German developer
Crytek made a big splash with their previous title, Far Cry, which garnered a
fair amount of critical acclaim and became somewhat of a cult classic. Now,
they’ve once again set out to turn the PC world on its head with Crysis. After
being announced in early 2006, Crysis quickly became a poster child for
Microsoft’s latest API, DirectX 10, showcasing the gorgeous effects and
photorealistic textures that the platform was capable of. Now the title has
finally been released on the public, and the results live up to the hype.
No bones about
it, Crysis is the most gorgeous game ever, boasting many great effects and
cinematic details that pull you in like no game before it. The gameplay is also
great, with intense action and excellent AI. Unfortunately, to see Crysis as
it’s meant to be seen, you’ll need a super-high-end PC with all of the latest
bells and whistles; otherwise the look will be way scaled down. Still, if you’ve
got the machine that can handle it, Crysis is one of the best shooters that
you’ll get your hands on this year.
Crysis presents
you as a soldier sent down with your elite unit to investigate some happenings
in North Korea. However, once there, things take a turn as members of your unit
begin dying off under mysterious circumstances. The situation grows much worse
once you discover that you’re not only fighting North Koreans, but something
that’s not of this world as well.
One element that
helps Crysis distinguish itself apart from other shooters is the Nanosuit. Your
character may be a one-man army, but he wouldn’t get very far were it not for
his protective suit, which can allow you to have super-strength or speed, as
well as go invisible with a Predator-like cloaking system. You’ll use the Nanosuit’s functions constantly throughout Crysis, and the open-ended nature of
the game allows you to use them however you’d like. You could use your cloaking
device to covertly take out your enemies or go in there with super-strength
activated and hoist cars and chuck them at your enemies, it’s up to you.
Crysis also has
some extremely impressive AI under the hood. Much like in Far Cry, the AI will
search you out realistically, attacking in formations and calling out for
reinforcements. The alien AI acts a lot more organic than the human AI as well,
not quite attacking in a pattern, but rather pouncing like an animal, which is a
nice touch and pretty frightening.
However, the
graphical presentation is what will truly have people talking about Crysis.
Given the right PC configuration, the game is absolutely stunning, with amazing
textures and an obsessive attention to detail. The character models look
fantastic, and the jungle environments feel alive and teeming with elements. The
game’s engine allows for great effects that help with the game’s ambiance, like
frost appearing on the scope of your gun during the ice-covered areas, or trees
splitting in half and collapsing when under gunfire. The game looks amazing, and
will no doubt dazzle any gamer.
Unfortunately,
all of this beauty comes at a hefty price. The game requires a behemoth of a
gaming rig to run properly, and you must be running Windows Vista to get all of
the DX10 benefits. While the game will work in DX9 (and look pretty damn great
doing it), you’ll need a fully equipped computer running Vista with at least an
8800 card to get good results.
The sound effects
are very well done, with fantastic effects like explosions and gunfire booming
from all directions as well as small nuanced sounds that come from your nanosuit.
The soundtrack is also well done, fitting within the mood of the game nicely.
The voice acting sounds nice, but some elements (like the Korean voice work)
sound a bit on the cheesy side.
Crysis is an
artistic triumph on the PC, offering up an aesthetically incredible experience
with solid and exciting gameplay. The game is incredibly immersive if your
computer can handle it.
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Gameplay:
9.0
Cinematic and intense gameplay, Crysis lives up to the hype with wonderful set
pieces and loads of action. The AI is fantastic and the nanosuit elements allow
for many different ways to play and approach situations.
Graphics:
9.8
The
phrase “best looking gamer ever” seems to be thrown every few months in this
generation of hardware, but that statement stands for Crysis, as it is an
unmatched visual achievement in every sense of the word. The only downside is
that it will make your computer cry.
Sound: 9.0
The
sound effects are fantastic, blasting through the speakers during intense
moments. The score is also well done within the mood of the game, and the voice
acting is generally good.
Difficulty:
Medium
Concept:
9.3
Crysis
manages to combine a gorgeous aesthetic with solid gameplay for a cinematic and
wholly unique experience.
Multiplayer: 9.0
The
game offers a standard instant-action deathmatch mode, but the power struggle
mode is the real meat and potatoes, offering up Battlefield-styled online play
for up to 32 players.
Overall:
9.3
Crysis
is a fantastic game that offers amazing graphics that immerse you into the game
in a way that no other visual presentation can. The cinematic elements and
superb art direction keep the gameplay’s intensity level at a constant high,
making Crysis a game that no PC gamer should miss, as long as their computer is
up to snuff.
