I have to give credit to Crytek. They managed to give me my biggest personal surprise of the year thus far. I'll freely admit, I wasn't looking forward to Crysis 2. Not that I thought it was going to be an ugly or painful experience, mind you.

is certainly a daunting task. The first-person shooter received almost universal critical acclaim after its release on PC in 2007, and the game is also often held up as the benchmark of PC hardware performance due its system-sapping requirements.

Looks aren't everything, but don't tell that to Crytek Studios, whose 2007 first-person shooter Crysis remains famous for requiring state-of-the-art PC horsepower to run at full graphical-glory speed, and whose follow-up-which, unlike its predecessors, is also available on consoles-arrives with...

Crysis is a game with a reputation; sadly, though, it's a reputation with very little to do with the game itself. The game reviewed well and was praised for its stunning visuals and physics but famed for needing a serious beast of a PC to play it.

Here we are. Crysis 2 has arrived at last. It's a seminal moment – not due to some monolithic expectation of gameplay, but rather a tes...

Absolutely unbelievably good looking; Nanosuit powers are endlessly entertaining; Multiplayer rewards creative thinking

Yet another mute; personality-free protagonist; Frequently buggy enemy AI; Irritating automatic taunts in multiplayer

First-person shooter fans must feel pretty darn lucky lately. In a six-month span that started with Medal of Honor , there have been no fewer than six high caliber releases. Somehow, EA managed to lay claim to three of those games (as a publisher).

Robust single player mode; Adaptive combat situations make each playthrough unique; Open level design is refreshing

Very minor production bugs; Uninspiring story; Vehicle sections are too short; Many will miss out on the spectacular 3D

Shooter fans are used to feeling hero envy - a healthy respect for mighty protagonists like Marcus Fenix and Master Chief. But Crysis 2 is all about tech envy, and wanting the amazing gear that's just out of reach.

+ Rad upgradable suit powers, + Gorgeous visuals; a compelling, immersive story until the last, + couple of hours

- Some gameplay imbalances; confusing ending; uninspired multiplayer, ? What's with the nautical animal nicknames for aliens

Right then, this is officially the first time I have started a Crysis game without worrying whether or not it will melt the gaming system it's been played on. That's right, we decided to give the console versions a try (the Xbox 360 edition, to be exact) to find out if the franchise made a smooth...

The franchise makes a successful transition to consoles; thanks to the versatile Nanosuit 2 the gameplay is addictive as ever and the new elements make it even more fun; the tactical options expand your options on the battlefield; solid variety of weapons; cool and engaging multiplayer; looks...

Frame-rate slows down occasionally; the narrative is a bit weak and characters didn't really interest us that much; annoying AI bugs

If you play first-person shooters on your PC, the very mention of the original Crysis brings to mind lush jungle beauty brought to life by a graphics engine so impressive and flexible that it remains the visual benchmark to which all other PC games are held.

Nanosuit and big levels offer plenty of flexibility; Powerful depiction of a devastated city; The second half is stuffed with awesome; memorable battles; Good-sized campaign and full-featured multiplayer offer lots of lasting value; Outstanding soundtrack

Poor AI detracts from the excitement; Some annoying bugs; The first few hours drag

Kevin VanOrd nanosuits-up for a video review for Crysis 2.

Nanosuit and big levels offer plenty of flexibility; Powerful depiction of a devastated city; The second half is stuffed with awesome; memorable battles; Good-sized campaign and full-featured multiplayer offer lots of lasting value; Outstanding soundtrack

Poor AI detracts from the excitement; Some annoying bugs; The first few hours drag