Phenomenal FPS, but you need a supercomputer

Crysis was probably one of the most hyped games of 2007 behind Halo 2. Everyone wanted it. We were teased for months with videos and photos; finally, Crytek and EA delivered the game in the fall.

The game lived up to the hype...mostly. It took video game immersion to a new level for sure. I've yet to see anyone come even close to the level of realism this game provides. Some might argue that it's a bit too realistic; regardless of how you look at it, the game has introduced a lot of new concepts and ideas into the first-person shooter genre.

Crytek and EA went to great lengths to put the tiniest of details into this game. Foliage looks and behaves just like the real thing. Buildings and structures can be knocked down, torn apart, and interacted with. For once, people are more than just something you shoot at -- they can be picked up and thrown, used as cover, and so on.

Even weapons have been re-thought. New scopes and attachments can be added on the fly. Need to pick someone of from 1000 yards? Switch to a sniper scope and add the laser sight. Got a vehicle down the road you want to neutralize? Add the grenade launcher attachment. Sneaking through a crowded campsite? Add the silencer. There are numerous combinations of attachments and changes you can make as you go to suit the environment.

Similarly, Crysis puts you, the player, in a special "nano suit". Throughout the game, you'll need to switch the mode the suit is in. By default, the suit provides a heavy layer of body armor. But at a moment's notice, you can improve your strength to throw large objects or even people. If you need to move more quickly, you can switch to a speed mode and out sprint Olympic athletes. And should stealth be the order of the day, you can become invisible and walk right through the enemy compound unnoticed. Other FPS games have tried this in the past with silly "powerups" or super-powers, but Crysis pulls it off in a believable way, and integrates it well into the levels. There are obvious points where invisibility is required, and at times your squad mates will give you hints. Crysis has done away with lame health powerups and temporary shielding in favor of the real-world.....you get shot too much, you die.

The plot is not very extraordinary -- just a simple alien invasion. There's only so much that can be done with the story of an FPS, but at least here they've made it suspenseful and kinda fun to play along with. Is it cinematic-quality acting and plot advancement? Absolutely not.

Moving through the plot is supposedly not a "linear" action. That is, you can take a variety of paths through the game. I can't say I entirely buy that, as you generally start a level, kill everyone, and then finish it. Sure, you can use the suit to be stealthy and not hurt a living soul, or switch to armor mode and just blow everything to pieces...but that's not really giving the player much choice. Very few FPS games accomplish a truly non-linear story, so I can't say it's a big fault of the game.

On to the biggest complaint and biggest strength -- the graphics engine. Everything here has taken a generational leap forward, but this means that you'll be opening your wallet. I question if the game is even playable at the minimum requirements; my system is as follows:

Intel Core 2 Quad @ 2.4GHz
2GB DDR2 RAM
250GB hard drive
GeForce 8800GT 512MB Superclocked
600W power supply
Optiarc DVD+RW
Onboard HD audio
Acer 22" widescreen LCD

I can go to medium or high detail levels at about 1280x800 and still get fluid motion in the busiest of scenes...but this computer cost me nearly $1400 to build myself. If you truly want to see what Crysis can do...well, that hardware literally does not exist as of 6 months AFTER the game's release. I think most people will be satisfied with a mid-range video card and lots of RAM (an 8800GT or X1900). Consider going SLI if you want to run at higher resolutions.

I have not used the multiplayer since I've never been into that sort of gaming.

Overall Crysis is a strong FPS. Some new ideas, like more interactive environments, customizable weapons, and a nano-suit make the game a bit more interesting. The plot is fairly typical but still well executed. The only real problem with the game is that the graphics engine is a bit too demanding for 95% of the personal computers out there.