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Crysis Multiplayer Summary
Monday, 16 April 2007

During the Crysis Summit, we were lucky enough to not only play a section of the single player mode, but the multiplayer component also. Here is a summary of what we saw, our experiences and thoughts.

Please note that we were unable to take photos or video, however there will no doubt be plenty of other material that will surface in the coming months.

DEATHMATCH

The map

The map where we played Tactical Deathmatch could be described as something similar to the picture below.



It featured an area surrounded by step hills with small areas of vegetation bordering the outskirts, a mineral processing plant, a small train station, a hut and a few other structures.

The size of the map was about right for the number of players we had (approximately 20). It certainly isn't the size of some of the BF maps, but is of a size that keeps the momentum going and allows for plenty of freedom.

I felt it was well balanced and evenhanded, regardless of the type of preferred game style. There were plenty of opportunities for those that favored a faster paced run and gun approach and plenty for those that preferred a more quiet and stealth approach. The processing plant was of a good height providing many elevated and covert areas for the sniper fans.

I saw additional other maps during my time at Crytek and while I can't elaborate further, they certainly did look very diverse and where in variety of different environments.

POWER STRUGGLE

The tutorial video

First we were shown a sort of "tutorial video" for power struggle. It explained the main points of the game mode, such as the bases, bunkers, spawn points, vehicle factories and research center, the alien technologies, extracting and using them. It was a very nice video and hopefully it will be released to the public soon.

The demonstration

The map for the Power Struggle was the one demonstrated at Leipzig and appeared to be a little more sizeable than the Deathmatch map we played.

Power Struggle mode is the main multiplayer focus for Crytek. It has taken many of the current irritations in existing popular FPS multiplayers and effectively disentangled them in a very notable game play mode.

In Power Struggle you'll start the game as a primitive grunt – either US or Korean. As you make kills and achieve other goals (like securing capture points), you'll earn credits which can be used to obtain bigger and better things. Power Struggle is won once the opponent's HQ is destroyed. This can be achieved in numerous ways - blasting away at it with tanks and other standard weaponry, shooting it with a tactical nuke, sneaking inside and using C4 on some central point or using alien technology.

Your headquarters will be armed with automated missiles and turrets – effectively eliminating base camper's altogether. In the map we were shown, the HQ for the US side is an offshore submarine with some free boats and the North Koreans have an inland base with a few jeeps and civilian cars.

When you secure a building or factory, the roof will change color (USA is color blue, North Korea is red). We got to see the interior of some of these buildings and the submarine. Like the outside world, the interiors are stunning, with a real focus on detail.



Gameplay can last up to 9-10 hours, however a typical game will last around 45 minutes.

Due to the uniqueness in this gaming mode there is a learning curve involved. It's hard to say what this is, but I'm guessing a couple of hours should suffice for the basic operations. The learning from a strategic perspective will be continuous.

It's clear that certain elements mentioned last year have since changed. There was no mention of the PDA or the prototype/production suit, however they still could be present – I wasn't able to confirm this.

The pace

The pace in the death match was quite rapid – nothing like Quake though. I felt it was probably just about right, although occasionally a couple of the times I re-spawned I got killed instantly. There were some discussions however to look at reducing the pace slightly.

Use of the Nano Suit

Like the single player mode, the Nano Suit plays a critical role and affects the game play considerably. You could possibly get by in the default armor mode, but would be effectively limiting your ability to outclass and outrival your opponents. I do perhaps see it being an obstruction for those reluctant to learn and wanting instant shooting action, especially in Deathmatch - but let me stress that even just dedicating a few minutes to learn how it operates will make your gaming experience so much more appealing and rewarding. There were also some places where you couldn't get to without using the strength mode's power jump.

You're going to need to memorize the keyboard shortcuts and above all be able to immediately identify the best mode for the situation you're in at the time. With the pace of Deathmatch, the time you have to plan and execute your plan of attack is severely limited. For example, if you happen to re-spawn in an enemy ridden area, you're going to need to make an immediate decision:

1) Do you select Speed mode and get out of there as quick as possible?
2) Do you select Armor mode with the aim of protecting yourself from incoming fire?
3) Do you select Strength mode to attempt to bash the other players over?
4) Do you select Cloak mode in with the chance they wont see you?

I think with a bit of practice, you'll become a lot sharper when identifying your current situation and making an appropriate decision on the best course of action.

The Weapons

All players in the deathmatch started off with a basic SOCOM Pistol. This weapon wasn't particularly useful. It would require many direct head shots to kill another player – and even more if they were in armor mode. You'd be better off simply switching to strength mode and knocking the other player out if they had a similar weapon. While the single pistol was quite ineffective, picking up another gave you a very effective dual wield weapon.

When sniping, you'll need to get a direct head shot to kill the first time, and two or three shots at the body. There are plenty of good vantage points though. I did notice that player targets quite far in the distance would occasionally flash on and off through the scope. The GK8 Gauss Rifle with the scope attachment made for a very functional long range weapon also. The weapon customization was a really great touch to the game. Finding a sniper rifle, scope and a silencer was a great experience and even better when you then got to a safe vantage point and put on your cloak and started scanning for heads. The cloak drained power very little while staying still, but it used more energy while moving or shooting.

For those that prefer run and gun, the XM214 Hurricane minigun is very effective in taking many players out – even in Armor mode. And of course those that wish to freeze players, the alien weapon was a lot of fun but not as deadly as the minigun.

I noticed a few players were having good success in finding a vantage point, switching to cloak mode and firing a constant stream of rockets from the LAW Rocket Launcher. It can be a little slow and clumsy at times, but the explosions it creates are immense and can take out numerous players within its blast

Grenades were quite ineffective due to the fast pace of the game – RTsa did get two kills with one, though. You can adjust the distance you throw them by holding down the mouse accordingly. There was also some discussion at reworking their use in the game.

Spawning

In Deathmatch you'll re-spawn in various places around the map, completely at random. There is virtually no re-spawn time. So it's non stop action the entire time.

Bug Reporting

When Soroc and I were playing we noticed a very strange occurrence, which was quite humorous. One particular player was cut off at the waist and floated around rather than walking. A strange white line from my weapons scope would give me his exact position. This was a clearly a bug.

The environment destructiblity was completely disabled for some reason. We were told there would be limited destructibility in the retail game - stuff that doesn't really affect the gameplay much, but makes for nice eye candy. Also, the environment will stay destroyed and not "respawn" after a set time.

Stairs were also an issue to climb and descend, however this is another bug they are working on.

The general frame rate and performance was exceptionally good. There were a few slow downs in areas especially with smoke clouds, however they are working on optimizing this also.

The Deathmatch Competition

During the second deathmatch round, a large signed Crysis poster was up for grabs for the winner. The game lasted about 20 minutes… of which I was leading for the first half of it … but unfortunately I lost my way, RTsa had some computer problems and surprise, surprise one of the very few female gamers took it out! (Congratulations to Laike from the Fever Network).

Final Thoughts

Both RTsa and I were very impressed with the Deathmatch component, with RTsa describing it as the "best deathmatch he had ever played". I found it to be accommodating and evenhanded for all manner of FPS players.

Much is yet to be seen on Power Struggle, but I am confident Crytek have a frontrunner here, with a balance of run and shoot fun to more strategic based judgment and planning.

There is a degree of learning involved – specifically with the Nano Suit and the new Power Struggle mode. I certainly hope that this barrier is not too high as what lies beyond is a first class multiplayer experience.