I remember wanting to buy a high end PC for the sole purpose of playing Crysis.
Of course, I didn’t tell my parents this. I told them that I needed a high end PC in order to help my collegiate career when it comes to editing videos. In all honesty, that was entirely true. It just wasn’t, you know, the sole purpose for upgrading my PC. I wanted to get in hardcore with bleeding edge PC games. I was tired of having iffy frame rates in high-end raids in World of Warcraft. I wanted to play games like F.E.A.R., Crysis, and Far Cry.
Some of these experiences were only available on PC. Sure, the continued growth of console horsepower has helped to close the gap between PCs and consoles, but there was always one developer who was ready to shatter that gap: Crytek.
Of course, they started developing for consoles with 2011’s Crysis 2 simultaneous release on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, also eventually releasing the original Crysis on consoles as well. From there, one thing became evident: the days of the Frankfurt, Germany developer being known as a studio who makes computer hardware cry in their sleep were over. For me, it was the day the music died.
Kidding, of course, but the point remains. Crysis is a game that looks absolutely gorgeous by 2014 standards. Ryse is one of the best looking console games on both Xbox One or PlayStation 4. Could you imagine, though, what would have been visually possible if Crytek stuck with a PC only stance? Sure, we might still be venturing through the rain forest, but is that really a bad thing? Crytek was a developer who was able to create a guerrilla warfare style sandbox filled with tactical challenges aplenty. As time has gone on, other PC developers have pushed the envelope regarding what’s possible with new technology, specifically destructible environments and dynamic AI. Consider a Crysis or Far Cry like game complete with a wide open world, 100% destructible environments, no loading times, beyond intelligent enemy AI, an arsenal of weapons that would make both Ratchet and Clank jealous, and an in-game engine that would make NASA’s computers weep.
That’s a world I would die to live in. Hell, that’s a world I once dreamed of living in back in 2007. Crysis is one of my favorite games of all time. As much as I enjoyed Crysis 2, it just flat out wasn’t the same. I’m starting to think it’s due to the simultaneous console development, though I was originally in denial over this fact. Judging by the staying power of CryEngine 2’s visuals, though, it’s a fact I’m slowly coming to terms with.
But what do I know; some of you think I’m the worst writer in the world who just absolutely adores Crysis.
I don’t miss the days of those really large and awkward PC boxes, though. I really wish Blizzard would just hurry up and abandon them, too. At least the Crysis box isn’t made of that cardboard like material. Ugh.
