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After months of hype the landmark PC title is finally here. Check out our review aggregation and find out if Crysis really does reinvent the PC shooter.

Crysis has been one of those games that, through the months of previews and press releases, never failed to amaze. There was hardly any doubt as to whether it was going to be good; the real question has been, how good. Judging by the reviews, it seems that Crysis turned out to be about as good as everyone expected. Crysis delivers on many levels. It's graphics provide the degree of immersion we had all hoped for. It's plot, though spun from the same web as Far Cry, is not convoluted and actually makes playing the game a joy. As for gameplay, Crysis is a genuinely good shooter with complex A.I. The added, and welcomed, element of the nanosuit kicks everything up a notch.

Graphics are, and always have been, a big selling point for Crysis. The problem with delivering cutting edge graphics on the PC is, of course, the fact that not all players are running top of the line systems. Running Crysis smoothly with the settings maxed out takes a lot of power and if you aint got it then expect some lag. IGN's Dan Adams, who gave Crysis a 9.4 out of 10, posits his account of dealing with Crysis' graphics:

"In those rare moments where things began to chug, it was an easy enough thing to simply change the resolution for a minute, which can all be done in game, while loaded into the game, which is another terrific feature that's sadly missing from so many other titles. Luckily, for those of you without the best computers, Crysis still looks pretty fantastic on Medium. You won't get the same features, but Crysis never really gets ugly and still looks at least as good as Far Cry even on Low, though you will get a pretty significant amount of pop in at that level."

Crysis may be an example of bleeding edge graphics, but it's nice to know that it's scalable for my cretaceous comp. Being able to change the resolution in-game is one of those "duh" features that had to come along eventually - glad it's finally here. Graphics may be a selling point, but they're nothing without an advanced physics engine. Gamespot's Jason Ocampo, who gave Crysis a 9.5 out of 10, describes the game's beautifully interactive environment:

"It helps that the game features a high degree of advanced physics and destructibility in a highly dynamic world. Getting caught in a firefight in the jungle is a cinematic treat, thanks to the way the bullets will chop down trees, while branches sway from impacts. This isn't just a visual effect, either, as falling timber can kill if it lands on someone. There's all sorts of emergent behavior like that throughout the game, events that spring up completely unintended or unforeseen. In one instance, the flaming wreckage of a chopper landed on a hut, crushing it and killing all those inside."

Naturally, a game's intense graphics can go to waste if it doesn't employ an interesting plot. Many responded to Far Cry's plot with a, "Huh?" and subsequent Far Cry sequels elicited, "You must be joking" responses. This time it seems Crytek has got their storytelling abilities down. You play as Nomad, a member of a special military force equipped with a nanosuit that gives Nomad super-human abilities. The game is, for the most part, open ended in that you can choose how to engage a pocket of enemies - charge in guns blazing, sneak in from behind or just shoot a tree down, crushing them all. The possibilities are endless. One major element that adds to the open-ended feeling is the game's nanosuit. GameDaily's Steven Wong, who gave Crysis a 9 out of 10, describes the nanosuit:

"The suit has everything a soldier needs; increased armor, strength, speed and an active stealth mode to render the player practically invisible. However, the suit's energy only allows one function to work at a time. So, players must choose which ability is most useful to them during any given situation. Leaving it in armor mode will take away from energy reserves instead of health when shot, but it also recovers injuries the wearer sustains. Enhanced strength allows players to jump great heights along with super-punching enemies to death. Taken all together, the suit's power and versatility nicely matches Crysis' style and open-ended gameplay."

One of the more lackluster reviews came from 1up. 1up's Shawn Elliot gave Crysis an 8 out of 10. He complains that Crysis' storyline and gameplay fall apart near the end of the game:

"What was to be proof positive that Crytek's range encompasses more than Far Cry's merc in the wilderness becomes history repeating itself. Dumb monster apes and indoor drudgery dragged down the finale of the developer's last FPS. In Crysis, it's dull aliens and a direct reversal of design logic. The wintry jungle is just a white hallway that we escort another nanosuited soldier through. Now and then, flying things land to attack with tentacles -- no huts to hide in (would aliens strip shingles from the roof to shoot inside?), no shattering cover, and no three-way mix-ups with wandering Koreans."

All in all Crysis definitely succeeds in most aspects. It's graphics and immersive gameplay raise the bar for PC shooters. Lets hope Crytek brings the same depth of play to the consoles.

Hey, Thanks: IGN, Gamespot, GameDaily, 1up.

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