Console Crysis 2 a "breakthrough"

By Oli Welsh Published 11 June, 2009

"Has to be the best game that can exist."

Crytek boss Cevat Yerli has explained why it's taken the developer so long to commit to making its games for consoles, as it will with its next, Crysis 2: it's perfectionism.

"There was 2 to 3 years of technical research and development into consoles before development on Crysis 2 started," Yerli told Gamespot. "We had to make a technological breakthrough before we could commit to those quality bars."

Now that Crytek is happy that its new multi-platform CryEngine 3 lives up to its lofty standards, Yerli said the developer can set about making Crysis 2 "the best game that can exist" on each of its three formats - PC, PS3 and 360.

"If we want to be successful, our game has to be the best game that can exist on Xbox 360 and PS3... They're not competing versus each other; they're competing within PS3, within 360, within PC. That means we will try to maximize whatever PC gives us, whatever 360 gives us, whatever PS3 gives us. The achievement systems, trophies, etc. are all slightly different, but we'll try to get the maximum service for the gamer at the end of the day."

Crysis 2 was announced by publisher EA at E3 last week. It's the first multi-platform release from a developer whose previous titles - Far Cry, Crysis and Crysis: Warhead - have all been PC exclusives.

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About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (47) Latest comment 3 years ago

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  • Laroxus #1 3 years ago

    "The best game that can exist"?

    More "The game with the best graphics that exist at the moment it gets released".

    Since Crytek and gameplay is a complete different matter. Usually it's quite boring.
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/09 @ 08:51

  • Wastelander #2 3 years ago

    Hallelujah!
    We'll never have to buy another game again.

    I can't wait for them to finish so Crytek can continue their good work by bringing peace on earth and goodwill to all men.



    /Places bets on a 7/10

  • WiseGuy #3 3 years ago

    Maybe we can get seperate reviews on here of the 360 and PS3 versions when they arrive with hopefully some variance in the score....would make for a good thread!

  • spammage #4 3 years ago

    I'll take a punt on great engine, mediocre game. Meh.

  • Chufty #5 3 years ago

    I'm not sure if I have faith in Crytek to make a cross platform game that fully uses the strengths of the PC. Even Valve couldn't do that.

    Colour me skeptical.

  • Dizzy #6 3 years ago

    We might be skeptical, but at least the guys are trying to do this right IMHO. I hope Crysis 2 is good... looking forward to trying it out ;)

  • systems #7 3 years ago

    Do they mean "best game technically possible with that hardware" or "most fun possible to have in a game"?

    I can quite believe those chaps will make a technically brilliant game if that's what they meant.

  • Liam64 #8 3 years ago

    Why the lack of faith in Crytek? They've created two of the best FPSs of all time, what's to say they won't do it a third time?

  • Ninja_Tino #9 3 years ago

    Why is everyone think it's going to be a mediocre game? Far Cry and Crysis (esp. Warhead) were great!

  • Widge #10 3 years ago

    I'm siding with Farti here.

    I need to have a play through of Crysis of course, but I'm always concerned that its a technical showcase first and gameplay experience second.

    I'll be embarking on yonder Crysis in the near future, so we shall soon see.

  • AphoticCosmos #11 3 years ago

    Unless it's a complete turd, I was sold just by it being Crysis 2. Already got my pre-order in.

    I really, really liked Crysis - the multiplayer in Warhead is extremely good fun, too.

    Also, I've been wondering, just how are they going to fill in console players on the storyline so far? Are there any plans to release Crysis on consoles? I have to say that the alien level remains the best level of any FPS I've played in the last 10 years, and the aircraft carrier has to come close just for being full of awesome shiz. Just making those two levels playable would be great.
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/09 @ 09:40

  • Johnhost #12 3 years ago

    Now all you have to do is license this engine to every third party FPS dev and we should have truely seen the full power of the 360. I want to see more then great graphics. The achievements need to be well done, we need DLC that keeps coming for a year and we need truely stable and good multiplayer over live. If you can deliver that, and invent some of the cool bonuses like Call of Duty you might have one of the best shooters on the 360. But it's very stiff competion!

