Crysis

You emerge behind the outcropping of rock and sprint unseen through the dense foliage, right under the noses of a North Korean patrol. Your nanosuit winks out of stealth mode and into the visible spectrum as you chuck a grenade toward a watchtower. Trees bend back from the force of the explosion and the tower crumples forward, spilling out its screaming occupants. Soldiers cry out. Machineguns burst from all sides, bullets shredding tree trunks and rattling against corrugated metal fences. You trigger your super strength and leap ten feet high into the enemy compound, crashing through the rotted ceiling of a garage as alarms blare. Jets streak by overhead, chased by antiaircraft fire. Bomb blasts illuminate the other side of the harbor with dome-like explosions while thick smoke pours from overturned vehicles. As you trigger your stealth mode back on and glide silently toward a machinegun nest, you can't help but admire the colors of the sunset over the distant ocean...

Every couple of years a PC game comes along to push the envelope at any cost. Crysis is this year's landmark. Players are treated to one incredible vista after another, and as the game progresses, it continually ups the ante for visual spectacle. Crysis serves up dynamic gameplay in a lush environment, but it comes at a cost: you'll need a whopper of a PC to run it, and even powerful PCs will want to stick to 1024 resolution to keep a solid framerate. If your rig can handle this beast -- and if you don't mind the sometimes frustrating nature of an unscripted, open game -- then Crysis definitely delivers on its promise.


When Superheroes Attack

Despite the realistic near-future setting and familiar arms, Crysis isn't a military simulation. At its heart this is a superhero game, where the main character is armed with the latest in high-tech equipment. Your nanosuit -- the star of the show -- allows you to be invisible, to be super-fast, to be super-strong, or to be virtually bulletproof. Here's the catch: you can only use one power at a time, and they all have limited energy. Choosing which powers to use in every situation is the heart of the gameplay.

For the most part the powers are excellently balanced. Each has its drawbacks and situations where it's appropriate to use (any power, improperly used, will drain your suit's energy and shut off). The only exception is super strength, which isn't terribly useful in most scenarios. Sure, you can punch through a wall or leap over a fence, but we were really hoping to be able to do things like picking up an enemy vehicle and tossing it into a building like a toy.

Stealth, on the other hand, is absolutely essential. Gamers looking for an all-out action game may be disappointed to learn that stealth is at the core of Crysis. You are always outnumbered. Fortunately, stealth is brilliantly implemented: While standing still, your suit can stay invisible almost indefinitely. But the moment you start moving, your energy drops... fast. The gameplay that results is absolutely pulse-pounding. You'll dart from cover to cover, stealing moments wherever possible to recharge your suit. While standing still, enemies will walk right past you, unaware you're pointing a shotgun at their head.