Crysis 2

Story and setting

The game takes place in New York in 2023, after a series of climate disasters and a devastating outbreak have pushed the city towards collapse. An alien invasion then turns the crisis into an extinction-level war. You play as Alcatraz, a US Marine who becomes the reluctant wearer of the Nanosuit 2 after the badly injured Prophet passes it on to him.

The campaign moves through recognisable but heavily damaged parts of Manhattan, including streets, parks, buildings, tunnels and flooded urban spaces. Richard Morgan, author of Altered Carbon, contributed to the story, which is more direct and cinematic than the jungle-set original. It is not a role-playing game, but the suit upgrades and weapon customisation give the campaign a modest sense of progression.

How it plays

Crysis 2 is at its best when it gives you room to decide how a fight should unfold. The Nanosuit’s Stealth, Armour and Power abilities can be switched on the move, letting you cloak past patrols, absorb incoming fire, sprint between cover or use enhanced strength to launch heavier attacks. Suit energy is limited, so remaining invisible or armoured for too long leaves you exposed when it runs dry.

Weapons can be modified with sights, silencers and other attachments, while the Tactical Visor highlights enemies, ammunition, objectives and useful environmental information. The urban levels are more contained than the open areas of the first Crysis, but many encounters still support flanking, rooftop attacks, stealth takedowns and improvised use of cover. Vehicles appear in parts of the campaign, though they are occasional set pieces rather than a major part of the game.

The Xbox 360 version was a technical achievement for its time. It targets 30 frames per second and generally looks remarkably good, with strong lighting, destruction and dense urban scenery. Heavy combat can expose the limits of the hardware, and the image is softer than modern players may expect, but the scale and visual ambition still come through.

Updates, DLC and online play

Crytek issued an Xbox 360 update shortly after launch that addressed a broad collection of problems, including artificial-intelligence issues in the campaign, missing or corrupted sound, music playback, shadow rendering, weapon-switching lag and networking and host-migration problems. Later support did not transform the campaign, but it improved the rougher edges of the original release.

The downloadable content was entirely focused on multiplayer. The Retaliation Pack added four maps: Park Avenue, Transit, Shipyard and Compound. The Decimation Pack followed with five more maps, plus the FY71 assault rifle and M18 smoke grenade. Both packs are still listed as Xbox add-ons, but they have no practical online use now because EA shut Crysis 2’s multiplayer service on 11 October 2018. There was no co-operative campaign and no single-player expansion.

Crysis 2 did launch with six competitive modes, including Instant Action, Team Instant Action, Crash Site, Assault, Capture the Relay and Extraction, supporting matches of up to 12 players. Those modes are now historical features rather than active services.

Platforms, editions and UK price

The original game launched on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, with the Xbox 360 version developed by Crytek Frankfurt and multiplayer work handled by Crytek UK. This page concerns the original Xbox 360 release, which is also playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S through backward compatibility. It should not be confused with Crysis 2 Remastered, a separate 2021 release with upgraded visuals and single-player support on newer platforms.

Microsoft’s UK Xbox listing shows the backward-compatible game at £19.99 or more, with EA Play access also offered. Game Pass Ultimate includes EA Play, so subscribers should check the EA Play section of their library rather than looking for a separate native Game Pass listing. The Xbox 360 digital storefront stopped accepting new purchases on 29 July 2024, although previously purchased content remains downloadable. Physical copies are now generally a second-hand purchase, with prices varying by condition and edition. The former Limited Edition included a SCAR skin, Hologram Decoy attachment, Platinum Dog Tag and bonus experience.

Reception and verdict

Crysis 2 was well received at launch, particularly for its visuals, Nanosuit mechanics and willingness to offer more choice than a straightforward corridor shooter. IGN awarded the Xbox 360 version 9/10, GameSpot gave it 8.5/10 and Eurogamer scored it 8/10. The UK edition of Official Xbox Magazine gave it 9/10. Metacritic’s Xbox 360 critic average is 84.

The main reservations were that the campaign is more linear than the original Crysis, the story can become overblown, and some encounters rely heavily on conventional shooter set pieces. Even so, the suit remains a satisfying toolset, and the campaign is long enough to avoid feeling like a brief tech demo. It is worth revisiting for the single-player experience, provided you understand that the once-prominent multiplayer component is no longer available.