Sometimes a game just slips under the radar. Whatever the reason for this occurring, be it bad marketing, classification problems or a strange concept, some games just fail to find their audience. Here at Player2.net.au we want to highlight these rough gems and that is where “In Case You Missed It” comes in. Some games just deserve a second chance.
In Case You Missed It – Crysis 3
There hasn’t really been a great Predator game made. Most attempts to create a game based on the seminal alien icon have been abject failures. So it is quite funny that the game that best simulates playing as the ultimate otherworldly hunter has nothing to do with the franchise at all. That game is Crysis 3 and if it is an open approach to combat that involves a healthy mix of stealth and brute force that you are after than this is the game for you.
In Crysis 3 players once again take the role of Prophet, a nano suit enhanced soldier that by this point is time is more alien than human. Prophet takes it upon his shoulders to save the world from the Seph, an alien invasion force, as well as evil corporations looking to take advantage of the chaos. The story is b grade sci/fi at best and people that didn’t play the first two games are likely to be lost but it is enough for fans to be dragged through the game.
Being a Crysis game it is absolutely stunning. On a good PC this game is still one of the best looking shooters out there. The setting of a ruined New York that nature has begun to take back is spectacular and players will often find themselves simply staring in wonder at the details. Player and enemy design is also nothing short of amazing with some of the best modelling ever seen. This is still a game that you show off to friends when you get a new video card.
No matter how good the game looks though the real star here is the gameplay. This is where the Predator comparisons really come into play. Prophet’s versatile nano suit can switch between 2 modes. The first is strength mode which allows the player to dive head first into action, absorbing more damage and hit things much harder. The second mode is stealth which makes the player invisible and coupled with the new and highly useful bow it makes Prophet the ultimate hunter, stalking prey through the ruins of New York. These two modes coupled with the suit’s ability to make Prophet run faster and jump higher make the game’s combat a pure joy. Perhaps the best part of it all is the ability to scope the battlefield before diving in. Marking enemies and planning your approach leads to a satisfying encounter, even if things don’t go according to plan and you have to revert to the big guns. White knuckle FPS action at its best.
The only real problem with the game is its length. At 6 hours long it feels about 2 hours short because the combat certainly hasn’t lost its luster at that point. This is a shame because more of the excellent enemy engagements would have certainly been welcome. It is however better to be left wanting more and not wishing the game had finished earlier so it is easy to see why the developers went down this route.
With Crysis 3 the developers finally perfected their own particular brand of action. The open world approach to combat, excellent suit abilities and of course the stunning graphics all make this a must play game for shooter fans everywhere. Easily found for $20 in bargain bins this should be in every PC collection. The console versions are also quite cheap (in fact it is currently free thanks to the Games with Gold promotion on the 360) but if you have the choice go with the PC version, the graphics are that good. Crysis 3 will go down in history as the best Predator game ever made, it is just a shame it didn’t feature the Predator.
Matt Hewson
