Alright, with the Steam sale of Crysis 2: Maximum Edition for 10$, I decided to pick it up. I was here when it came out, and so many people were disappointed with the gameplay, textures, etc etc.
I was actually quite surprised at how well it was. It ran quite fine compared to Crysis and Crysis: Warhead. The CryEngine 3 was obviously optimized very well for hardware. The use of DirectX 11 also gave it quite a boost.
Now, let's look at some main aspects:
Gameplay
It's the same as Crysis and Crysis: Warhead, but with some major changes:
-The Nanosuit menu doesn't have the same powers from the first 2 (Armor, Speed, Cloak etc...) and are instead hotkeyed, with Speed being implemented and is only used while sprinting.
-Armor is not default when switching, which can lead to some confusion during encounters.
-The use of a health bar was really helpful in the first two, and I was pretty disappointed to see it gone.
-The storyline is linear, yes, but still goes out of it's way to give you several options on how to complete it (go in and kill everyone or try a stealth approach)
Graphics:
-AA is just a blur filter, but it can be looked past as it is implemented very well compared to other games (Dead Space, Godfather 2)
-The graphics don't bring down the performance.
-Setting it to low (Or High for some reason. High is apparently lowest settings) will give you a performance boost while still retaining some great eye candy.
-The use of DirectX 11 is remarkable, with tessellation being an eyepopper, and no hit in performance, but instead a gain in it!
-It retains that Crysis feeling you get when playing the first two.
Story:
It's a harmless sequel, into the eyes of a Marine whose squad was taken out. A little too cliche, but it makes up for it with the amazing atmosphere it has. Not only that, but an infection is going around (as seen in the opening movie). The infection is so out of hand, a shoot-on-sight issue is ordered, which build up the atmosphere and suspension. The Marine, wearing the suit from the protagonist of the first game, Prophet, is new to the functions of it.
I would give it an 8/10, and one game to surely pick up for 10$
[Edited on 12.13.2012 8:58 PM PST]