Players take the role of Jake ’Nomad’ Dunn, a United States Delta Force Soldier sent to an island in the South China Sea to rescue a group of archaeologists kidnapped by the powerful North Korean army. Things turn sour quickly, as their chilling discovery awakens, proving itself to be history’s greatest threat to mankind. Nomad must use his customizable arsenal and high tech nanosuit to fend off the North Koreans and the terrifying alien threat.

Minimum System Requirements

OS – Windows XP or Windows Vista
Processor – 2.8 GHz or faster (XP) or 3.2 GHz or faster* (Vista)
Memory – 1.0 GB RAM (XP) or 1.5 GB RAM (Vista)
Video Card –256 MB**
Hard Drive – 6GB
Sound Card – DirectX 9.0c compatible

Recommended System Requirements

OS – Windows XP / Vista
Processor – Intel Core 2 DUO @ 2.2GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400+
Memory – 2.0 GB RAM
GPU – NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS/640 or similar

* Supported Processors: Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz (3.2 GHz for Vista) or faster, Intel Core 2.0 GHz (2.2 GHz for Vista) or faster, AMD Athlon 2800+ (3200+ for Vista) or faster.

As with Crytek’s previous game Far Cry, Crysis is an open-ended game with many ways to meet objectives. An addition to the previous Far Cry formula is that most weapons may be modified with devices such as suppressors, telescopic sights, and targeting lasers.

The protagonist, callsign Nomad, is also capable of selecting various modes in his military prototype "Nano Muscle Suit." The suit is capable of four modes: armor, strength, speed, and cloak. These modes allow him to absorb and heal damage, lift and throw heavy items and enemies, run faster, and become invisible and reduce noise output, respectively. Due to the ability of constantly regenerating health, the game is completely devoid of first aid kits. All of these actions, however, use rechargeable energy reserves that power the suit; health is recharged most quickly while in armor mode. The suit can be quickly switched between modes using a rapid mouse gesture system, which adds a strong tactical element to combat.

The suit’s integral mask has its own HUD, displaying typical data like a tactical map and current energy levels. The view is electronic in nature, shown in-game through things such as a booting readout and visual distortion during abnormal operation. Onboard utilities include a two-way radio, PDA and audio-visual logging capability, with features like image zoom and night vision provided by optional equipment (given by default in single-player).

The artificial intelligence (AI) in Crysis also aims to be realistic and believable. Enemy soldiers constantly employ tactical maneuvers, work as squads, hide and ambush amongst the scenery, and adapt to changing environments and conditions. AI soldiers will also respond to sound and subtle movements triggered by the player’s movement.While not engaged in combat, the AI soldiers will also exhibit typical and lifelike behavior, such as smoking, yawning, talking, urinating, patrolling, saluting superior officers, etc. Sometimes these actions depend on whether or not the player was detected earlier. If Nomad has not been sighted in some missions, he can find some enemies sleeping upon arriving to his destination. In contrast if he has been spotted they will all be alert.

Weapons

The game features the standard gamut of first-person shooter weapons such as assault rifles, along with sci-fi additions such as the gauss rifle, or alien weapons, such as the Alien Molecular Accelerator. As mentioned earlier, all weapons can be modified with attachments; these attachments may be given to the player by default, acquired from picked-up weapons, or purchased in multiplayer. Once acquired, they can only be removed through death or scripted loss of inventory if in story mode, e.g. if during normal play, a player attaches a flashlight to a rifle which is later discarded, the flashlight is not considered gone and will still be available in the future.

Attachment options are given a fair amount of leeway even if the end result may seem strange. For instance, a 4x/10x sniper scope can be attached to the buckshot-firing shotgun. Additionally, most weapons can adjust their firing modes. Crysis also incorporates some features that have appeared in other recent shooters, such as being able to lob hand grenades without needing to formally equip them first, and accounting for already-chambered rounds when a reload occurs.

Vehicles

A large selection of vehicles are present, with most being available to players for personal use. Available ground vehicles range from pickup trucks to tanks, while naval vessels range from motorboats to light military hovercraft. All vehicles (Humvees, pickup trucks, and even tanks) have a turbo mode that can be activated via the sprint key. The aircraft selection is limited to one North Korean attack helicopter and a fictional American VTOL aircraft, each of which can transport a half-dozen troops.

