Games

If nothing else, 2013 looks set to be the year when the bow became the weapon of choice for games developers. Crysis 3's bow makes its debut pretty early on and while the game doesn't stop serving up weapons of mass destruction for you to annihilate your foes with, you'll find yourself coming back to it time and again.

Set 24 years after the events of Crysis 2, this new first-person shooter once again puts players in control of the alien Nanosuit known as Prophet and lets you stomp around the overgrown ruins of New York City. There you quickly settle into a pattern of helping resistance forces fight a two-pronged war against the corrupt CELL corporation and alien invaders – accompanied by plenty of cut-scenes that ponder the nature of humanity (another favourite with developers right now).

Powered by the latest incarnation of developer Crytek's CryEngine3 technology, Crysis 3 is every bit as spectacular to look at as its predecessors, rendering breathtaking mixtures of urban and rainforest environments. Unfortunately, the audio isn't quite as exciting, never quite managing to match the immersive quality of the game's visuals. A bigger problem comes from the gameplay itself which – while fun – quickly develops into a repetitive routine of stealth killing your way through barely-disguised arenas. Good, but not great.

Crysis 3, Electronic Arts, Xbox360/PS3/PC, £40 Approx
HCC VERDICT: 3.5/5