Metareview: Crysis (PC)

by Dan Dormer { Nov 13th 2007 at 4:57PM }

For months and months, all the PC fanboys have gotten their jollies by pointing out to the irrelevance of consoles by lauding the release of Crysis. There have been plenty smug statements of superiority reveling in the fact they've had to take out a second mortgage just to afford a damn graphics card to play the 'effing game (some viewing it as a bloody red badge of courage -- and not what it really is -- sheer stupidity). Because of all this noise, it's been had to pay attention to the game's actual merits. But, it finally releases this week, so the time has come to don paper bags to obscure our faces as console owners from the blinding awesomeness that is ~~Christ-is~~ Crysis, right?

GameTap (100/100): "Ultimately, even with the sudden change in design style, and some minor quibbles (suit power, technical horsepower required for the best visuals), Crysis remains a landmark shooter. Yes, it's aggravating that the flat-out brilliance of the early early levels isn't sustained, but even still, the most that change did for me was to turn Crysis from a 'so f---ing awesome game' to a mere 'awesome game.'"
Eurogamer (90/100): "This is a game that feels supremely engineered, like a precision machine, or a German automobile. It's makes Half-Life 2 seem old and frail, but by the same token it does nothing to diminish the imaginative achievements of that series. Crysis is impressive, but not imaginatively bold. Nor does it engage us like some other great shooters -- such as BioShock -- have done with their world and their personality. It's far better than Far Cry, and it's clearly going to create a rabid army of fans, many of whom I hope will plug themselves into the absurdly easy-to-us level editor and create us more single-player campaigns. Personally I'd like to see where this astounding world-forging technology will take us. And I can't wait to see what Crytek will do next."
1UP (80/100): "And on it goes. Stints in motorized air-defense systems ... that don't move. Low altitude flight in a leaden VTOL, where defeating drones dissolves invisible barriers no one intends to notice, allowing us to fly forward, fight off another three drones, dissolve another invisible barrier, fly forward ... Fast forward through scraps of miserable story and melodramatic dialogue, along with a 'boss battle' inherited from the coin-op class of '88 (see: Contra), and the ordeal is done -- beautiful throughout, mostly amazing, but vegetative by the end."

Tags: Crysis, Crytek, FPS, metareview

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Your Ad here 555-1923 @ Nov 13th 2007 5:02PM

Looks good but I will only get it when it gets ported to the XB720 or PS4 (PS3 if its as powerful as people say it is).

fwacce @ Nov 13th 2007 5:06PM

Some people like to be reminded of how when they were young, they went to the store and bought something that they had been waiting for. To keep something as new as it was on the shelf, is something special to some people. It's really all about memories, not including the investors.

The more important question is why do you care? What difference does it make if someone wants to keep something sealed or open it and play it? How is your life going to change if someone leaves the cellophane on a game? And why would you go out and find a forum on the internet and come back here to post and complain about it, when it doesn't affect you? To me, it's always been more about someone's own ego as to why you would insist on telling other people what to do with their stuff.

Live and let live.

fwacce @ Nov 13th 2007 5:07PM

Eh... Way wrong post on way wrong topic. Damn joystiq's system sucks.

Yubastard @ Nov 13th 2007 6:37PM

lol I was like: "WTF!?"

Zsavior @ Nov 13th 2007 5:05PM

Is 1up in its last days and they are just deciding to stick it hard to people? WOW I mean wow the last two reviews have been just well, honest. You guys are going to get flamed for not going along with the crowd but, damn this almost makes me what to check out 1up.

Clack @ Nov 13th 2007 5:20PM

Scores usually are a bit lower from 1up and have been for a while. I noticed this on Wii reviews and thought they just had a chip on their shoulders about the Wii, but I'm happy to see that their venomous reviews spread across all platforms.

LaughingTarget @ Nov 13th 2007 5:26PM

They're incredibly strange. They sit there and bitch about the game but give it an 80. Hardly "sticking it to someone".

Negativecool @ Nov 13th 2007 7:05PM

I wonder if they even like playing games anymore.

All of their reviews seem to bash everything for lack of advancement towards some utopia of unbelievable gaming experiences.

Can't a game be a fucking game without needing to re-invent the god damn wheel?

megaStryke @ Nov 13th 2007 7:23PM

@Negativecool

If you ask me, 80/100 for something that "plays it safe" is more than fair.

Spiza @ Nov 13th 2007 8:20PM

Is Kaplan influencing 1up's reviews?

http://www.joystiq.com/2007/10/15/nintnedos-kaplan-says-gamers-were-bored-before-wii/

Paul P. @ Nov 13th 2007 5:05PM

I think reviewers are getting their signals crossed on which overhyped games they are supposed to be giving 100s and which overhyped games they are supposed to be overly critical of. The results are games getting both mediocre and perfect scores. It's hilarious.