Damage is limitedly modeled in wheeled vehicles, most noticeably the ability to burst their tires. Tracked vehicles such as tanks or APCs have the ability to lose their tracks as well, but maintain their ability to operate via the wheels which would normally drive the tracks. Exposed gas cans on vehicles can also be shot at to detonate their contents, usually resulting in the vehicle exploding as well. Flaming wrecks will cause proximity heat damage to objects and characters. Of note is that a vehicle can still run even if all the tires are gone, slowly rolling along on its rims. Unavailable vehicles shown in-game include jet aircraft, excavator, and for reasons of scale, ships like destroyers. None of the alien machines can be commandeered by players either.

Multiplayer

An overhead view of a multiplayer map in Crysis.

Up to 32 players are supported in each multiplayer match in Crysis. There are two different modes, each with six available maps: Instant Action, a deathmatch type mode; and Power Struggle, which are played by two opposing teams, each trying to destroy the other’s headquarters.

Power Struggle features the American Delta Force soldiers fighting the North Korean Army; both sides, however, have nanosuits. All players begin armed with only a pistol and a basic nanosuit, called the "prototype" suit. In order to purchase weapons and vehicles, the player must complete objectives, or kill enemies. The aim of Power Struggle is to destroy the enemy headquarters, a task which is done using either alien technology or nuclear weapons, gained by capturing alien crash sites. Without these technologies, it would be difficult to win, due to multiple automated turrets guarding headquarters; they can be destroyed only by powerful human weapons, or alien technologies. All vehicles in the game are available in Power Struggle, though they must be unlocked by capturing a zone that specializes in manufacturing a certain vehicle—for example, capturing a zone with a port would allow the building of water-based vehicles for the team in possession of the zone. However, vehicles may be stolen, by picking their locks, even if their team has not captured the zone producing that type of vehicle. Depending on the settings determined by the host, a game of Power Struggle could potentially take up to ten hours, which would cover multiple day/night cycles, if playing on a DirectX 10 server. Again, the duration of day/night cycles depends on the host’s settings.

Capture The Flag, originally planned to be included in the game, is no longer part of the game mode line up, due to its similarity to Power Struggle.Even so, Jack Mamais, a Crytek employee, stated that Crytek hopes that this mode will be developed by the modding community. Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli also said that Team Action would not be included as a multiplayer mode, because players would gravitate towards either Instant Action, or Power Struggle.

An official multiplayer map pack that contains three power struggle maps and two instant action maps was released on December 24, 2007, given the title: Crysis Tournament Map Pack.

Plot

Two U.S. Army Delta Force operatives wearing nanosuits, inside the ice sphere, looking for a heat source.

Set in August 2020, Crysis plot follows First Lieutenant Jake Dunn — codenamed "Nomad" — a United States Army Delta Force operative. As Crysis begins, an American team of archaeologists are taken captive by the North Korean Army, just as they were making an important discovery in the South China Sea. The United States responds by deploying a team of Delta Force soldiers — supported by the USS Constitution Carrier Strike Group — who begin to engage the North Koreans’ large military installations. During this phase of the game, the setting is a tropical environment, similar to that in Far Cry, Crytek’s previous game. While the player does not fight any aliens until much later in the game, a few aliens are encountered during the first part of the game, some of which kill and abduct the player’s teammates. Meanwhile, the Korean forces on the island excavate parts of the island in order to explore the findings of the American archaeologists. However, as Nomad progresses through the island, he dismantles several Korean encampments and frees hostages including Helena Rosenthal, the daughter of the lead archaeologist. At the end of the first section, the mountain at the center of the island begins to crumble revealing a two-kilometer high alien structure beneath the surface, out of which aliens begin attacking both the U.S. Military and North Koreans.

Once Nomad halts the North Korean excavation and kills their commander (General Kyong), he enters the alien structure in this section and begins to explore the zero gravity environment, retrieving valuable information about the alien invaders, who periodically attack him. Once he exits, Nomad discovers the structure has affected the surrounding area around the island by creating an ice sphere that lowers the ambient air temperature to −200 °F (−129 °C) and flash freezes every living being within it. After a long battle with the new alien attackers, Nomad and Prophet narrowly escape the sphere using a VTOL, and the final section of the game takes place on the aircraft carrier USS Constitution.

