Crysis Maximum Edition (2009)

Minimum System Requirements

OS ? Windows XP or Windows Vista
Processor ? Single core 2.8 GHz or faster (XP) or 3.2 GHz or faster* (Vista)
Memory ? 1.0 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5 GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card ?256 MB**
Hard Drive ? 12GB
Sound Card ? DirectX 9.0c compatible

Recommended System Requirements

OS ? Windows XP / Vista
Processor ? Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Memory ? 2.0 GB RAM
GPU ? NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS/640 or similar

German developer Crytek made a big splash with their previous title, Far Cry, which garnered a fair amount of critical acclaim and became somewhat of a cult classic. Now, they?ve once again set out to turn the PC world on its head with Crysis. After being announced in early 2006, Crysis quickly became a poster child for Microsoft?s latest API, DirectX 10, showcasing the gorgeous effects and photorealistic textures that the platform was capable of. Now the title has finally been released on the public, and the results live up to the hype. No bones about it, Crysis is the most gorgeous game ever, boasting many great effects and cinematic details that pull you in like no game before it. The gameplay is also great, with intense action and excellent AI. Unfortunately, to see Crysis as it?s meant to be seen, you?ll need a super-high-end PC with all of the latest bells and whistles; otherwise the look will be way scaled down. Still, if you?ve got the machine that can handle it, Crysis is one of the best shooters that you?ll get your hands on this year. Crysis presents you as a soldier sent down with your elite unit to investigate some happenings in North Korea. However, once there, things take a turn as members of your unit begin dying off under mysterious circumstances. The situation grows much worse once you discover that you?re not only fighting North Koreans, but something that?s not of this world as well. One element that helps Crysis distinguish itself apart from other shooters is the Nanosuit. Your character may be a one-man army, but he wouldn?t get very far were it not for his protective suit, which can allow you to have super-strength or speed, as well as go invisible with a Predator-like cloaking system. You?ll use the Nanosuit?s functions constantly throughout Crysis, and the open-ended nature of the game allows you to use them however you?d like. You could use your cloaking device to covertly take out your enemies or go in there with super-strength activated and hoist cars and chuck them at your enemies, it?s up to you.

Crysis also has some extremely impressive AI under the hood. Much like in Far Cry, the AI will search you out realistically, attacking in formations and calling out for reinforcements. The alien AI acts a lot more organic than the human AI as well, not quite attacking in a pattern, but rather pouncing like an animal, which is a nice touch and pretty frightening. However, the graphical presentation is what will truly have people talking about Crysis. Given the right PC configuration, the game is absolutely stunning, with amazing textures and an obsessive attention to detail. The character models look fantastic, and the jungle environments feel alive and teeming with elements. The game?s engine allows for great effects that help with the game?s ambiance, like frost appearing on the scope of your gun during the ice-covered areas, or trees splitting in half and collapsing when under gunfire. The game looks amazing, and will no doubt dazzle any gamer. Unfortunately, all of this beauty comes at a hefty price. The game requires a behemoth of a gaming rig to run properly, and you must be running Windows Vista to get all of the DX10 benefits. While the game will work in DX9 (and look pretty damn great doing it), you?ll need a fully equipped computer running Vista with at least an 8800 card to get good results. The sound effects are very well done, with fantastic effects like explosions and gunfire booming from all directions as well as small nuanced sounds that come from your nanosuit. The soundtrack is also well done, fitting within the mood of the game nicely. The voice acting sounds nice, but some elements (like the Korean voice work) sound a bit on the cheesy side.

Crysis is an artistic triumph on the PC, offering up an aesthetically incredible experience with solid and exciting gameplay. The game is incredibly immersive if your computer can handle it