Back in 2007, one of the most demanding PC games on the market was Crysis. No matter how good your GPU was, pushing the game to its maximum performance was nearly impossible. Even though Crysis was a demanding game in 2007, it was praised by a lot of critics and was considered by many to be the best first person shooter game. Several years after its success, the sequel to Crysis has been released not only on PC but for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as well. The result? Another successful game from Crytek.
For console owners who played Crysis 2, a lot of them demanded Crytek to re-release the original game on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Well Crytek listened, and they released a straight port of the original Crysis with a lot of improvements as well.
HOT
Remastered Graphics
In 2007, Crysis had some of the most beautiful graphics of any game available at the time. The lush jungles and frozen wastelands in Crysis really showed what the game could do in terms of graphics. The dynamic lighting and shadows of the environments of Crysis were clearly some of the best at that time. In this remastered edition, Crytek improved the graphics by using the Cry Engine 3 that was used in Crysis 2. The graphics of Crysis on the consoles don’t look as pretty as Crysis 2, but you can see the bright detail of its designs and environments. The characters in the remastered edition are crisper than the ones on the original PC. The graphics haven’t been completely redone, but they are certainly enhanced with the Cry Engine 3.
Aside from the game using the Cry Engine 3, nothing has changed when it comes to voice-overs. The voices from the original game are intact. For those who own a 3D TV set, the game is now 3D enabled, allowing you to play the game with heightened realism. With the ability to destroy practically anything, it’s nice to see a palm tree dropping on you, especially with your 3D glasses on.
Story is Still Solid
It’s been a while since the last time I’ve played the original Crysis on PC. Back then, the story was excellent but after replaying the game again on consoles, I just realized that it never gets old, no matter how many times I’ve played it.
In Crysis, you take control of Nomad, a part of the US Special Forces Team, along with other soldiers who were sent on a mission to rescue the archeological team hostages on the nearby island of the Philippines Sea from the North Korean forces. Using high-tech nanosuits that give humans a boost in strength, speed, armor, and cloaking abilities, the Super Soldiers’ hostage rescue situation turns into something big after they learn that an alien force is set to invade the planet.
For those who played the second game, they can expect the same kind of story in the first.
Turn into a SuperSoldier
The majority of the players who played Crysis 2 on the consoles didn’t play the first Crysis on the PC. Therefore, in order to accommodate players more familiar with Crysis 2, the controls were copied in the remastered edition. Some elements from the second game were somehow transferred to Nomad in this version, as everything Nomad does will require energy. In the original game, sprinting doesn’t require energy when used but now, you’ll have to watch out for the energy meter as it will drain pretty fast.
No longer limited in using a mouse and keyboard, playing Crysis with the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 controller makes playing the game a lot easier. Using the special nanosuit, you can jump to high platforms, sprint, and have extra armor. The environments and areas that you can explore in the game are big and there are a lot of different routes that you can take. It’s all up to you to decide on how you will do your missions – you can do it stealthy, or go aggressive.
What make both Crysis games awesome are the freedom you get and the action. At the beginning of the game, you start slow because you basically learn how to use the different functions of the nanosuit. As you progress through later levels, the game gets intense where you’ll see a lot of vehicles and destroy things that will blow your mind. Expect to use tanks to take down planes and other vehicles, which will make you realize why the game is so demanding when it comes to graphics cards.
Full Trophies and Achievements Support
Gamers who are looking to expand their trophy or achievement collection will be pleased to know that Crysis will have full trophy and achievement support. Having a total of 50 achievements and trophies, this is a treat to trophy and achievement hunters.
NOT
No Multiplayer Mode
Crytek seems to have stripped out the multiplayer portion of Crysis. For those who are looking to get into some multiplayer action, you will not find it here. Even though the game is over four years old, it would still be nice for Crytek if they actually included the multiplayer portion.
Occasional Glitches Still Exist
Even though the game is fully remastered with a brand new engine and controls, the game still suffers from occasional glitches. In the console version, there are glitches that you can expect such as enemies floating slightly above the ground or textures in the game flickering. These only happen occasionally and pretty much don’t affect the gameplay and experience. Still, they are annoying when they do occur.
VERDICT
For a four-year-old game, Crysis is still one of the best first person shooters I’ve ever played. Despite its age, the game still manages to have that “spark” that gamers love when it comes to shooter games. If you didn’t have a chance to play Crysis when it was released on the PC, you have another chance to play it and see why Crysis got the glory and glamour it deserved when it was first released. The only downside for the remastered edition is that it doesn’t have multiplayer, but the graphics, story, and intense gameplay will be enough to make that $20 purchase worth it.
[Editor’s Note: Crysis was reviewed on the Xbox 360 hardware. The game was provided to us by the publisher for review purposes.]