Prophet, Nomad’s squad leader, keeps telling Admiral Morrison, commander of the Constitution, that they must go back to the island, but he does not listen. Prophet then takes the alien weapon that he acquired while inside the ice sphere and goes AWOL and flies back to the island. A nuclear strike is ordered on the island despite Prophet being there, but this just gives the alien ship more energy to put into the shield, also doubling the shield in size. Prophet is presumed killed when the nuke hits the island. Alien forces then exit the sphere and attack the Constitution, killing Morrison. Nomad, Psycho, and the ship’s complement of U.S. marines battle with many aliens and finally a large alien warship, resulting in the destruction of both the USS Constitution and the warship. The entire Carrier Strike Group is also destroyed. Helena informs Nomad that a U.S. Navy fleet is en route from Japan, and will arrive within the hour. They then get a transmission from Prophet, who is indeed alive, and inside the Ice Sphere on the island. Nomad, Helena, and Psycho then home in on Prophet’s position and start flying towards the ice sphere, at which point the game ends.

Military of the United States

United States Army

Raptor Team is the U.S. Army Delta Force detail that the protagonist, Nomad, is a part of. At full strength, it consisted of Aztec, Jester, Psycho, Nomad and the team leader, Prophet. The true names of the characters are revealed in the CryEngine 2 Sandbox 2 editor that comes with the game. Aztec and Jester die quickly during the course of the game, leaving just three alive. Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) is their ultimate overseer, though later in the game they are more directly in touch with USS Constitution personnel.

• Nomad (1st Lieutenant Jake Dunn): the protagonist. His face is unseen (except in concept artwork), and he pursues mission goals with single-minded fervor.

• Aztec (Harold Cortez): Part of the initial team, he is rapidly mutilated by an alien at the start of the game along with a four-man KPA patrol. Was fluent in Spanish.

• Jester (Martin Hawker): Also present at the beginning while at the site of a strange discovery, a boat far inland and frozen, he is captured by an alien machine. It takes him a short distance away before discarding him, at which point his mutilated body is discovered.

• Psycho (Michael Sykes): A former British SAS operative; later joined Delta Force. He tends to use British profanity, and has the SAS insignia tattooed on the back of his head. Psycho survives the initial events and assists Nomad for the rest of the game. His adventures on the island during the game will be revealed in the sequel/spin-off, Crysis Warhead.

• Prophet (Major Laurence Barnes): The Delta Force squad leader, who after some time into the game is kidnapped by an alien machine and presumed killed; at that point, Strickland assumes mission command. He miraculously reappears at the point of the story where Nomad exits the alien ship, but exhibiting strange behavior. He has somehow managed to steal a complex alien weapon, and seems to have a much deeper understanding of the aliens than anyone else. At the end of the game, he heads back to the island announcing that he intends to destroy the aliens himself.

United States Marine Corps

Locally led by Major Strickland, the U.S.M.C. contributes most of the ground military hardware in the game along with the Marines themselves. They operate from the USS Constitution carrier strike group, deploying via a sizable number of US Navy VTOL Aircraft. Major Strickland takes over mission command after Prophet goes missing, but himself falls in battle later on: to distract a massive alien machine from attacking nearby evacuating aircraft, he deliberately stays behind to draw its attention, sacrificing himself.

United States Navy

Locally represented by the USS Constitution carrier strike group, and led by Admiral Richard Morrison, USN. The American aircraft seen throughout the game belong to the U.S. Navy, and also seem to be carrying considerable ordinance, as seen when they deploy an F-35C fighter jet armed with a nuclear missile. The carrier strike group meets its ultimate demise at the hands of relentless waves of alien machines and also an alien "War Ship". At the conclusion of the game Helena informs Nomad that there is another U.S. Navy fleet incoming from Japan that will arrive within the hour.

North Korean People’s Army

Led in the game by Colonel General Kyong, known for being a brutal person. Their intent to hang onto the islands is clear, shown by the significant allocation of forces ranging from infantry to tanks and military aircraft. According to Kyong, the Koreans are interested in the archaeological findings because of the potential to use the alien technology as a profitable power source. It is later revealed that they have nanosuit technology, which Nomad thinks "look like cheap knockoffs" in his opinion. Their nanosuits are limited solely to Kyong himself and his elite personal guard. Kyong is encountered midway during the game as a boss character, complete with nanosuit. However, he is notoriously well known for being very easily defeated, with only constant physical attacks generally being sufficient.