  • Wastelander #13 3 years ago

    Farcry, Crysis and Warhead were great games, but TBH I really don't feel the need for another one.
    I'm not convinced they're not all out of ideas.

  • qoobah #14 3 years ago

    @Widge I need to have a play through of Crysis of course, but I'm always concerned that its a technical showcase first and gameplay experience second.

    It is. It's some great tech (although arguably not optimized too well) and a competent game. The gameplay is just about above average with a nice nano-suit qimmick et al, but the AI is quite crappy and story/setting are mediocre.

    If I'm looking forward to Crysis2 it's because I'm curious how close to real world simulation computer graphics are coming in the next 3-5 years. Then again, a tech demo would quench my interest just fine.

  • Darren #15 3 years ago

    I thought Crysis was one of the best first-person shooters I've played in years because it had great gameplay, thanks to superb A.I., realistic physics, cool weapons and a fantastic atmosphere that sucked me right into the game. I just couldn't stop playing it. The gorgeous visuals were just the icing on the very tasty cake as far as I was concerned. It's not a game where you go from one action-packed setpiece to another, like Call of Duty, though so, like Far Cry 2 also, a lot of people claim it's boring. Well each to their own I say. Personally I liked the pace, the quiet exploratory moments between the action, made the game feel more real and made for some tense moments. The game only slipped up toward the end with a sequence in the mountains that dragged on a bit too long, although initially it was pleasantly different, and a disappointing final boss encounter. Otherwise it's a 9/10 game.

    That this game is coming to the consoles is great news because everyone should get a chance to experience this game in my honest opinion. It might not be for everyone but Crytek know how to make immersive, entertaining shooters, that much I do know.

  • mashk #16 3 years ago

    Memo
    To : Crytek
    CC: Eurogamer
    Subject : Crysis 2

    Ditch all the alien shit and the zero G stuff, add more jungle based fighting, and you've got yourself a winner.

    Cheers.

    Edited by 1 at 11/06/09 @ 10:01

  • Widge #17 3 years ago

    How about the story experience? I didn't like Half Life 2 because after the awesome intro, it becomes a plot-less dash between A -> B checkpoints. I liked Bioshock because it drew me in and kept me going to the end.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #18 3 years ago

    Crysis, up to the point where you go into the mountain and have a showdown with the game's human boss enemy, is a truly great experience. It's quite possibly the best singleplayer fps there is (I haven't played Warhead, so I can't comment on that). Human enemy AI is excellent.

    And then the aliens show up. There is the odd highlight in the latter half of the game, but they're definitely not as good. The stark half-and-half nature throws it into a very harsh light. Perhaps if they'd arranged the game more in the line of Half-Life 2, which mixed up its human and alien encounters into alternate chapters, people wouldn't have got bored of the aliens to the same degree.

    To throw another thought into play, I ran Crysis on quite an average PC (it's comparable to 360 and PS3 spec) at medium graphical detail, and it seemed, graphically, perfectly fine to me.

  • AphoticCosmos #19 3 years ago

    IMHO, if they make it more Warhead and less Crysis, then Crysis 2 will be incredible.

    Warhead took the [already great IMHO] Crysis formula of the nano-suit + pretty-juice and threw it into a much more action-packed, intense experience. There was still those incredible moments where you could look up in awe at an ice tunnel as it creaked and groaned above you, or look at a frozen aircraft carrier, but the action was much better put-together. I felt that they really nailed the aliens in Warhead compared to Crysis - their AI was significantly better and they wouldn't just throw themselves at you wildly. On top of that, the level design was fantastic in both games - quite a few options you could take, in combination with the nanosuit, to get the business done.

  • MaliceMajorE15 #20 3 years ago

    far cry was on the original xbox as well wasnt it

  • Nephirion #21 3 years ago

    The Ultimate FPS credits ...

    Gameplay ... Bungie
    Storyline ... Valve
    Game Engine ... Crytek

    :D

  • RedSparrows #22 3 years ago

    'The Ultimate FPS credits ...

    Gameplay ... Bungie
    Storyline ... Valve
    Game Engine ... Crytek

    :D '

    I just came.

    Add music by Bungie AND Valve.

