At this point most people’s exposure to Crysis 3 has been largely limited to high-resolution screenshots and periodic gameplay footage vignettes. A scant few have played it at promotional events or other similar gatherings, but come January 29 publisher EA and developer Crytek will offer gamers an opportunity to really take the game for a spin. That’s the day the Crysis 3 multiplayer beta debuts on the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC platforms.
As with almost all beta tests, this iteration of Crysis 3 is a far cry from the full retail release that will eventually hit store shelves. Instead, the Crysis 3 beta offers a small glimpse of the game’s online combat. According to the official Crysis website, this includes two different gameplay modes and two of the game’s multiplayer maps. Have a look at EA’s official description:
Hunter Mode: This multiplayer game mode is all about survival of the fittest. There are two teams, initially comprised of two permanently cloaked “Hunters”, and up to fourteen CELL troopers awaiting extraction. Each trooper slain respawns on the Hunter team to prey on their former allies, building to a frenetic climax. If any of the troopers survive the round, the hunters lose. Whichever way you play, Hunter Mode delivers a heart-pounding test of strategy and survival.
Crash Site Mode: This multiplayer game mode is the ultimate King of the Hill type experience. An Alien dropship deploys a pod at random around the map. Players on each team must remain near the dropped pod in order to capture the zone and accumulate points. Each alien pod holds two shields players can utilize defensively as weapons. In addition, each Crash Site map will have a “Pinger”, a CEPH-constructed walking weapon of mass destruction. But be careful, other players can hijack the Pinger while you’re inside of it!
Beta Maps:
Museum – Roam the dark Ruins of Musem in downtown Manhattan and use the verticality to your advantage.
Airport – Close to the financial district, nature has taken over buildings and planes in this open fields area.
Additionally, the Crysis 3 beta marks the debut of a new feature dubbed the “New York Feed.” As the final word of its name suggests, the New York Feed is an in-game social networking element that “will showcase the accomplishments of gamers and their friends while offering dynamic challenges to complete.” We have yet to see this in action, but based on every description we can find it seems similar to the real-time scoreboard and challenge rankings that have become so popular in online-capable games of late, most notably the Xbox Live Arcade title Trials Evolution. In that game it’s a very addictive feature that constantly pits you against your friends in a quest for ever-higher scores and we hope that Crytek can duplicate this functionality.
Assuming you enjoy the multiplayer beta, you won’t have to wait very long to jump back into Crysis 3. The game is scheduled to make its retail debut on February 19, and those of you intrigued by the game can find full details on buying your own copy at the official Crysis 3 website.