Aliens attacking U.S. forces, a short distance outside the ice sphere.

Aliens

Operating out of their massive ship embedded in the rock, the aliens themselves have streamlined bodies with which they "swim" through the weightless internal environment. Their organic-looking war machines comprise the bulk of their forces, ranging from small ones able to maneuver indoors to flying ships that can sink destroyers by ramming them head-on. The massive number of machines that deploy at the end of the game, along with filler text for multiplayer maps, indicate their interest in Earth is on a global scale.

In terms of offensive technology, most of their weapons are portrayed as being centered on coldness, shown in-game by the presence of weapons that either freeze targets outright or launch ice shards at high speed. These weapons do not require ammunition in-game, merely having a short "cool down" time after periods of prolonged firing. They do however have weapons outside of this type, such as the sci-fi "singularity cannon", or more traditional implements such as directly built-in blades and spikes.

Game engine

Crysis uses a new engine—the CryEngine 2—that is the successor to Far Cry’s CryEngine. CryEngine 2 is among the first engines to use the Direct3D 10 (DirectX 10) framework of Windows Vista, but can also run using DirectX 9, both on Vista and Windows XP.

Roy Taylor, Vice President of Content Relations at NVIDIA, has spoken on the subject of the engine’s complexity, stating that Crysis has over a million lines of code, 1GB of texture data, and 85,000 shaders.

Demo

On August 27, 2007, Crytek announced a single-player demo would be released on September 25, however, the date was pushed back to October 26. The demo featured the entire first level, Contact, as well as the sand box editor. On October 26, Crytek announced that the demo would be postponed for at least one more day and was released to the public on October 27. However, on many sites it was provided a day early, and an oversight allowed people to grab the file directly off an EA server earlier than intended.

Shortly after the demo’s release some enthusiasts found that, by manipulating the configuration files, most of the “very high” graphics settings (normally reserved for DX10) could be activated under DX9. The "very high" DX9 graphics mode looks almost identical to the DX10 mode, with certain graphical features not being able to be reproduced correctly under DX9, such as Object Motion Blur.

Sandbox Editor

Crysis contains a level editor called Sandbox, much like Far Cry’s, in which new levels can be created and edited. Such levels will have full support in all multiplayer modes. This will allow the player to easily build their own levels, seeing everything in real time within the editor. The player can also jump into the map they are working on at any time to test it. The editor is the same one that was used by Crytek to create the game.

As stated in the readme file accompanying Sandbox, Windows XP Professional x64 Edition or Windows Vista x64 are the only officially supported OS’s for running the editor. According to Crytek, using a 32-bit OS can lead to instabilities with production size levels due to the low amount of virtual memory available and is therefore not supported.

Overview of box art and content in the Crysis Special Edition retail box.

The three-disc Special Edition of Crysis contains the following:

• Steelbook casing (Not available in American Version)
• Crysis game DVD
• Crysis Bonus Content DVD including:
  • "Making of Crysis" & "Meet the Developers" featurette
  • Initial Crysis concept video
  • Additional "key trailers"
  • Showreel of original concept and production artwork
  • High-resolution screenshots
  • Storyboards
• A 28-page game manual
• A 16-page concept art booklet
• An exclusive in-game multiplayer "Amphibious APC" vehicle
• Official soundtrack CD by composer Inon Zur

Note that the Amphibious APC is currently unavailable to most pre-orders and Special Edition owners. Electronic Arts is still working out a solution. Also note that the PAL version for Australia includes a small ad for Logitech products.

Sequels

Crysis was announced to be the first game in a trilogy by Crytek. It is expected that the sequel will continue where the first game ended. In addition to seeking a United States trademark on the name Crysis, Crytek is seeking to trademark the names Crysis Wars, Crysis Annihilation, World in Crysis, and Crysis Warhead. While it is possible that a sequel is in development, GameSpot commented that the trademarks also "could be nothing."

On June 4, 2008, a teaser image of Crysis Warhead was on the main Crysis website. On June 5, EA and Crytek released more information about the game through a press release.