Possibly the most anticipated PC game this fall,
Crytek’s latest game, Crysis, is getting ready for its release. Crytek,
developer of the PC sleeper hit Far Cry, has really outdone themselves, making
Crysis not only a great looking game, but also an absolute blast to play.
Publisher EA had a build of the game on display at a recent press event held at
their Redwood Shores headquarters, showcasing a game with some amazing
production values and great gameplay elements.
The level on display at the press event was the
Ice level, which took place on Earth in a formerly lush, tropical area
surrounding a crashed alien ship. After the ship crashed, it let loose a blast
that freezes the area surrounding the ship and turning it into an icy wasteland.
You must then cross the frozen area to get to the alien spaceship while avoiding
the alien creatures that get sent your way.
Upon beginning the stage, it’s easy to quickly
notice the level of detail. Frost will appear on your visor as snowflakes and
bits of ice fall, refracting the light into prisms and creating a cool rainbow
effect. Enemies will float through the air as though they’re floating through
water, striking at you quickly and with ferocity. You can catch them in mid-air
as they attack you and punch them out. Yes, not since Will Smith welcomed an
alien to Earth in Independence Day has said move been carried out with such
gusto.
What was most surprising about the Crysis build
on display was that it was running on XP, meaning that it was a DX9 build. The
presentation was still incredible, with amazing lighting effects and well
rendered enemies that moved fluidly and realistically. One thing that was
apparent in the preview build was the level of scope throughout. Instead of
focusing on a horizontal plane, objects will rise vertically. The result is huge
objects on an epic scale, rising into the air to vertigo inducing heights. This
looks incredible and gives the game a great amount of scope, no matter what
operating system you may be running it on.
Start the hardware upgrades, as Crysis ships this
November.
