountered in Crysis 2 was on an Obsidian level.

And sure, it isn't the 'worst FPS evah', it's just a mediocre effort that tries to be more than it is. And it fails to be very entertaining when the story is shit, encounters are simplified, has obsolete game design (e.g. ammo crates in the middle of fuck) and generic art direction. It's fine if people enjoy the experience, but I've played so many other FPS games which did many, many things much, much better.

But maybe I am not the target audience.

I feel the same way. Though it is generally improved by disabling the horribly intrusive HUD.

It's damn frustrating, because there are better tactical routes here than in the first game. But they aren't as useful since the enemy AI is so bad. You can use them, sure, but the game isn't taxing without them. I would have liked a smarter, stiffer challenge.

I guess an example of what I'm talking about occurs early on, I think in the second level. There's a patrol of guys mostly standing around outside a donut shop, and a few open sewer grates call to you from one side of the map. You enter them, skip 90% of the enemies, then end up exiting where there are two perfectly-placed soldiers waiting to be silently assassinated. You don't even need to work for it. You don't need to check that these guys are patrolling, maybe peering into the stairs behind them. They just stand there, and then they die. It's all very simple. Makes an already easy experience pitifully so. This isn't the player being stealthy, it's the game allowing him to be so. It is a pat on the head. "Look what you've done!" says the game. "And all by yourself!" Gold star.

It is pandering, and offensive to those looking for a challenge.

 

[Blizzard]

The sniper in this game is so good, so is the hammer handgun. You shoot the bastards and they start crawling in pain and then you move up to finish the job. I also love all the climbing, ledge grabbing, opens up a whole lot of possibilites. It somehow feels like 'Mirrors Edge' at times and I've seen sprinkles of Half Life 2 as well. I'm not sure which game is more 'open' this or Crysis 1. Overall it isn't a huge open island but there's much more routes and combat options for each objective. Oh and the presentation with all the explosions and set pieces is awesome.

The ledge-climbing was probably my favorite feature from the MP demo, especially since it was even faster than Mirror's Edge. I don't know that I'd want ALL games to use it, but it definitely seems like something that makes sense and can potentially prevent the issue of getting stuck on short walls that you're trying to climb or jump over.

 

[conman]

It's damn frustrating, because there are better tactical routes here than in the first game. But they aren't as useful since the enemy AI is so bad. You can use them, sure, but the game isn't taxing without them. I would have liked a smarter, stiffer challenge.

It's heartbreaking. I'm still really enjoying it, but it requires behaving as though the AI is smarter than it actually is. I'm very much taking my time--certainly more than I need to--just because I'm always looking for interesting ways to progress rather than merely looking for expedient ways.

 

[[Nintex]]

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sys_spec_objectdetail=4
sys_spec_particles=4
sys_spec_physics=4
sys_spec_postprocessing=4
sys_spec_shadows=4
sys_spec_sound=4
sys_spec_texture=4
sys_spec_water=4
g_skipIntro=1
cl_fov=70
pl_movement.power_sprint_targetFov=70
i_mouse_accel=0
i_mouse_accel_max=100
i_mouse_smooth=0
r_motionblur=0
g_radialBlur=0
cl_zoomToggle=0
r_UseEdgeAA=0
r_TexMaxAnisotropy=16
r_PostMSAA=2
r_PostMSAAEdgeFilterNV = 0
cl_crouchtoggle=1
r_ColorGrading=1
r_SSAO=1
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r_MotionBlurShutterSpeed=0.091
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r_ShadersDX11=1
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r_driver=dx10 
;hud_hide = 1

remove the ; to remove the hud

No VSync, blasphemy!

 

[Dennis]

No VSync, blasphemy!

I have not seen even a single incidence of screentearing at all.

 

[Dennis]

I am so glad I tried it over at my friend flat before buying the game myself. It is extremely generic in both non-technical presentation and linearity. Crysis 1 had interesting encounters and locale, but this just seems to me like another long line of 'shoot stuff in the face'.

There is way too many visual indicators on how to approach a situation, how well you have hit your target, which direction you are going to take and so forth. The story and presentation tries to take itself too seriously with robot-aliens from Space. The music is as generic as action blockbusters comes and the main theme is overused to such a degree that it becomes bland and uneventful. Furthermore, the framework of the presentation tries to be this AAA blockbuster while the amount of bugs, clipping and inane enemy AI makes you think you are playing the latest stuff from some obscure low-budget Eastern-European developer. This was extremely common in me and my friend's playthrough with OP's autoexec.cfg (downscaled from 1920x1080 to 1280x720):

This is far away from an improvement from Crysis 1 and has convinced me about the shortcomings of Crytek.

