I’m going to begin with a disclaimer by mentioning that I started Crysis 3 without any previous exposure to the series. As such, I began my experience as a blank slate with regards to my acquaintance with the plot and game mechanics. But even despite the lack of context and initial unfamiliarity with Prophet’s weapons and abilities, I was still awestruck by the intricacy and fluidity of the combat dynamics, the stunning visuals, and the game’s memorable audio quality. In spite of this, I found the multiplayer experience to be somewhat mediocre. It felt like Unreal Tournament with elements of Call of Duty thrown in. For that reason, this article primarily focuses around the game’s fantastic campaign.

Unlike many of the modern “run-n-gun” shooters that are prevalent these days, success in each of the campaign’s encounters is largely dependent on how exactly you prepare before revealing your presence to the enemy NPCs. Crytech created large, open battlefields with ample cover and places to hide, which allows for a variety of approaches for each confrontation. Efficient use of your armor’s invisibility feature allows you to traverse the open areas safely, which can help to achieve that stealthy, meticulously planned approach.

One really cool game mechanic that stood out to me was the ability to use the scanner/binoculars to survey the battlefield before beginning an encounter. This allows you to mark enemies, weapons, ammunition, and objects of interest on the HUD so you can track their locations as they move about. If this survey makes you aware of a turret or minefield in midst of enemy territory, you have the opportunity to remotely hack the hardware through a simple minigame and redirect its fire onto its own men, which can easily turn the tide of battle.

The only downside to this survey strategy is that it can lull the player into unwarranted complacency with the belief that all of the enemies on the battlefield are accounted for. Helicopters and side passages often dispense enemy reinforcements that you may have missed during your initial marking, allowing them to quickly overwhelm an unwary player. This forces you to retreat and take regular breaks from combat in order to resurvey the battlefield and reassess your strategy.

All of these features come together to make a really interesting experience that stays engaging throughout each battle. Even when I would be stuck at a particular encounter, I would have no problem playing the same battle over and over again until I won because the combat flowed differently each time, depending on how I set up the fight. It always felt fresh.  

Still, the majority of the weapons in the game seemed a little old-hat: the guns and attachments themselves almost felt like they’d been lifted directly from Call of Duty, with the added bonus of being able to change attachments and ammo types on the fly. The only exceptions to this reproduction seemed to be the alien weapons, which reminded me of the near-arcane firearms from the movie District 9, and the awesomely cool bow. The bow allows you to make stealth kills without sacrificing your invisibility, which makes it possible to silently pick off the patrolling NPCs who stray to the edge of enemy territory without alerting the rest of the group. You can also use a variety of arrow-types; the explosive-tipped projectiles are particularly useful for taking out small clusters of enemy infantry. The bow makes you feel like a fearsome and powerful hunter, and it definitely contributes to the overall look and feel of the game in a really unique way.

In fact, pretty much every aspect of the player experience in Crysis 3 makes you feel more like the superhuman cyborg you control. Even a simple jump feels incredibly powerful and cool, and the ability to leap and climb helps you scale large structures to get a better angle on your foes, lending a platformer-esque edge to the game. There is no shortage of objects to climb; the levels are all incredibly detailed. Many of the large buildings scattered about contain hidden armor upgrades and extra ammo, which are generally easy to spot with your scanner. But these little treasures are not the only good reasons to go exploring; half the fun is being able to experience all the details the game has to offer. The designers definitely succeeded at producing a believable post-apocalyptic New York City, complete with shockingly realistic grass and shrubbery clinging to the rusty skeletons of skyscrapers.

These amazing spectacles are complimented by the game’s noteworthy audio. The soundtrack itself is a bit of a mixed bag. Many of the tracks are reminiscent of Marty O’Donnell’s score for the original Halo trilogy, but some had much stronger techno influences. There were also several combat tracks that wouldn’t have felt out of place in a classic Bruce Willis movie. Where the game’s audio truly earns its colors is its actual combat sound effects. The explosions and yells all sound fantastic, and the quality of the tone is actually made relevant to the gameplay. Your foes shout out where you are (or where they think you are) to their comrades, footsteps alert you of approaching enemies, and gunshot sounds reveal both the distance and direction of their source.

Through the combination of all these great features, Crytech succeeded in producing a landmark FPS that I would definitely recommend to any fans of the genre who are looking for something new. Crysis 3 is immersive and entertaining, and it masterfully grants the gritty, superhuman experience that many gamers crave. 

Hint: Always retrieve your arrows. If used correctly, the bow can be your most important asset when it's time to prepare for an encounter

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by Kailash Black