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #23 3 years ago

    far cry was on the original xbox as well wasnt it

    Far Cry: Instincts was ported and tweaked by some other ubisoft studio. Probably the same guys that made Far Cry 2.

  • penhalion #24 3 years ago

    Why do these manager types always end up saying something stupid. It's doubtful that Crysis 2 will be the best game on consoles let alone the best ever. Their engine sports almost identical features to every other AAA engine out there. The games look and feel is therefore totally art and gameplay related.

    As I have crysis for PC I'm not inclined to waste my time on Crysis 2 as the first game was uber boring anyway and their un-optimised engine needed fortress freedom's super computer just to run at normal framerates, with everything turned on. They may have optimised now but, I'll bet real money that it would have to be at the cost of features. The graphics chips of the 360 and PS3 soimply don't have the horse power to support the crap they are claiming their engine can do.

  • ChaK #25 3 years ago

    second you darren, I loved FC, crysis and warhead, all of 3 are masterpieces to me, and not only due to graphics.

    Thanks crytek, just don't make the PC version 720p :p

  • Bagpuss #26 3 years ago

    Of course what they mean by a 'Breakthrough' is what they managed to cut out of Cryengine 2 and still get it to look like Cryengine 2 which lets them rebrand it as Cryengine 3

    Dont you just love PR.


  • Widge #27 3 years ago

    Storyline by valve?! As in there is none?

  • roz123 #28 3 years ago

    The only way i could find crysis boring is if i played it like a tard going invisible and just picking off enemies one at a time. I found it more fun to drive into a base on a vehicle covered in explosives at top speed, jump out and blow it up then move on from there. The game gave you so many options with the nano suit. If they capture that part of the game in the sequal and less of the linear second half of the game then it will be awesome.

    Also im glad to here they are going to max it out for the PC again as tech has improved a fair bit over the last 2 years. Its about time some1 tried to push it to the next level

  • Chufty #29 3 years ago

    Thanks crytek, just don't make the PC version 720p :p

    Erm, 720p is a TV (and therefore console) resolution. I think you'll find most people play PC games on monitors, and are capable of choosing their own resolution anyway :)

    I'm suprised so many people liked Crysis, I thought it was pretty boring and I didn't even get anywhere close to the alien levels before I got thoroughly disinterested. It was utterly, stunningly beautiful though, even if it was at 15fps

  • IneptPercy #30 3 years ago

    I intentional play crysis at 720p, My PC can handle 1080p but it can slow down in action, at 720p I can have more filtering and less slow down.

    I am just hoping that Crysis 2 on the PC isn't dumbed down to get it on the consoles.

  • monkeylite #31 3 years ago

    Ah do fuck off.

    When they can do both visuals and gameplay (like Valve or Naughty Dog) then I'll take notice. For now Crytek is all about style over substance.

  • UncleLou #32 3 years ago

    I'm suprised so many people liked Crysis, I thought it was pretty boring

    I am pretty amazed people thought it's boring. Great, open level design, very good AI (if you don't insist on exploiting it by sniping them from afar with a silencer), incredible physics (grenades in Crysis still make me wince), etc. It has gameplay in spades, which is why I never understand the "tech demo" comments.

    If you want a great storyline in an imaginative universe, Crysis won't be your game. But if you're after the best pure gameplay the genre has to offer, there aren't many alternatives. It's pretty much the opposite of Half-Life 2 in that respect, which has a great univere and lots of style, but no AI and corridor level design.

    Of course, it needs to be played on "Delta".
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/09 @ 13:07

  • autogunner #33 3 years ago

    I dont understand you people who say crysis was boring? what can you possibly be expecting? its a large open world ish environment with loads of differnt weapons, vehicles that are all drivable, good AI and a dynamic weapon mod system, not to mention the nanosuit which is pure cool and adds loads of options giving great replayability.

    and thats not even mentioning the graphics.

    seriously how boring are you?

    edit: the grenades are awsome too, AND the fully destructible scenery
    Edited by 1 at 11/06/09 @ 13:14

  • Alkeno #34 3 years ago

    Good lord, please give Crytek the time, money and talent needed to optimize the engine for every system... Let's just settle all fanboy wars!!!

    I don't have any concern with the PC version (they did Crysis after all, this will look better and hopefully require fewer system specs). It will have all resolutions and give you all the framerate your system can handle.

