Crysis ^(PC)

Genre: First-Person Shooter Publisher: Electronic Arts Developer: Crytek Studios Players: ?

By Keith B (18th Feb 2008)

It may require a PC rig that will bring tears to your eyes, but there are lots of shiny things in Crytek's new shooter.

Today’s digital super soldiers rarely catch a break. When they’re not being called upon to fight zombie Nazis in a dystopian future, they’re fending off alien invasions or battling the undead in some ghoulish netherworld. They’re on the front lines day in, day out, battling through rooms full of boxes, generic sewers and curiously human-friendly alien worlds like only a disembodied hand with a gun in it can.

Crysis is the latest super soldier-themed shooter to hit the PC. Developed by German game company Crytek, Crysis is set on an island in the South China Sea, some 12 years in the future. The game sees you take on the role of an elite nanosuit-equipped Delta Force operative, codenamed “Nomad.”

As the game opens, we find Nomad on a transport plane, accompanied by an entourage of stunningly rendered stock characters and redshirts. This happy bunch is en route to a small island which was recently invaded by the North Koreans. The island was the site of some mysterious archaeological excavations, so naturally the US government is only too keen to find out what was uncovered that has attracted such interest (and I don’t think I’m giving anything away when I tell you that it’s an alien spaceship).

Crytek first established themselves worldwide in 2004, with the release of Far Cry. Combining lush jungle visuals, open-ended game play and some great level design, Far Cry was a solid release, built on a technically superb proprietary engine. The game wasn’t without frustrations, however. The levels set indoors suffered in comparison to the sense of free-roaming possibility offered by the larger outdoor areas, the main character was ridiculously unlikeable, and a plot twist halfway through the game changed combat dynamics for the worse.

Crysis steers clear of some of these earlier mistakes, but still makes a few pratfalls along the way. The corridor sections have mostly been discarded, and the physics engine feels less like window dressing and more like an integral part of the game. Enemy AI is still problematic, and Crytek still felt the need to include a plot twist that precedes an uninspired final section of the game. Glitches and quirks plague the game, and I don’t think a PC yet exists that wouldn’t have performance issues with the more graphically intense sections of the games.

Everything you may have read about the steep system requirements is true, and then some. Crysis requires a veritable beast of a PC to run comfortably, and even then some adjustments may be needed. Playing the game on medium settings some slowdown was still present, and this was on a PC with some of the very latest in processor and video card technology.

When Crysis was first announced for the PC, much was made of the technical innovations the game would introduce. Large, free-roaming environments were promised, along with formidable artificial intelligence, amazingly realistic physics,
and a level of detail previously unseen in a video game. While not all of this holds water, if ever you wanted a game to show your console-gaming friends what a PC is capable of, Crysis is it. There are some wonderful graphical effects on display, even on lower detail settings.

Combat mechanics are deceptively simple, and quite intuitive. The weapon selection is pretty much the standard FPS fare, from the ubiquitous assault rifle, dual-wielded pistols, shotgun and rocket launcher. to one or two more exotic pieces that are a bit scarcer on the ground. The range on offer isn’t as great as that in Call of Duty 4 or S.T.A.L.K.E.R, but who really needs six different types of machine gun, anyway? The weapon customisation system more than makes up for the lack of variety. Every gun has a range of attachments and different firing modes, adjustable on the fly. Additional attachments can be scavenged from dead North Korean soldiers.

The nanosuit abilities are another one of the twists the design team has employed to distinguish Crysis from its competition. A key press brings up a radial menu, which is used to select the special abilities wired into Nomad’s high-tech outfit. The default setting enhances Nomad’s ability to survive a hail of bullets. The speed mode really only comes in handy when you want to cover the area between engagements quickly. Strength mode gives you the edge in providing North Koreans with blunt trauma injuries, and the cloak mode allows you to disappear right before their eyes, leaving the AI with nothing to do but run in circles.

The custom approach extends to the game play itself, with Crysis being at its strongest when giving the player the freedom to pursue multiple objectives. When left unobstructed by scripted sequences or linear level design, the game is capable of providing amazing action. The physics engine allows for the environment itself to be used as a weapon, and throwing barrels at North Koreans gives a wonderful sense of invention and improvisation to the action.

Without ruining the ending for those who are yet to experience it, the last level of the single player campaign feels somewhat uninspired. The combat degenerates to a grind, the new enemies you encounter feel counterintuitive and the whole section feels somewhat rushed.

Multiplayer is handled reasonably well. There’s an option to connect quickly to the first suitable server, something I wish more games would implement. The upgrade system isn’t quite as good as that implemented in Call of Duty 4, and the size of the levels means that matches can occasionally feel underpopulated.

Despite some neat game mechanics, incredible graphics and an open-ended conclusion, Crysis falls flat as an attempt to launch a new franchise. Despite the hype, the game feels lacking, and in need of some further polish. Technical innovation and breathtaking graphics are overshadowed by annoying glitches, and a decidedly lacklustre story.

As an engine awaiting a game, Crytek’s latest attempt shows a lot of promise. Valve created Half Life with the Quake engine – perhaps somewhere out there is a game developer with plans for something really special using Crytek’s new engine.