CryENGINE 3 Updated, Crysis 3 Announced

zacharye writes "The next-generation Xbox and PlayStation consoles currently being developed by Microsoft and Sony will make the disparity between console and mobile gaming even more vast, adding more fluid animation support and a number of additional enhancements that will make video games more realistic than ever. But even when confined to the capabilities present in today's home consoles, new video game engines show us just how amazing gaming will be moving forward. Ctytek, the lab behind the popular Crysis franchise, recently released the CryENGINE 3 SDK 3.4.0 DX11 update for developers, along with a quick reel to highlight some of the engine's capabilities." Crysis 3 has also been officially confirmed. They're aiming for a Spring 2013 release date, and the game will be set within a dome in New York City that contains an 'urban rainforest.'

Re:A Game Now?

[AbRASiON]

How this frankly stupid post god mod'd +3 insightful is beyond me, I guess I'll spend 10 damn minutes giving you a response that you don't deserve.

First off Crysis 1 is no where near a tech demo, if anything the only thing which could make one think that is the fairly poorly told story throughout the game. That being said, at least Crysis 1 had a good story concept, whereas Crysis 2 CLEARLY outlined to me just how bad they are at story and storytelling. Sometimes it's best to have an idea and then let the user to fill the gaps. (Think Doom, Half Life 1)

Then we come to the gameplay, the suit offered a huge variety of playstyles, from stealth hunt and kill to just typical run and gun action fighting from a standard FPS. Furthermore on higher difficulties the gameplay quality simply ramped up, the combat became even more interesting as stealth was near forced on the player as well as dynamic playstyles.

The ability to modify your guns was refreshing and fun, I loved putting a mid range scope on the basic gun, choosing burst or single fire mode and setting maximum strength (less recoil, more accurate, more damage) then I could mid range snipe my targets, without the limitation of the sniper ammo in the 'proper' sniper rifle. Some however prefferred to sneak up invisible, then run in, hit maximum strength and just choke the guys out and discard them (as seen in the introduction movie)

Many people dislike the open world playstyle, I myself find it can be a bit daunting but the best part of Crysis was it a "linear" open world game, you had some freedom but it was guided, allowing you to not get too far off the beaten track and keeping you in the action and on the story. If anything the pacing was _excellent_ it felt a lot like a movie to be honest, quiet, action scenes, story, quiet - more action and so on - you walked from site to site for the action and it was never more than 15 minutes without a major event.
Yes, the graphics were exceptional, this does not make the game a tech demo, a tech demo is Quake 3 (and I loved id software and I still do) but that game is the true definition of a tech demo, no single player at all, basic multiplayer levels - just shiny graphics. Crysis did exceptionally more than this.

I won't even go in to how bad Crysis 2 is, there's too much dissapointment regarding that game. They took away most of the good stuff and added only bad things. I am still annoyed I paid good money for it. (for a start the mouse input code is flat out broken as default, requiring console tweaks, the 'suit menu' which was intuitive, clever and useful in the first game is somehow tweaked to simply be less responsive and frankly broken - and again, now that they are trying to tell a story? ouch - it'd be better if they just went back to a basic concept and let us fill in the blanks)

In conclusion, you're completely and utterly wrong about Crysis, there's also still a large community of fans and mods for the original. If anything Crysis 2 is the definition of 'selling out' and catering to the masses. Good for the bottom dollar but they definitely lost me as a customer.