..Crysis 3..

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With about a year to go until Crysis 3 hits shelves, it's hard to forecast if the game will deliver. Developer Crytek hasn't shown all its cards yet, and the game most likely is far from complete. However, looking at the details we've seen so far, the third entry to the Crysis series looks to be on its way to success. Last year's title brought Crysis from the computer screen to the television screen and gave us a glimpse at what Crytek's CryEngine 3 software could do. We're still drooling a little from the graphics. So, where will Crysis 3 take us?

Like its predecessor, Crysis 3 will bring players back to New York City, where the aftermath of a near extinction level event is anything but peaceful. Twenty years have flown by since the Ceph reduced Manhattan to rubble and Alcatraz saved the world from a biological weapon set to wipe out the human race. To heal Manhattan and contain any trace Ceph threats, CELL raised "nanodomes" over the city. Described by EA as the "Seven Wonders", these domes sprouted various types of vegetation, transforming the island into a modern day Chichen Itza. Plant life covers buildings from top to bottom. Swamplands and rivers flood the streets. Fifth Avenue's posh streets have been reduced to a dense rainforest. The subway eroded into miles of weaving cave tunnels. Bustling Midtown Manhattan is now open grasslands, and Wall Street somehow caved in to become a deep canyon. The nanodomes don't just accelerate growth in The Big Apple, though. 

The nanodomes also act as a blindfold to the world, allowing CELL to covertly salvage Ceph's alien technology and other goodies from the rubble without interference. Why is CELL doing this? To take over the world, of course. Also, pesky Ceph forces have resurfaced under the domes' shadows, and you can bet they're up to something. However, with Alcatraz still stuck inside Manhattan, he's out to prove in Crysis 3 that there is only one king of the jungle, and he's wearing a Nanosuit.  

If Crysis 2 was about surviving overwhelming odds, Crysis 3 modus operandi is to empower players to go on the offensive. For instance, hunter mode, a new Nanosuit class, will give players a few new shades of red to paint the city with. Few details have been revealed about hunter mode, but having seen the success of Crysis 2's Nanosuit and the upgrades for armor and stealth modes, we expect to feel nothing short of a war panther on the prowl while in hunter mode. 

To our knowledge, Alcatraz won't be fastening a red headband to his suit, but we're already seeing a couple nods to all-time badass freedom fighter, Rambo. First and foremost, players will get a taste of old school bow-and-arrow action. In the hands of a Nanosuit-wearing soldier, a composite bow can do serious damage, and our brains are going into overload with possibilities. In another nod to Rambo, Alcatraz will be going in for swift, silent takedowns using a giant knife. We haven't seen many of the other weapons Alcatraz will take into the wild, but EA promises that Crysis 3 has more weapons available than either of the prior titles. This includes hi-tech human and Ceph weapons.

The premise of Crysis 3 is solid. But, how Crytek answers question marks from the second game will factor heavily into this title's success. With a lack of polish, small maps, unique game modes, and shotguns that could kill from across the map, multiplayer was a weakness in Crysis 2. Like most FPSs, multiplayer will be a major factor in determining this title's longevity. Unfortunately, mum's the word at this point. Also, at the end of the Crysis 2, Alcatraz went through a cliffhanging transformation. Crysis fans will be dying to know what happened to Alcatraz and if his consciousness even exists. There's plenty of time before its spring 2013 release, so we hope to bring you more information as we get closer to its launch. Or perhaps we will in just a few days, if we get to check out the game at E3, during our EA appointment!

John Arkontaky John loves gaming and loves writing about games. He wants to become a known voice in the gaming community and a game designer one day.

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