Paul P. @ Nov 13th 2007 5:06PM

Ah, forgot to add, why only three scores in every meta-review column? Every one of these games has more than three reviews out by the time you post this, it would be am uch better sample to post 5 or 7.

gonk @ Nov 13th 2007 5:39PM

go to metacritic to see the other scores

they can only make each post here a certain length

giantenemycrab @ Nov 13th 2007 5:06PM

1up is in a bad mood today.

TheWarden @ Nov 14th 2007 9:35AM

Don't matter, nobody can play this game anyway... :)

Tukulito-Zakayama @ Nov 14th 2007 11:24AM

???...

rv @ Nov 13th 2007 5:09PM

All I need to do is buy the 8800gt for $250 and I'm set, I meet all the other min requirements. But with mass effect, assassins creed, and cod4, I'm not sure Ill h ave time for crysis even if I did buy it.

Marty @ Nov 13th 2007 5:22PM

I have an 8800 gts, and I can barely run the game above 1024x768 (all settings on demo set to high). I've got a Core 2 Duo 2.3Ghz, 2Gb Ram.

LaughingTarget @ Nov 13th 2007 5:27PM

The 8800 GT is better than the GTS. Strangely, it is just a hair slower than the GTX.

Jeff @ Nov 13th 2007 9:48PM

I have an 8800 GTS and I'm getting a solid 30+ FPS with all of the Very high DX10 stuff enabled in XP. Wait, are you on Vista?

Shockgamer @ Nov 13th 2007 5:09PM

GOTY 2010

Marty @ Nov 13th 2007 5:12PM

Oh come on... 100/100? The game is just Far Cry with super powers!

Clack @ Nov 13th 2007 5:22PM

Far Cry got pretty high scores back in the day.

NukeAssault @ Nov 13th 2007 5:26PM

I know rite?

Look the game is fun and all but its far from spectacular. Other then its visuals its got nothing else to offer me.

Marty @ Nov 13th 2007 5:28PM

My point is that this is nothing but the same old game with a higher tech requirement.

Truepatriot @ Nov 13th 2007 5:34PM

you must not have played farcry because you get super powers in farcry too lol

Marty @ Nov 13th 2007 6:43PM

I did, but I guess I forgot about that... or at least, I tried to. The last quarter of the game is just a huge waste of time.

Einhanderkiller @ Nov 13th 2007 7:08PM

Truepatriot, you're thinking about Far Cry: Instincts, the average spin-off for consoles made by Ubisoft.

MagusDF @ Nov 14th 2007 9:07AM

Dunno if its the same old game. The engine changed the graphics but the AI is what changed the game...

That aside if their engine went for sale therd be more to be excited about.

blehh @ Nov 13th 2007 5:13PM

Christ is awesome, but so is crysis.

Marty @ Nov 13th 2007 5:28PM

Looks like someone's been spending a wee bit too much time at church.

DangerMouse @ Nov 13th 2007 5:36PM

Is that dog shit on your waffles?

ToXic @ Nov 13th 2007 6:59PM

I loled on that dog shit comment but your right...maybe cat poop?

Brello @ Nov 13th 2007 10:04PM

Looks like fried chicken to me.

Psaakyrn @ Nov 13th 2007 5:21PM

Then again, many games would look amazing if you use the specs Crysis wants you to use (though granted, possibly not as amazing as Crysis itself)

Clack @ Nov 13th 2007 5:22PM

100/100 is the new 80/100!

Marty @ Nov 13th 2007 5:28PM

Agreed.

NATO_Duke @ Nov 13th 2007 5:49PM

Right on Clack!

pasht @ Nov 13th 2007 5:23PM

Fuck you, Dan Dormer.

poe @ Nov 13th 2007 5:28PM

Did you perhaps mean to remark on the poor grammar and syntax? If so then I agree.

pasht @ Nov 13th 2007 6:07PM

Grammar, syntax, spelling, tone, and point. Seriously, this is the worst post I've ever seen on Joystiq.

Shagittarius @ Nov 13th 2007 6:20PM

Sha-na-na-na...

Brello @ Nov 13th 2007 10:10PM

Yeah, I've long since given up keeping my computer up to the bleeding edge, but this article had a pretty bad tone on it (among a flurry of syntax problems). Fairly odd for a website wearing a crysis ad right below this comment box I'm currently typing in. A potshot can be funny, but that whole article was anti-PC. Someone having some PC troubles or something? (Could you imagine if it were targeted at 360, Wii or PS3? Haha, this thread would be at 900 comments.)