After more than 18 months of anticipation, Crysis is almost here. If all goes according to plan, this highly-awaited first-person shooter will go gold in a matter of days, meaning that it's finished and headed for duplication and manufacturing. On Saturday, October 27, the single-player demo will be released, letting you play the entire first level of the game. We didn't have to wait that long, though, as we got the opportunity to play the first three levels of the game. We'll describe our experience below, but please note that what follows contains extreme spoilers to the plot. So stop now if you wish to enjoy the story unspoiled. Seriously.
A lot has been made about Manhunt 2's supposedly ultraviolent content. Like it's predecessor, it depicts its share of grisly murders, gruesome decapitations, and a few swift kicks to the genitals for good measure. It's visually less grisly than the original Manhunt: The much-ballyhooed blurring added to the most extreme acts often makes it difficult to see exactly what bloodthirsty rages you're subjecting your victims to--particularly in the Wii version. However, don't take this to mean that Manhunt 2 doesn't deserve its M rating: There's plenty of gore, sex, and adult language to go around. There's also some solid stealthy gameplay to back up all the eviscerations. It's got its share of problems (we'll get to those later), and it's not quite as rewarding as the original, but there's a lot here into which patient gamers can sink their teeth. This isn't a series of random bloody tantrums--it's a calculated study in what drives a man to madness and to what extremes he will go to discover the truth.
The Good * Compelling stealth mechanics that require real skill
* Execution moves serve as a grisly reward for a job well done
* Gritty visual design sets just the right tone of anxiety and dread.
The Bad * In most of the executions, you can't really see what's going on
* Loose gunplay isn't as tight or as satisfying as the sneaking
* The story isn't very scary or foreboding.
