Crysis 3 Open Beta Hits Xbox 360

Eager gamers desperate for a taste of Crysis 3 can get their teeth into the title early, today, with the Crysis 3 Open Beta opening up for Xbox LIVE Gold members. The premature access – which comes ahead of Crysis 3's general availability in February 2013 – is based around two unique maps, Museum and Airport, and gives a teaser of the multiplayer experience on the Xbox 360.

The beta is set in the 7 Wonders of New York's Liberty Dome, and includes both Crash Site and Hunter game modes. Eventually, Electronic Arts said last week, PS3 and PC gamers will also have access to Open Betas on their platforms, though there's no sign of the downloads at time of writing.

Hunter mode is the "survival" side of Crysis 3, with two multiplayer teams, one perpetually hunting the other. Hunted "troopers" automatically join the cloaked "Hunters" team when they're killed, with the goal being to track them all down before the time runs out. As for Crash Site mode, that requires teams to capture and guard an alien pod, fending off the attempts of other players to steal it from them.

Crysis 3 Open Beta tutorial:

However, while the Open Beta is likely to be popular across all platforms, it won't be around for long. The teaser will expire on February 12, EA says, suggesting the full release of Crysis 3 won't be too much later after that.