When it came time to review Crysis 3, the whole Gaming Shogun crew got excited. That is, until they took a minute to look at the required specs to run it! At that point, it was just down to the Chief and I. His rig wins out, but his schedule keeps him just busy enough that I got the honor. Heck, I had to double check to make sure I could play it, a mistake I learned from the first Crysis arriving on PC and my old rig not quite being up to the task. I could play a little on the lowest setting with the knowledge that I would no doubt crash regularly. When it comes to this franchise, more than just about any other, they believe in taking full advantage of the graphic possibilities the PC platform can provide. As a result, not everyone can play this game, but those that can are in for an amazing visual treat.
Storyline:
Return to the fight as Prophet, the Nanosuit soldier on a quest to rediscover his humanity. Adapt on the fly with the stealth and armor abilities of your unique Nanosuit as you battle through the seven wonders of New York’s Liberty Dome. This is one of the few times I feel I have to chime in and say that this really simplifies a much deeper story than their description Sometimes in shooters such as this the story really is paper thin and simply a premise for battle, but I watched the cutscenes wishing I had some popcorn, the voice acting was good and the story, even if you can predict the twists, is really enjoyable.
Features:
Suit Up! Use the enhanced Nanosuit to Assess, Adapt, and Attack every situation and experience tactical freedom in the premiere , sandbox First Person Shooter game.
Assume the role of Prophet in a campaign to save mankind against human and alien forces in the challenging environments of the NYC Liberty Dome. Hunt with your Nanosuit Online in 8 Multiplayer Modes including the new, thrilling Hunter and fan favorite, Crash Site modes.
A dangerous new world demands fearsome weapons like the new, Predator Bow or the deadly Typhoon Projectile Minigun. If human technology doesn’t suit you, go for high-tech alien weaponry including the devastating Ceph Plasma Destroyer or the merciless Reaper Cannon.
Powered by CryENGINE 3, Crysis 3 delivers visually stunning graphics and a varied sandbox gameplay experience unmatched by any other First Person Shooter.
1 City. 7 Wonders. Explore a futuristic, urban rainforest set in New York City with 7 unique, sandbox environments.
Hunter Edition Includes:
- Predator Bow
- Recon Arrow
- Hunter Nanosuit Module
- Level 5 XP Headstart in MP
- 3 Unique Dog Tags
Requirements:
Minimum:
- Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
- DirectX 11 graphics card with 1Gb Video RAM
- Dual core CPU
- 2GB Memory (3GB on Vista)
- Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
- Nvidia GTS 450
- Intel Core2 Duo 2.4 Ghz (E6600)
- Example 2 (AMD):
- AMD Radeon HD5770
- AMD Athlon64 X2 2.7 Ghz (5200+)
Recommended:
- Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
- DirectX 11 graphics card with 1GB Video RAM
- Quad core GPU
- 4GB Memory
- Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
- Nvidia GTX 560
- Intel Core i5-750
- Example 2 (AMD):
- AMD Radeon HD5870
- AMD Phenom II X4 805
High Performance:
Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
- Latest DirectX 11 graphics card
- Latest quad core CPU
- SLI / Crossfire configurations will run even better
- 8GB Memory
- Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
- NVidia GTX 680
- Intel Core i7-2600k
- Example 2 (AMD):
- AMD Radeon HD7970
- AMD Bulldozer FX4150
Hands-On:
I resigned myself early-on to the idea of game crashes, even though I was running above minimum specs. The CryEngine 3 is a demanding mistress that always wants more. Thankfully, the game is built with lots of checkpoints, quite often before and after action in case the absolutely next level amazing graphics and combat just give your system a knockout punch. This meant it was seldom that you found yourself really far back in a level from a game crash or nano suit operator error (aka death). It also meant that the loading of the last checkpoint is usually much shorter than the average game as well, so that you don’t lose your rhythm when you lose your pulse.
A couple of the things I have always felt to be important in a computer system are its monitor and graphics card. My Samsung monitor has a 5,000,000 to 1 contrast ratio (compared to the average 30,000 to 1) and so the detail was better than most screenshots I have seen or the most detailed conceptional art. You see the pores on the character’s skins, you see more colors in a few minutes of play than you see all day. It was completely immersive and I had a hard time watching television on regular screens after it.
Of course, a game can look beautiful and still be boring to play. Luckily, Crysis 3 is a pleasure to play and even better with the “Hunter Edition” additions. The story-line is excellent and engaging in Campaign mode and the multiplayer maps are very solid. All the great additions to the game from the Hunter Pack, which includes starting with a level 5 character in multiplayer, all work great and the game is as sexy looking as you can hope a game to be. I could keep going, breaking down the pros and cons of each weapon. Weapons like the Typhoon, a new hell on wheels weapon that destroys everything in its path yet burns through ammo in seconds. However, testing out the game’s various weapons and making the decision to use a particular one is worth playing the game for. The trial and error is a lot of destructive fun.
Last Call:
If your PC can run this game, play this game! It is an excellent example of a first person shooter: The weapons are fun, multiplayer maps are well-designed, and the additions from the Hunter Edition are all great. Have I also mentioned this game is gorgeous? Crysis 3 is a game worth playing just to see how nice a PC game can look. What’s more, this will surely become the new benchmark for video game graphics soon, so you may want to pick up whatever PC upgrades you need and reward yourself with some Crysis 3.
[easyreview title=”Crysis 3 Hunter Edition – PC Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]
Trailer:
