Crytek’s Crysis 2 was without a doubt the best-looking game showcased at GDC 2011 and quite possibly will be the best-looking game to come out this year. Displayed in stereoscopic 3-D and utilizing CryEngine 3, the disastrous landscape of New York City was simply beautiful. Crytek demonstrated the game using passive 3-D technology — passive meaning there is no need for an outside power source. The glasses are light akin to any normal pair. Once worn, the HUD display pops out, casting the illusion that you are actually wearing the protagonist’s suit and further immersing you in the game. As expected, the 3-D technology also adds a great deal of depth to the level. Although the game’s graphics are still a sight to see in 2-D, after witnessing the potential the game has to offer on a 3-D TV, simply playing without the glasses would leave something to be desired.

Alcatraz, the protagonist, is sent to investigate an alien crash site in the middle of crumbling New York City. Of course, Crynet OpFor won’t allow your task to be easy. The demo featured exploding bridges, grazing bullets and other combustible objects that brilliantly glimmered in 3-D. Before long, Alcatraz will encounter the Ceph, the invasive alien species. The Ceph are extremely mobile and very hard to kill. The player can either send a heavy barrage of bullets at the Ceph when its body is exposed or by engaging in melee combat. Upon claiming victory against a Ceph soldier, it graciously drops one of four categories of power upgrades: Armor, Power, Stealth or Tactical. These upgrades will allow Alcatraz to achieve super-soldier status (like he wasn’t already ...).

Utilizing opportunity found in the environment to dispose of enemies allows the player to strategically progress through the level. For example, at one point in the demo, the player encounters fuel barrels and a burning car. By shooting the barrels, the car will be set on fire, allowing the player to kick the burning car down a hill toward some unsuspecting blokes. Of course, Alcatraz could always use a cloaking ability and snipe from afar rather than sending his enemies to a fiery grave. You be the judge of how the action plays out, a theme that will reoccur throughout the campaign.

It seems Crytek will indeed fulfill its promise of blending superb graphical capabilities with high-octane heavy action. It may be time to finally upgrade to a TV with 3-D technology. Crysis 2 will be released March 22 on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC. Look for it!