Shooting... but with style

Using the enemy's defenses on their own troops feels good.

At it's heart, the game is a standard shooter fare: a contrived story with heavy-handed plot devices that always require the use of immediate force to resolve immediate plot devices. It may sound disparaging, but it's not: even though we've all fought an invading alien force before in our gaming lifetimes, it's the presentation which gauges the eventual outcome. And in terms of presentation, Crysis has no equal: from cutscenes to spontaneous in-game AI, the entire game seems entirely plausible. Sure, the suit powers feel gimmicky at times, and the levels are designed to reinforce that gimmick ("Power Jump! Boing!"). But the solid feel of the weapons, combined with the requisite add-ons and variable scenarios, mean that firing a gun isn't an impotent affair.

This isn't to say that Crysis is the second coming of Doom. Where the seminal shooter brought PC gaming out of the 2D and into the pseudo-3D, Crysis does nothing to move beyond the "shoot, hide and run" mechanic of most contemporary shooters. The AI - while seemingly more intelligent than the hide-and-fire AI in most shooters - isn't as sentient as was advertised. For instance, enemies aren't aware of their surroundings to a degree which requires them to investigate lone broken branches. Enemies will react to obvious visual and aural cues, but they won't notice a misplaced stone on their usual recognizance route. What they will do is call for help and announce the player's location, which means that quick decision-making skill are of the essence.

Yes, turret guns still work when the vehicle is on its side.

Who will get the shot off first?

It's difficult to reach into Crysis' gameplay without revealing an inordinate amount of the game's storyline. In fear of ticking off the "Spoiler!!" crowd, you should know two things: (1) There will be a sequel; and (2) A sequel will be on the PC as well as major consoles. With that in mind, is Crysis worth playing on the PC? Most definitely. The element of choice is present, rearing its ugly head enough to convince the player to try specific scenarios a second time based on outcome alone. And the game feels more authentic than any shooter in recent memory, which speaks volumes to the production effort behind the game.

Very High shadow quality gives the shadows a realistic fade at the edges.

Shaders offer the greatest visual enhancements in Crysis, seen here at Very High settings.

The obligatory multiplayer mode is restricted to two choices: Deathmatch and a form of Capture The Flag (labeled as "Power Play" here). Neither are a patch on the glory of the single player side of things but that's to be expected, given how much time has been spent on the engine and levels. As with Far Cry, it's unlikely that Crysis will appear in any serious LAN parties and events - those duties will undoubtedly be handled by the likes of Team Fortress 2, Quake Wars and the old favorites.