Crysis Remastered PC Review
Summary: Still relevant after all this time and now testing new hardware... can you run Crysis?
4.6
Can it run?
From the “do you want to feel old” department… the original Crysis is now 13 years old! Released in 2007 it still holds up remarkably well now and that is in large part thanks to Crytek really building it from the ground up to be as impressive as possible.
I have read though that the same thing that made Crysis so impressive and taxing on systems back then, may still be creating some issues with modern PC’s, namely in the way things are processed. Crysis remastered will apparently use up to four CPU cores… but really only uses two heavily, as a result it isn’t using a modern PC’s full arsenal when it comes to computing power and as such some people will potentially still find that at Maximum settings (or in this case “Can it Run Crysis” settings) they will have some issues with smoothness. I personally noticed a little bit of issue at the (aforementioned) highest setting and so dropped it back a bit and it’s run fine since then (I’m running it on an RTX 2060 Super with an Intel i7 7900X @ 3.3GHz).
But the thing is… for a game that is 13 years old, it still looks stunning and a lot of that isn’t thanks to the new bells and whistles of RTX, it’s just that the team did such an awesome job the first time around that it’s easy to get immersed in the jungle environments (and then the more “unusual” environments as things progress). The RTX elements do add a nice touch though and certain scenes really do get a visual bump up with the new technology.
There was something that always struck me with Crysis and I remember this from the first time I played it and I got exactly the same feeling this time… there needs to be a Predator game/mod (there actually has been a mod for the original Crysis called Heat of the Jungle that does basically just this). It’s a combination of the environment and the music (which are both surely inspired by Predator), that really just put you in the frame of mind that you are going to see that Predator stealth shimmer in the trees at any moment (which to some extent you do later… but that’s stealth suits).
There are some issues with AI at times… but it remains quite a fun game to jump into. I had one moment in which I used a smoke grenade at the entrance to a building and just waited for the enemy to come to me and took them out one by one, thanks volumetric smoke. Getting back into the game after all these years felt like coming back to a familiar hang out, it was mostly the same with only some small visual changes, but it was still a lot of fun and the sense of nostalgia just kicked that enjoyment up a few pegs.
Final Thoughts?
If you want to test your system and see just how much power you can put out (within the confines of a CPU limited game engine), then this will still show you what your rig is capable of. If you want a game that is perhaps the closest you can get to the opening fire fight of Predator (with similar otherworldly interference taking over) then this is without doubt a game you should grab! If you’ve played it before but don’t know where you put your CD-ROM or even your DVD copy of the game, this might be a good excuse to shell out for a new digital version. Even if you just want a fun sci-fi action first person shooter with some fun future tech and some lovely visuals… grab a copy!
About the Author
Chris O'Connor Father of four, husband of one and all round oddity. Gaming at home since about 1982 with a Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Moving on to the more traditional PC genre in the years that followed with the classic Jump Joe and Alley Cat. CGA, EGA, VGA and beyond PC's have been central to my gaming but I've also enjoyed consoles and hand helds along the way (who remembers the Atari Lynx?). Would have been actor/film maker, jack of many trades master of none.
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