    But will they have the guts to make the console versions different? Every developer has taken the "minimum denominator" approach, it must be for a reason (if one version is clearly better looking it may have a huge impact on the sales on the other system). It would really be odd to se Crysis 2 with clear differences between systems (not even talking about looking being better, just making them different in a noticeable way).

    For me it would be great, I hope most developers just stopped trying to make console versions identical. Maybe it would give a new take on multiplatform games.

  • Tzetrik #35 3 years ago

    I find cryteks games quite soulless and unexciting. Maybe it's because I have them pegged as number crunching graphics nerds. PR like this though doesnt help

  • Rodchenko #36 3 years ago

    I am really getting tired of all these developers drumming their chests over how they make 'teh bestezt gamez evah' these days. Be it Turn 10 or Crytek: just let your games speak for themselves and STFU, you dickwads.

  • dirk_aircool #37 3 years ago

    Oooh I cant wait . DICKWAD'S . I havebt heard that since the 1st GTA game on PC while on a killing spree chuckling like James Cagney . I'll have to start using that as word of the day .

  • Calgon #38 3 years ago

    Yeah Im not going to bash the devs here like some of the defensive PS3 fanboys did but as talented as they are (they do deserve some props as do Epic in the multiplatform space... or just in the game engine space in general) they are talking out of their asses if they expect us to beleive that a proprietary engine on ethier platform wouldnt beat the limits of their engine on either PS3 or 360.

    2-3 years spread out over PS3, 360 and PC is about normal for any multiformat engine by todays standards(unless you have a huge team behind it of course).

    Try 3-4 years focusing on one platform on an engine built with one platform in mind.

    Having said that, maybe he is talking specifically about multi-format games here?

    It does look like it could be a step above UE3 so far but we'd need to see more, Ubisoft's engine behind Assassins Creed2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction deserves credit too and lets not forget we have yet to see Carmacks new Rage engine on the consoles.

    Pretty interesting times, as much as I prefer proprietary engines it looks like this is the way things are heading even moreso in the future and to be fair the 3rd party engines this gen that devs will eventually beable to choose from are to a much higher standard on consoles than they have been in the past.(last gen there was renderware and UE2 of note, it was probably even worse for consoles the generation before that)

  • Drakron #39 3 years ago

    "Gameplay ... Bungie"

    The same people that put a TIMED RACE as the end sequence of the game?

    I do not think so Tim ...

  • Xensor #40 3 years ago

    @Calgon

    I get the feeling when they say 2 to 3 years tech research, that was almost entirely research into getting it running on the PS3. The fact that Epic has managed to get U3 tech running smoothly cross-platform will impact very negatively on them if they fail to do the same with their latest iteration of the Cryengine. I'm guessing whilst the tools and artwork etc will all be protable cross-platform, the actual game engine will be pretty radically different to achieve the same results as the PC and 360 versions.

    As a PS3 owner its nice to see someone putting in the wrench time on Sony's esoteric machine for a cross-platform game.

    PS - thanks for looking after my washing machine :p

  • Pablo2k5 #41 3 years ago

    Widge said... "Storyline by valve?! As in there is none?"

    Eh? Half Life?

  • des #42 3 years ago

    Crytek is still pimping its vaporware...zzzz

    Show something...uber lame teasers are not counted


  • Oceans1999 #43 3 years ago

    They are going to include the great 'Benchmark Beach' so that all console owners can now experience the joys of running a stupid demo to give them a number which represents their 'Virtual Cocksize'

  • Hell_Toupee #44 3 years ago

    Crysis 2, what the fuck, I'm still waiting for an actual ending to Crysis 1, none of this “to be continued” bullshit.

  • Chupakun #45 3 years ago

    A game to show your friends once and then stuff it somewhere dark and dusty.

  • FooAtari #46 3 years ago

    /suspects most of the people dissing Crysis have not actually played the game.

  • UncleLou #47 3 years ago

    Exactly. There are legitimate reasons not to like it, but implying it is a tech demo with "no gameplay" is utterly retarded. But then Crysis has been trolled pretty relentlessly from day 1 from console-only nerds.