Play on Post-human and remove the HUD. Solves most of the issues.

 

[Stallion Free]

Play on Post-human and remove the HUD. Solves most of the issues.

Truth. No hud is fucking phenomenal

Spoiler

until QTEs start happening

.

 

[Kyaw]

Truth. No hud is fucking phenomenal

Spoiler

until QTEs start happening

.

Oh shit, that's true...

Also for those who want VSync but doesnt want performance rape:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=366413

 

[neoism]

People running lower resolutions will be more hurt by the jaggies, however.

Ive been using 1280x768. and they're not that bad. BTW... what does SSAO do?

 

[f0rk]

When I'm done think I will go back and play Post-Human no HUD. The question is whether to buy a new rig for it or not :>

 

[RoboPlato]

God, this game is just so much fun. Replays are almost as engaging as the first time since you can approach things is a very different way than you did the first time and you have the extra attachments and maxed out suit. I was more stealthy and cautious the first time but this time I've just been running and gunning a lot more. Still fun, still a viable option, and keeps things fresh.

 

[stuminus3]

Crysis 2 has made all my other games look crappy. :-(

 

[eshwaaz]

God, this game is just so much fun. Replays are almost as engaging as the first time since you can approach things is a very different way than you did the first time and you have the extra attachments and maxed out suit. I was more stealthy and cautious the first time but this time I've just been running and gunning a lot more. Still fun, still a viable option, and keeps things fresh.

For sure. It's such a pleasure to play a quality FPS that is not only twice as long as most modern FPSs, but is also very replayable.

 

[RoboPlato]

For sure. It's such a pleasure to play a quality FPS that is not only twice as long as most modern FPSs, but is also very replayable.

Yeah, as much as I love FPS I've been feeling kind of alienated lately since they've all been focusing on MP so much. I enjoy MP in small doses but aside from Battlefield, it never really grabs me as being the same kind of meaty experience as a good SP. When I play MP for a while a general malaise sets in so it's good to have a strong SP focused FPS again. This is the best shooter I've played since Ep.2 and Bioshock.

 

[conman]

This is the best shooter I've played since Ep.2 and Bioshock.

Pretty much. And I think that says a lot, considering just how bad the enemy AI is.

 

[SneakyStephan]

VSync, [would be] blasphemy!

fixed.
Input lag in an fps? no thanks!

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I've gone back through some early levels with modded weapons and no HUD but I'm still not getting how people are enjoying this as much as Crysis. It's just not clicking for me in that same way. I'm not finding fun ways to play around, experiment, etc etc. I know there are different ways to approach scenarios, but none of them feel satisfying to me.

It's frustrating, honestly. I want to enjoy it in the same way.

 

[itsnervedamage]

I've gone back through some early levels with modded weapons and no HUD but I'm still not getting how people are enjoying this as much as Crysis. It's just not clicking for me in that same way. I'm not finding fun ways to play around, experiment, etc etc. I know there are different ways to approach scenarios, but none of them feel satisfying to me.

It's frustrating, honestly. I want to enjoy it in the same way.

I've been bouncing back and forth playing a bit of Crysis and Warhead and this one is definitely a more straightforward kind of thing. I think part of it is most of the areas have pretty flat line of sight and there aren't huts and stuff to play hide and seek in, around, and over. Overall I like the first Crysis best too...although the postprocessing in Warhead and 2 do make things look...nicer? It's mostly different, but I prefer the look.

I like that the AI will hear you take a buddy out, and come check in on it. But it's stupid that they come one by one, I think things would be way more interesting if they had pairs or 3 kind of watch each other check up on suspicious things once in a while. Otherwise, I just hide behind the same crate and stealth knife them one by one...

I also think the AI is trying to account for too many variables, it ends up looking really indecisive all the time and creeping slowly around, with a big green triangle tag P) on it in my HUD. They should be more random, maybe rushing an area sometimes when they hear a buddy go down just to change things up. I think simpler decision trees for just hang back, rush, or flank and some squad dynamics in the behavior would have helped things.

Still, I like the game a lot. I just hope they fix up the bugs. DX11 would be bonus I guess, I don't really care what API they use as long as the game looks and runs well.

 

[CartridgeBlower]

This game is busted online right now. The lag makes it almost unplayable. Playing on 360, and no matter what, the person with the green bars gets the MVP every single match. This makes CoD games look butter smooth in comparison.

SP is amazing, MP is a trainwreck. At least for me. Real shame, too.

 

[Manp]

so just finished the game... apart from the shitty story/ending i went trough a crappy bug where the voice acting simply is not there in the last cutscene.
i can only hear sounds and music, but i have to read the subtitles because what

Spoiler

Prophet

says can't be heard, it's like if the localized file for this cutscene is missing.

great way to end this buggy mess...

