[Martin]

Update: Pictures of 360 version (not pulled from the video)!

Cevat Yerli said:

We are extremely proud of what we were able to accomplish with Crysis. We set out to create a next-generation FPS and delivered a PC experience that became a benchmark for quality – and still is for many gamers even four years later. By bringing the single-player campaign to console, we believe we are again setting a new standard for quality in downloadable gaming.

Coming in October this year as a digital download from PSN/XBL for PS3/360, respectively. No multiplayer, just the single-player campaign. Prices are $19.99 USD on PSN (not sure about my currency, GBP) and 1600 MSP on XBL, which I'm sure will be the same regardless of region. Here's a 360 v PC comparison video that somebody has knocked up.



Thoughts? I think it looks great, but then it would in a trailer. I look forward to Digital Foundry going over this one with a fine tooth comb.

[X-Vector]

Martin, on 11 September 2011 - 02:54 AM, said:

Thoughts? I think it looks great, but then it would in a trailer.

That video doesn't seem the best source for comparison; at 1080p there's interlacing all over the place and at 720p blocky artifacts screw the pooch.
One thing seems clear though, tacky colour grading and contrast boosting is mandatory these days.

Another things that's clear is that including "vs" in the title of a Youtube video is a surefire recipe for, what's the current term, herp-a-derping?

[Martin]

X-Vector, on 11 September 2011 - 03:28 AM, said:

That video doesn't seem the best source for comparison; at 1080p there's interlacing all over the place and at 720p blocky artifacts screw the pooch.
One thing seems clear though, tacky colour grading and contrast boosting is mandatory these days.

I'd like to see you do better at this time. The game is yet to be released, I link you to a 1080p (though interlaced..) video of it plus 1080p pictures (though jpeg..), and you moan. You ungrateful cunt. As for the 'vs' thing, I don't particularly get involved in the 'hoopla' or whatever. It just interests me.

[Kathy]

[X-Vector]

That Xbox360 shot isn't a direct screengrab, is it?
Looks like someone used a cellphone to take a photo of his TV.

[Martin]

Cellphone or not, the missing foliage stands out a mile.

[Micky C]

Martin, on 11 September 2011 - 04:06 AM, said:

Cellphone or not, the missing foliage stands out a mile.

OMG I just realized because of your comment that it's the exact same location. It looked so different I thought it was a completely different place

[Martin]

Haha, yep! At least I'm pretty sure it's the same place. There's one or two things in both pictures. That one tree in the distance, the road, the tree in the foreground. Disappointing, but inevitable I suppose. I wonder if the PS3 version will fare better/worse? My guess is "roughly the same". I'll still be getting it as I've yet to play through Crysis 1, and I like the free roam aspect. Harkens back to Far Cry, which was awesome. Dense foliage or not! I suppose there's some faint glimmer of hope that the final version will be better, but we're so close to release that I seriously doubt it. They could at least position the tree in the foreground so that all of it is actually going into the ground!

[Hank]

Micky C, on 11 September 2011 - 04:16 AM, said:

OMG I just realized because of your comment that it's the exact same location. It looked so different I thought it was a completely different place

ditto - I guess EA wants to make some extra cash? Well, we will see more in October, for now, the videos look awful. Hopefully EA does not actually issue this shit as it is shown.

[Martin]

If it's the best they can possibly do with the old-as-dirt hardware, then I'll take it. To me it looks as good as anything else on consoles. But yeah, we'll see. As I said, Digital Foundry will inevitably do a big feature on this one. Their comparisons are better than anyone else's, so I'll wait for that one.

[ReaperMan]

Even a Pentium 3 can run Crysis, no excuse for not having grass.

[Martin]

Very cool video, but your point is rendered rather moot when it runs at roughly four frames-per-second. He's not using fraps, his annotation says "I used a capture card to record gameplay footage, so what you see here is how it runs with no external recording programs". For EA to charge money for this product, Crytek must make it playable. Let's not get stupid about this.

[Martin]

I have it on PS3. Played it for a few hours last night. I've played it on PC before, but only for a little while. Now that I've put some real time into it, I feel PC gamers have been chatting shit for years. It's no less linear than Crysis 2. Walk for a bit, get radio comms message about upcoming enemy encampment/base, decide how to tackle said encampment/base (stand on a hill tagging everything with binocs, or go in rambo style etc), rinse and repeat. It's basically the exact same game as Crysis 2, just in the woods.

[Mikko]

Yeah, it's quite linear and boring.

[Martin]

My previous post may have sounded negative. I don't agree with you at all that it's boring. I've been having an immensely fun time with it. But I had an immensely fun time with Crysis 2, in much the same way. I was simply refuting the claim that Crysis 1 is "less linear" than the sequel, or that "Crysis 1 is free-roam, Crysis 2 isn't" and statements of that ilk. The furthest I'd go is to say that in Crysis 1 you generally have a little more space to move around. You're still just going from A to B. Crysis 2 is a little tighter, but it's in the city so it should be. The settings of the two games are extremely stark in contrast, but in practice (in terms of actually playing it), there's way less difference than you'd think. I like both equally, so far.

I suppose you can do the 'strolling' thing in Crysis 2 (as made famous by that video), whereas in numero uno you will die attempting that. But that's just a stupid thing to heavily mark the game down on. The only reason it doesn't work in Crysis 1 is that real cover is often too far away. You might run off into the trees, but if they see you run in there their bullets follow you in, tear through the leaves and kill you. In Crysis 2 there's always something pretty sturdy nearby to duck past and put between the enemy bullets and your face. Bottom-line - if you play Crysis 2 like that, you're doing it wrong.

On the other side of that coin, I found it nigh-on impossible to hide on Crysis 2 unless using my cloak (with the exception of certain situations where you can go down drains and such). If I didn't have enough battery for the cloak, or didn't think I could get from A to B before my cloak ran the battery down, I generally had to fight them. On Crysis 1 I find stealth is more than just using the cloak. If you run unseen into some trees and lie in a bush, they won't see you even if you're not cloaked. They're smart enough that if you've caused a ruckus, that tactic won't work. If you've been a silent-but-violent type, though, it works wonders (for me). So I see it like this, in the first game there's a lot more opportunities for stealth, and it's not all about the cloak. In the second game, you can be stealthy, but you really have to have your try-hard hat on and it basically comes down to how much battery you have for your cloak. It's more in your face and the goons are more likely to see you. To balance this, the suit is stronger.

[Graywolf]

I think considering hardware limitations of both consoles, the graphics are looking great and they can now experience an a great sp experience.

Of course, you have to go from point A to B to complete objectives, but what I find fun is that the game gives you what routes and way to pass enemies. On Crysis 2 we are too much limited to corridor battles and running for cover. Crysis 2 its not a bad game, but Crysis 1 is way better, more options, more freedom.

Altought Crytek's debut masterpiece FAR CRY is for me how a open world single player first person shooter should be. Not even Crysis surpasses it.

[Mikko]

Graywolf, on 12 October 2011 - 05:27 AM, said:

Altought Crytek's debut masterpiece FAR CRY is for me how a open world single player first person shooter should be. Not even Crysis surpasses it.

Howabout Far Cry 2? Now that's open.

[Martin]

And annoying as fuck, as soldiers are constantly chasing you around everywhere. Can't go 30 seconds without having to take care of a jeep full of goons. So yes it's open, but you don't get to explore as you might like. Here is Digital Foundry's triple format Face-Off of Crysis 1. In a nutshell: PC > 360 > PS3. I have the worst version.. w000t!!