Analysis: Crysis

They could have called this game, “Beauty and the Beast.” Beauty being the lush stunning environment into which the player literally plunges as the beast: A powerful, nano-suit driven, soldier. Crysis combines tactical driven game play with intense action in an immersive world full of enemies and opportunities.

The design of the game grants the player many options through suit based power-ups and environmental constructs. This multitude of options allows the player to solve problems and fight enemies in his own way, which provides the player with a dynamic and immersive experience each time he plays.

Special Powers

 

Perhaps the most prominent mechanics in Crysis are the special powers afforded to the player through his suit. Each power gives the player different abilities which are, for the most part, well thought out and not tedious. Providing each of these powers to the player allows them to decide, on the fly, what strategy he will use in the situation. This works well with the game’s lone-wolf Rambo angle.

The ‘Maximum Speed’ power provides pivotal functionality to the player. It allows the player to cross long distances of land quickly, whether to escape or simply travel. It also allows the player critical positioning abilities in the early stages of battle. This was easily the power that I used the most while playing the game.

The aggressive player uses this power to charge enemies and gain ground in the beginning of battle. It allows the player to begin his assault from almost any location relative to the enemy, even behind. For the player who wishes to get through rough territory without much confrontation, a-la Solid Snake, the player can use maximum speed to dash past patrols and base defenses relatively unscathed. Either way the speed power gives the player control over the situation and allows him to play it any way he likes.

The ‘Maximum Armor’ power is critically important to the player who likes action. While in the middle of a gun fight the armor power prolongs the life of the player so that he can finish the battle, but it also allows the player to escape when things get too hot. This power up is less important to the commando player who seeks silence and covert operation, but is helpful when cover is blown or during times when the game forces the player into direct confrontation.

The armor power utilizes the player’s power reserves.  Thus the player must be concerned with resource management as he is using it. While in armor mode the player essentially has a dual life bar. First the power must drain before his life can take damage. Once his power is out the player must then seek shelter, or quickly kill all enemies who are attacking him. Thus the play style, for all but the easiest difficulty, requires tactics to succeed.

The ‘Cloak’ power is pretty straight forward. However, its applications within the world make it a very powerful asset to the player. Using the cloak the player can ambush, gain position, escape, kite, sneak past defenses, etc… Like the armor power, this ability relies on a power source. As such, the player must consider resource management while using. However, unlike the armor power, the cloak is based on time management and, to a lesser extent, coverage management.

 In order to master the use of the cloak the player must get a sense for how long it lasts (depleting faster as the player moves). This forces the player to make complex decisions based on available coverage and enemy position (assuming he is playing at that level). I don’t think games rely enough on this type of critical thought in their game play. The designers of Crysis use it well in their open world, ‘sandbox,’ type of level design.

If there was a weakness in the line-up of available powers it is ‘Maximum Strength.’ As a suit power, strength was well balanced and had its applications. But it seemed that the situations in which strength was really needed were tacked on and highly incidental. I doubt a player, playing on the hardest difficulty, would utilize close-range melee combat very often.  Furthermore, throwing grenades long distances is much less effective than the rocket launcher. The most redeeming quality of this power, aside from steady aiming, is its ability to jump high. Frankly high jumps could have easily been added as a base suit function, depleting power as they were used.

While considering the powers I thought of another, called ‘Maximum Focus’ that could have augmented the existing ones or even replaced strength. While in focus mode the player would have increased steadiness while aiming. The focus would also center on recon, enhancing the players supposed mental abilities.

In focus mode, the player would be able to use heightened senses, at the cost of suit power, to detect sound and visual information. For example, the player could be taking cover in an area making him blind to enemy movement. The focus power could provide information on general enemy position in the form of radar blips, or even an arrow. Furthermore, while utilizing the focus power the player may be able to see foot-prints more clearly, or even through walls.

The focus mode provides the specialized powers for the covert player in the same way that the armor power up provides protection to the aggressive player. Its uses are, however, useful to all other styles of play as they provide global information about enemy position and activity.

Environment

 

The special powers aren’t the only thing the player has at his disposal to win the game. A large part of the resources the player has are located all around him the expansive environment. The opportunities given to the player by the environment aren’t as obvious as those generated by the suit, but are no less effective.

First and foremost, the player must consider cover. In any gun fight(within the game, at least) the surest way to survive is to avoid bullets. The game provides excellent visual feedback to the player to represent pain(assuming the player is using high enough graphical settings). This feedback, both audio and visual, helps the player to experience the pain while suspending his disbelief. In other words, the player can be expected to respond appropriately to being shot: find cover.

The game provides many means of cover, from natural barriers like rocks and trees to artificial ones I.E. houses. The player is given the challenge of deciding which of these to use, and when to use it. For example, the trees and vegetation provide excellent cover, assuming the player hasn’t been discovered. However, once bullets are flying at the player, trees are of little use. If the player is to survive, he must be aware of his surroundings and prepared to take cover effectively. Once again, forcing the player to make these distinctions based on complex factors contribute to the game’s appeal.

While moving across the landscape the player may take advantage of rocks, trees, and tall grass to sneak and avoid gunfire. Interspersed through the world are towns, villages, and military bases. These areas provide the player with a different set of environmental rules and forms of cover. Also the artificial areas provide the player with opportunities to explore and find weapons and ammo(which are less common in the woods) The inclusion of these areas, aside from their just their story elements, provide the player with dynamic experiences as he attempts to siege, explore, and escape them.

The game would not be as fun if the player had complete freedom to roam. Therefore, worked into the level design, are choke points. These areas represent different challenges to the player. At times he may use them to kill many enemies at once. However, at other times, these points may be difficult for the player as they force him into confrontations. Regardless of their incidental situations, the choke points in the game’s level design provide dynamic experiences to the player.

If Star Wars has taught us nothing else, it’s that acquiring the high ground wins the battle. Whether that’s actually true or not, in Crysis the high ground is valuable. Using the high ground, the player may gain key advantages over his enemies. On the high ground he, the player, can kill entire patrols without their ever discovering his position. Of course this coin has its flip side as well. While traveling across the landscape the player must be ever watchful of cliffs as they often contain sharpshooters.

The roads in Crysis provide interesting mechanics to the game. On the one hand, the player may simply charge down the roads and get all the enemy attention he likes. On the other, the covert player knows to avoid the roads as he travels, this way he avoids unnecessary confrontations. Knowing this, the designers put patrols in the woods around the roads at just the right places so that the player can’t simply run across the entire map unnoticed.

The roads also provide the player with opportunities to ambush the enemy. Knowing that a column of enemies will be approaching from the road, or that a roadblock has been setup several meters down that road the player may plan an ambush of his own. Its little psychological games like this that really solidify the immersion of the game. The player takes advantage of human behaviors, with which he is familiar, and uses them to his advantage: People travel on roads, while on roads people are focused on driving, and a person traveling on this road will, invariably, cross points a, b, and c. Thus the road system provide the player with opportunities to be covert, overt, and guileful.

Conclusion

 

The hefty task of creating the world of Crysis, and then designing the rules that govern its functionality were no small task for Crytek Frankfort. But, for this team of curious designers and developers, the effort paid off as it provided players with dynamic experiences each time they played the game.