:|

oh, also played some MP and got bored almost instantly

 

[MisterAnderson]

Goddamnit. I've been wanting to finish the campaign but there's still no patch to fix the nano catalyst bug... the fuck man.

 

[Manp]

i should also mention the the nano catalysts bug was there for all the single player campaign

i was somewhat able to unlock every ability but the 2 most expensive

 

[Foliorum Viridum]

I've been bouncing back and forth playing a bit of Crysis and Warhead and this one is definitely a more straightforward kind of thing. I think part of it is most of the areas have pretty flat line of sight and there aren't huts and stuff to play hide and seek in, around, and over. Overall I like the first Crysis best too...although the postprocessing in Warhead and 2 do make things look...nicer? It's mostly different, but I prefer the look.

I just went back to the first level of Crysis and played it on Delta. Way, way more fun. Even just a simple thing like lying prone in long grass as a KPA control walks past you is way more satisfying than crouching behind a wall or going into stealth mode in this game.

There are a number of gameplay changes I don't like (such as the lack of prone) but I think the main difference is ultimately the city setting. It feels more restrictive than the jungle, even when it opens up. There's something about using foliage and the huts which feels really bad ass that Crysis 2 lacks.

 

[NaM]

Goddamnit. I've been wanting to finish the campaign but there's still no patch to fix the nano catalyst bug... the fuck man.

Yes it sucks but thanks to the AI you don't need them anyway.

 

[Kibbles]

Play on Post-human and remove the HUD. Solves most of the issues.

Is there a way to turn off the hud on 360? I've turned off the Crosshairs, but can't get the entire HUD to go away. I already beat the game on the highest difficulty, It'd just be nice for screens and enjoying the view.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Sorry pretty sure its been asked a million times again but what are your settings?

Dennis' config removes motion blur (r_motionblur=0), which imo is not a good thing. The motion blur is incredible, especially in firefights and other intense sequences. If you want to get sharper screens like his downsample your screenshot to one resolution under and it'll help with clarity a bit.

Also, I like MSAA @ 2 now. The jaggies are too noticeable for the minute sacrifice in sharpness. MSAA @ 0 was also the reason for the grain. Putting it back at 2 removed it.

 

[Man]

Btw, the night missions were seriously beautiful.
I'm guessing that they are actually pretty close (in the PC version) to the GDC UE3 demo despite that showing requiring obscene amounts more rendering capability (3x 580 Sli) with diminishing returns in graphics.

Highlights of the game to me are

Spoiler

the mission were you have to rig the building with bombs as well as the Times Square showdown.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

Just beat it, time says 16 hours. Really took my time and explored everything and took in the sights.

I don't even know what to say. Best FPS campaign I've played in ages, maybe even ever.

And I don't care what anyone says, the ending video was epic in terms of presentation, not story. That music playing got me pumped and the very last scene... dammit give me Crysis 3 now.

Now time to read all the blacked out text from the earlier pages discussing the ending, lol.

 

[Blue Ninja]

Just beat it, time says 16 hours. Really took my time and explored everything and took in the sights.

I don't even know what to say. Best FPS campaign I've played in ages, maybe even ever.

And I don't care what anyone says, the ending video was epic in terms of presentation, not story. That music playing got me pumped and the very last scene... dammit give me Crysis 3 now.

Now time to read all the blacked out text from the earlier pages discussing the ending, lol.

I agree the music was really good. One of the few tracks Hans Zimmer worked on, too, apparently.

 

[BattleMonkey]

Just beat it, time says 16 hours. Really took my time and explored everything and took in the sights.

I don't even know what to say. Best FPS campaign I've played in ages, maybe even ever.

And I don't care what anyone says, the ending video was epic in terms of presentation, not story. That music playing got me pumped and the very last scene... dammit give me Crysis 3 now.

Now time to read all the blacked out text from the earlier pages discussing the ending, lol.

Nothing wrong with the end video. The problem with the ending was the whole last segment of the game leading up to it was just... nothing basically. There was no unique game play, no major challenge, no boss, you just repeat what you do earlier in the campaign when you infect the spire. Fight some more of the aliens you have been fighting countless times already and you walk through a door basically.... people just expected something more from the game end since it was so anti climatic and the rest of the game had so many awesome moments and encounters.

 

[itsnervedamage]

I just went back to the first level of Crysis and played it on Delta. Way, way more fun. Even just a simple thing like lying prone in long grass as a KPA control walks past you is way more satisfying than crouching behind a wall or going into stealth mode in this game.

