Crysis follows the Crytek development formula behind FarCry - and it works flawlessly, if you've got the computing power.
Here's a shooter that can be described as a 'thinking man's FPS', a must-have game that feels like something out of the future.
For once, you can believe the hype, as this game delivers on promises of lush landscapes, stunning scenery and an awesome plot.
Crysis
(EA: R16) delivers big time. It's from
FarCry
developer Crytek and obviously so, especially with the same free-roaming levels and the familiar isolated island and mysteries held within.
A high-tech super-hero nano-suit wearing US Special Forces team is sent on a rescue mission and they find something eerie (think the original plot of
Predator
) as in their midst the proverbial hits the fan.
An asteroid has crashed and the North Korean government has sealed off the area with heavy defences and, as usual, refused to let any other country have a peek, holding the US expeditionary force hostage.
But the US Delta Force team got quickly to task, step in Jake Dunn - Nomad. Suddenly an alien ship rises from the debris, changing the world's weather and starting an alien invasion of this world.
The physics are so good, you feel you are really handling weapons and having an actual real firefight with the AI opponents. The enemy is sophisticated enough to challenge you, and the difficulty level adjusts to your abilities, making mastering the use of the cool 'nano muscle suit' a must - there is a long learning-curve but it's in-game and feels natural.
The AI is so good in fact, that aliens move quickly and attack you from behind before you even know it. I enjoyed punching the 20 foot launch into the ocean from its shore rack and falling harmlessly down a cliff-face and even letting out an excited scream as I fell heavily in my suit onto the rocks below with no damage.
Attention grabbers like invisibility and rifle attachments (scope and silencer) and weapon combos can be put to good use. Finally there's a game that looks as good as it gets on PC.
The production values have been sewn into this game so strongly that you could forget for a moment that this is just a game - there aren't many tears present, demonstrating quality of workmanship. It's a game that was built after upon Farcry's success and paved the way for Crytek, with huge expectations on the next title and for sure, it delivers in spades.
This game really pushes the limits of your PC, making use of multiple-core MP (multi-processing) technologies. Check out the specs at the end of this review - it might be time to get around to that PC upgrade.
This is a defining moment for systems (graphics cards and processors) and if you wanted to upgrade your rig for a game, then this one would show you the most benefits. The graphics can be toned down a lot, but you won't get as much out of it unless you crank up the resolution, turn all options to high and go rack up some smooth-motion kills.
PC gamers like me are having a dream run this Christmas. The standard and choice of excellent games is amazing. These are games that sit up with some of the best on shelves.
You will want to play this again - or try the multiplayer where you can play online with up to 32 people. Web gaming at this level is definitely where it's at.
MadGamer rating: 9 / 10
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
Minimum System Requirements for Crysis: OS - Windows XP or Windows Vista; processor - 2.8 GHz or faster (XP) or 3.2 GHz or faster (Vista); memory - 1.0 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5 GB RAM (Vista); video card -256 MB, Hard Drive - 12GB, sound card - DirectX 9.0c compatible. Supported Processors: Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz ( 3.2 GHz for Vista) or faster, Intel Core 2.0 GHz (2.2 GHz for Vista) or faster, AMD Athlon 2800+ (3200+ for Vista) or faster.
Supported chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT or greater; ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (Radeon X800 Pro for Vista) or greater. Laptop versions of these chipsets may work but are not supported. Integrated chipsets are not supported. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.
Recommended System Requirements: OS - Windows XP / Vista; processor - Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+; memory - 2.0 GB RAM; GPU - NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS/640 or similar.
Visa and Mastercard push back.