Crysis 2 Performance Previewed And Analyzed
On The Cusp Of Crysis 2
A year is an eternity when it comes to the ever-changing world of PC graphics technology. It is, therefore, a testament to the developers at Crytek that the original Crysis, released November 2007 (more than three years ago), continues to set the bar for PC game graphics. This title created a standard so lofty that we continue to get requests for benchmarks in Crysis in our graphics card reviews, more than three years later.
Yet, this game is not without its faults. Despite some shining examples of free-form single-player arenas, as Crysis nears its conclusion, it sometimes feels muddled and rushed. The successful sandbox approach often gives way to on-rails shooting and racing sequences that feel out of place. Crysis’ multiplayer component is unique, but not as successful as it aspires to be, with colossal maps and a capture-the-building mechanic that never seems to reach its potential. The ‘Power Struggle’ mode seems better-suited for a large-scale army than a handful of super-soldiers. Simple standbys like team deathmatch aren’t included.
In the final analysis, Crysis was probably more successful at showing off what PC graphics can do than it was at being a great game.
But Crytek has been far from idle for the last three years, and Crysis 2 is about to hit store shelves on the 22nd of March. Happily, the company gave us a chance to experiment with the game via a free multiplayer demo (that demo that is no longer playable, by the way; Crytek disabled it on March 16th). Because of this, we’re able to provide you with detailed information regarding graphics card performance in Crysis 2.
The Crysis 2 Multiplayer Demo
Before we look at that data, let’s discuss the gameplay aspect. Crytek went back to the drawing board with the multiplayer component of Crysis 2, and it’s clear the company paid a lot of attention to the Call of Duty series. Crysis 2 tracks kills and unlocks ranks and achievements in a very similar fashion. Even the feel is similar.
But Crytek’s newest title is so much more than a Call of Duty clone. Of course, the nanosuit’s strength, speed, armor, and cloaking capabilities remain, but the addition of a new ‘nanovision’ mode helps you see other combatants and even cloaked enemies. And all of these wonderful abilities come with an associated energy cost. This adds a whole other dimension to the standard first-person shooter combat formula.
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Yes, the controls have been streamlined, but not necessarily in a bad way. It’s easy to point a finger and say the game is dumbed-down for consoles. But in practice, the new scheme makes much more sense. The default mode is strength and speed, but these abilities don’t take any energy unless you use them by jumping or running. Armor and stealth modes can be toggled with the Q and E keys, respectively, but enabling either of these modes will constantly consume energy. Nanovision mode also eats energy, but at a much slower rate than armor or stealth. Energy management is key, and the most successful players are the ones who do that effectively. The simple-but-sensible control scheme helps with that.
The two maps included in the demo are Skyline and Pier 7, both of which are just the right size for a team deathmatch of eight to 12 players. But there’s also a new game mode called ‘capture the pod.’ an alien ship drops an item, and the team that occupies the area surrounding it gains points over time. After a couple minutes, the pod becomes unstable and explodes, and this sequence of events repeats until one of the teams has gained enough points to win. It’s a good metagame alternative to simple team deathmatch.
And that’s about it. Crysis 2 multiplayer might not sound groundbreaking, but it’s certainly very addicting. In this author’s opinion, it contains the best PvP elements of Call of Duty and Aliens vs. Predator, but ends up being more fun and challenging than both.
With no single-player demo for us to try, that’s as much as we can say about the game play until we get our hands on the full release. Now let’s talk about performance.
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kcorp2003 I still have to download their demo....but so far, everyone is saying its a let down. (perhaps copying CoD?)But its nice to see hardware performance. however its Dx9.Reply -
reasonablevoice So its another crappy console port? Oh I'm shocked. No wait, what is the opposite of surprised? I'm that.Reply -
rohitbaran Well, so the 1 million grant from nVidia to Crytek was indeed to make the game run faster on Geforce cards.Reply -
rohitbaran As for the game to be run on mainstream cards, I have to say that the graphics in Crysis 2 aren't much better than the first one. The major thing about Cryengine 3 is that it is multi-platform, but visually, the two games are not too far apart. Current mainstream cards are at least 2-3 times faster than 8800 Ultra, so that answers question of the game running so well.Reply -
mantis2001 As I saw lots of Benchmarks dx11/dx10/dx9, I sill believe that GTX 460 is the best card $150Reply -
stiehl Crysis 2 is already the most disappointing game of 2011. Subpar graphics, console port and that the multiplayer is a dumbed down copy of COD multiplayer all make this game something to scoff at. The fact crytek has the audacity to release a dx9 game instead of dx11 baffles me. I don't understand how PC enthusiasts such as toms can enjoy this game!Reply -
sabot00 rohitbaranAs for the game to be run on mainstream cards, I have to say that the graphics in Crysis 2 aren't much better than the first one. The major thing about Cryengine 3 is that it is multi-platform, but visually, the two games are not too far apart. Current mainstream cards are at least 2-3 times faster than 8800 Ultra, so that answers question of the game running so well.Actually, a 8800GTX is more or less equal to a 9800GTX, and the 5770 = 9800GTX+/GTS250, so the slight improvements means a 5770 (mainstream today) is only say 10-20% better instead of 2-3 times.Reply
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Rizlla I'll be waiting to hear some feedback from others about the games before buying it, but first I must get Dragon Age 2. :DReply