There are a number of gameplay changes I don't like (such as the lack of prone) but I think the main difference is ultimately the city setting. It feels more restrictive than the jungle, even when it opens up. There's something about using foliage and the huts which feels really bad ass that Crysis 2 lacks.

Just the enemy placement makes it hard to play the same way. They are all spread out and patrol in singles, so you can't aggravate a cluster of them and mess with them that way. And since there is so much verticality this time, odds are someone has line of sight to you. It's sort of, in Crysis 1 most of the arenas were bowls shaped, like big plains surrounded by mountains. The thing was they were so big you were duking it out in the middle and jumping over buildings and walls and sight lines were broken up. In 2, the bowls are way smaller and bad guys patrol along the walls, you're forced to approach each area in sort of the same way. It's fun, but it isn't what made the first Crysis so special. Or bad I guess, depending on personal taste.

The other thing is, in the first enemies are always clumped and came in at least pairs, if not more when they approached, so you are maneuvering around them more and it makes the firefights more fun. Even dumb as rocks AI would probably be pretty fun in these scenarios. AI is turning around in circles and you keep popping up behind them or at the flanks whittling away or picking up their buddies and throwing them at each other. The panicked screaming, it's all of that together that makes it a favorite for me.

I think console restrictions probably helped the graphics and graphics performance overall, from increasing the focus on efficiency. But the level sizes and firefight sizes (number of baddies at a time) seem to have been taken down a notch, and I think Crytek didn't do enough game design re-work to make it play similar to the first one. At least, if that's what they wanted to accomplish. If it plays the way they wanted it to play, I guess it works pretty well.

 

[SneakyStephan]

I keep killing myself with that swarmer gun...
I'll be looking over a low wall or alongside some obstacle, my crosshair and weapon model are in the clear.

Shoot, SPLAT it explodes in my face.

This made me have to reload the same sequence multiple times, really annoying.
It also once again makes me miss quicksave...

I shouldn't have to redo an entire area when it doesn't feel like I necessarily messed up, really takes the pacing out of the game.

 

[Guerrillas in the Mist]

Having finally been able to spend a good chunk of time on the MP this weekend, I come away with these conclusions.

-The SCAR needs to be nerfed big time. It's essentially the "do-anything" weapon at this point in time, and it's better at seemingly all ranges in comparison to other weapons.

-The shotguns need a boost. I unlocked the Marshall and immediately regretted it, as it's more or less useless.

Otherwise, it's been real good fun, the big maps are enjoyable, and the suit really adds to the gameplay.

 

[WickedLaharl]

i guess some people got copies with decent AI? because i sure as hell didn't. just like that video posted a few pages back i beat 6 levels of veteran holding grabbable objects.

 

[BattleMonkey]

i guess some people got copies with decent AI? because i sure as hell didn't. just like that video posted a few pages back i beat 6 levels of veteran holding grabbable objects.

Pages upon pages in this thread with people complaining about the AI.

It's a great game that suffers from some really bad AI that I pray they can fix in a patch because alot of it is problems with AI getting stuck or having trouble navigating the levels.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

I agree the music was really good. One of the few tracks Hans Zimmer worked on, too, apparently.

I can't seem to find the track in the music list. Epilogue just plays the menu theme.

Nothing wrong with the end video. The problem with the ending was the whole last segment of the game leading up to it was just... nothing basically. There was no unique game play, no major challenge, no boss, you just repeat what you do earlier in the campaign when you infect the spire. Fight some more of the aliens you have been fighting countless times already and you walk through a door basically.... people just expected something more from the game end since it was so anti climatic and the rest of the game had so many awesome moments and encounters.

True, there was no epic boss fight. I thought the entire

Spoiler

floating island

was a great setting for a final level, though. Looked really good and was huge.


Overall, the story wasn't as bad as I was led to believe. It's got some interesting sci-fi elements. Compare it to other shooters... Gears, Killzone, plus all the middling AA shooters. I rather have a wacky MGS ending than that garbage. At least they tried. A few of the characters were memorable as well... Hargreave was awesome, loved his voice actor and dialogue. Gould wasn't likable but he was memorable, he had a personality and mannerisms. Prophet was great for what little he was in it. Characters don't have to be likable to be effective, they just have to be memorable (imo). Strickland is an example of a bad character... no personality, no nuances, voice was generic, just a standard hot chick soldier.

For a video game plot I'm satisfied. It's never easy to spread a narrative across 10 or 12 hours. A game like Bioshock has a once in a gen type of story and setting.

