6. Crysis: Warhead
Story: Warhead is a companion game to Crysis, with a story similar to the original Crysis, but takes place mostly on the other side of the island. An alien artifact has been discovered on a tropical island, and after the United States and North Korea race to seize it, an alien invasion starts which freezes the island. You now play as Psycho, a member of an elite team of Nano-suited Special Ops, Raptor Team. As you follow the events of Psycho in this action packed stand alone expansion, you get to battle through different landscapes of jungle and ice, which look even better than in Crysis.
Graphics: The game itself has been upgraded graphically; detailed smooth environments, and photo realistic character models which twist and move in an unparalleled, realistic fashion. Character models are expressive and fluid, the water effects are pristine and the jungle foliage is completely unrivalled in detail and general ambiance. Whatever deal with the devil Crytek had to do in order to bump frame rates up has worked in spades.
Sound and Music: The games audio features outstanding music and sound effects as its visual. Voice acting is superb, character voices reflect the onscreen action well. Explosions and weapons fire all sound excellent and the games full of ambient noises such as enemies shouting to each other, wildlife in the background are also stunning. It all adds up to create an intense war zone feeling.
Overall: Warhead focuses on what worked in the original game. Crytek have delivered a solid, cinematic gaming experience that is everything it should be. Fans of the genre will love Warhead. It’s a genuine improvement on Crysis .The length of Warhead might be short, but it gives us the juicy, rare steak of Crysis without any of the excess fat.
5. Half-Life 2
Story: The Game is set in a futuristic, negative utopia called City 17 several years after the incident at Black Mesa. The world was taken over by an alien force known as the Combine during the “Seven Day War” and now the remainder of the human race is forced to live in small ghettos ruled by a puppet government established by the invaders. In Half-Life 2, as the player you will find yourself in the role of research scientist Gordon Freeman, the renegade theoretical physicist slash arms specialist.
Graphics: The graphics in the game are amazing and the physics engine is extraordinary. All of the locations in the game look spectacular with striking detail for each area. There is a ton of detail in all of the stages, ranging from spraypaint and blood on the walls to large metropolitan cityscapes. The animation of the characters is spectacular, due to the facial animations and the physics engine. The creators have expertly crafted a believable and immersive game world.
Sound and Music: The sound effects, music and voice acting in the game are marvelous. The explosions, gunfire and rest of the sound effects come across loud and clear. The music in the game creates an excellent ambiance for every stage and area. The voice acting in the game is top notch.
Overall: Half-Life 2 is a stunning game in many ways,the great graphics, incredible physics’ engine, impressive sound/music and engaging story line all add up to a classic game. Gamers that are new to the Half-Life universe will be blown away but veterans may be a little disappointed.
4. Call of Duty: Black Ops
Story: The game is set largely during the 1960s and takes you to Cold War hot spots like Cuba, Russia, and Vietnam .You begin the game as Alex Mason, a soldier being interrogated for information that he can’t remember. You play through Mason’s memories in search for information. There are twists, some of which work better than others. But unlike Modern Warfare 2, Black Ops does a remarkable job of cleaning everything up for the finale. Gun battles are placed around set pieces and incredible moments of super-heroism, and you’ll never be quite sure what will happen next, or even in what year.
Graphics: Graphically, this game is top-notch. The environments are richly detailed. Everything from texturing to particles and lighting, to the destruction in the environments is top-tier gaming. The frame rate is smooth, cut scenes are good and the scenery gorgeous. In addition to the on-foot action, you use a number of vehicles to achieve your objectives.The core running-and-gunning mechanics remain as exciting as ever, and the gameplay variety throughout the campaign keeps the action moving at a great clip.
Sound and Music: Call of Duty: black Ops like other Call of Duty series games, has outstanding music and sound effects. The music pumps you up in the heat of battle without distracting you. Gun reports, especially ones in the distance, really stand out nicely. The voice acting from the various soldiers and enemies are all very realistic. Your ears are in for a treat with this one.
Overall: Overall,Black Ops is a terrific action game with a solid story and a deep, rewarding multiplayer mode.For all its ambitious steps to set itself apart from the previous games, it flounders in a few too many of those areas to be a total success. Even with those flaws, though, the heart of the series–its competitive multiplayer–lives on quite well. Through its outstanding campaign and its super customizable and balanced online experience it is one game that you should definitely check out regardless of what kind of gamer you are.
