Crysis 2 single player impressions: PS3

Graphical multiplat wunderkind Crysis 2 has been out barely a week and I've managed to play it a bit since getting hands on my PS3 copy on Sunday. Seeing as it's one of the biggest releases of the year so far, and definitely the biggest multiplatform release in this gamer's humble opinion since Red Dead: Redemption, I thought I'd offer my impressions on the games' campaign mode so far, including it's lauded graphics.

From the outset I'll say about Crysis is I'm really enjoying it so far. Forget about it's graphics- the gameplay definitely offers something I haven't experienced from a shooter since the likes of Far Cry 2; and that's freedom.

Every shooter that comes out these days- in single player modes at least, seems excessively linear. Not so Crysis. I've only done the first few levels however I've already found myself replaying them to approach them from a different angle. The combination of the nanosuit and the open nature of many levels means that there's numerous ways to tackle each one. When I say numerous, it really boils down to either stealth or frontal assault, but the variety comes from level design, such as where to spawn your attack, who you'll need to tactically eliminate first and so on. In short, mission and level design, thus far, are top notch.

Graphically the game is superior to any multiplat release I've ever played- but it's kind of a mixed bag type story. The game indeed has had it's moments but there are a few nagging issues I'm noticing claw back the experience.

Firstly it's buggy as hell. I've noticed some major bugs in pretty much every play session, and enough to become distracting. These seem to revolve around mainly NPC's AI and some collision issues with their environments. It's hard to explain exactly what these bugs are without actually seeing them. For example, in one section where I was stealthily making my way through a warehouse, I had an enemy on patrol warp through a wall then just die for no reason. A few minutes later enemies on a walkway that were supposed to be rappelling from it simply fell through the map. I've had enemies spawn in front of me stuck in the environment who then simply drop dead. Regarding the AI I've had enemies throw grenades at their cover to kill themselves, and others just running into walls and in circles. I've also had enemies spot me through walls and attempt to shoot me only to be firing at a solid wall for minutes on end.

The gameplay is hampered sometimes as well in hectic firefights by the frame rate, which can slow down quite noticeably. Anything with multiple explosions or enemies on screen can be a enough to slow the game down quite noticeably, and it is disappointing. I sometimes found myself wondering what the point of making Crysis 2 so pretty on console was if it didn't actually run smoothly? Finally regarding graphics, not being sure whether its purposeful or as a result of slower frame rate, but the blur effect seems to be overdone. If you stand still for example and turn 360 degrees, take a look at your environment and your gun to see what I mean.