 

[WickedLaharl]

Pages upon pages in this thread with people complaining about the AI.

yeah i'm aware. it just blows my mind that anyone would attempt to defend such horrible AI.

the good news i guess is that it won't be so hard to the achievements for the harder difficulties lol.

 

[highrider]

i never played the original crysis as i'm not a pc gamer, so i can't compare. my impression of the ai is that it isn't quite as good as the best console fps ai enemies ( halo, fear, killzone ), but it seems pretty decent to me. i have seen the occasional glitch where it just runs around in circles or stands there. i would describe the ai as adequate. it doesn't detract from the experience imo. hard to bitch about ai when the game is such a fantastic example of how to make a singleplayer fps.

 

[Barack Lesnar]

i guess some people got copies with decent AI? because i sure as hell didn't. just like that video posted a few pages back i beat 6 levels of veteran holding grabbable objects.

Yes, the AI is shitty but you chose to play the game like that, which is sad because you've missed out on an awesome action game.

 

[EXGN]

Played for 4 hours, 30 minutes according to the in-game clock. It's not really grabbing me, as dozens have mentioned, the AI is terrible and there are so many glitches. I've seen like 3 or 4 aliens die from jumping over me and then getting stuck in the wall.

When this game is on, though, it's on. Love stealthing up to people and stabbing them in the back, really gives you that Predator feeling.

 

[JB1981]

I played some Reach campaign today and while fun, it feels stale to the dynamic combat and traversal aspects of this game. I want to jump on every ledge I see in every other FPS now. This is the best controlling FPS ever.

 

[highrider]

This is the best controlling FPS ever.

i've seen a few people say this and i can't stress it enough. an fps game kind of lives or dies by the feel of the weapons and character movement/controls. there is no camera on a stick syndrome here. everything is tight. i'm playing it on ps3 and i can only imagine it on a beast rig at 60 fps.

 

[dark10x]

I played some Reach campaign today and while fun, it feels stale to the dynamic combat and traversal aspects of this game. I want to jump on every ledge I see in every other FPS now. This is the best controlling FPS ever.

Yeah, the controls are insanely good. It feels better than any FPS I've played to date. Simply moving through the world is enjoyable.

Reach has much better AI, though. It's a shame that Crysis 2 falls flat in that area. The enemies really are just dumb. They weren't great in Crysis either, but I feel it sticks out more in this case.

Also, I'm playing at 60 fps on my PC, but the videos of the console versions look great too. Crytek knows how to deliver smooth controls even when the framerate dips below 30 fps. So many games turn to shit when your framerate drops, but the Crysis games always manage to feel decently smooth even at 20 fps.

 

[Alexios]

I just finished Crysis for the first time. God damn at the bugs, at first the last level kept crashing, then I kept falling through the floor, one time just after defeating a boss...

Anyway, I'd say the games are about equal overall now that I've finished both. Crysis has more open levels but it also gets rather restricted as you get closer to the end. Although that wasn't as annoying or crap as I saw people complain back when it first came out. I didn't mind the aliens and the alien structure zero gravity bit was cool. Crysis 2 has some nicer on foot set pieces, COD-like. Crysis had some awesome vehicle sections. I loved piloting that aircraft thing and the tank battles in that large open field. Crysis 2 had some nice more open sections too though, like Eye of the Storm. Stealth is overpowered in both games, I just skipped past 4 armored minigun dudes that kept owning me at the mine entrance in Crysis. So, yeah. Fun games both. I enjoy the Nanosuit 2 controls more personally, but like the open levels of Crysis more.

The bigger difference, I guess, is that I can now try to find and enjoy some Crysis mods that will expand on that fun, while I have to wait for paid DLC for Crysis 2... Also, Crysis 2 runs a little better while looking better for me. I have to reduce Crysis settings much more for similarly acceptable performance. But that's just my crappy outdated PC.

 

[stuminus3]

The bigger difference, I guess, is that I can now try to find and enjoy some Crysis mods that will expand on that fun, while I have to wait for paid DLC for Crysis 2...

Why do you presume this to be the case?

 

[NIN90]

Why do you presume this to be the case?

- No CE3 kit until summer
- Downloadable content option on the main menu

 

[ph33nix]

Do the PC players here have a favorite server that we all like to play on?

Or is absolutely nothing organized for GAF?

 

[Alexios]

- No CE3 kit until summer
- Downloadable content option on the main menu

And CE3 kit won't necessarily allow Crysis 2 mods (maybe they've said it, maybe not, things can change anyway, and it's fairly far), just like UDK is a completely separate thing to UT3 mods (although some UT3 total conversions that didn't use any UT3 content and don't in any way resemble its gameplay were later converted to UDK to be sold).

 

[Dennis]

There will be DLC for sure.