One of the better deals during Steam’s holiday sale was the Stalker series for something like $5—pretty much an insane deal. The games are the definition of the PC shooter (as opposed to console shooter like Killzone or Halo): freedom of movement, no silly scripted sequences, mods all day long, etc. Well now it looks like a group of modders, from Russia, have taken it upon themselves to port the game to the engine that powers Crysis.

The team, AP Production, has a forum detailing the mod, officially called Cry Zone Sector 23.

It’s not just a visual overhaul, either. Case in point: the mod will implement Far Cry 2-style healing.

Meanwhile, all of us are patiently waiting for Stalker 2.

This isn’t exactly timely criticism, but did feel the best parts of Crysis were its least-structured segments, where you had a large area to range around in and a few objectives to accomplish by whatever means necessary. Looks like Crysis 2 will be a bit more scripted, but we’ll see.

Update: I also just saw these minimum specs posted. A whole other post didn’t really seem warranted, so I’m putting them up here:

* OS: XP / Vista / Windows 7
* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo 2GHz, AMD Athlon 64 X2 2GHz or better
* GPU: nVidia 8800GT 512MB RAM, ATI 3850HD 512MB RAM or better
* Memory: 2 GB RAM
* Hard Drive: 9 GB
* Audio: DirectX 9.0c-compatible
* DVD ROM: 8x

That’s not so bad. My current machine could almost run it! Note that these are the minimum specs, not recommended.

Bad news for Crysis 2 fans, EA had their financial announcement today, and confirmed that Crisys 2 will be delayed unti 4Q2011. It was originally scheduled to come out this winter. EA didn’t let out any official reason for the delay, but it could be related to the recent addition of 3D graphics. I say let ‘em hold off and get it right the first time.

[via Destructoid]

Does the mere idea of a console exclusive game from Crytek make your blood boil? Yeah, me neither, but it’s sorta weird seeing the once PC-only developer embrace consoles so forcefully. The big one, obviously, is Crysis 2, being developed for the PC, Xbox 360, and PS3. But then word hit at E3 that Crytek would be developing a 360-only game, Codename: Kingdoms. Hearts, they are broken! And is Crytek now planning on developing a PS3-only game?

Maybe. The developer’s CEO, Cevat Yerli, said in a recent interview that they’ve been approached by Sony in the past about possibly making something exclusively for the PS3.

Sony is a partner that we would definitely love to work with. A PS3 exclusive is something we considered before – we talked about it a lot, but for reasons of portfolio or timing in the past it didn’t work out. But that doesn’t mean in the future it wouldn’t work.

I read in this month’s Edge magazine that Crytek abandoned PC-only development because of the piracy situation. Lord knows I’ve written enough about PC piracy to bore someone who’s already dead to death, so I’’ll just say this: okie dokie, sirs. So long as I get to play Crysis 2 on my PC I don’t care if you develop a JRPG exclusively for the WonderSwan Color.

Pretty sure Crytek, of Crysis fame, is usually associated with blazing fast graphics cards and extreme edition processors, so color me surprised to see it embracing Microsoft’s Project Natal and Sony’s Move. Surprised and disappointed, to be exact—I shan’t be participating in this motion control business, that’s for sure.

Right, so Cevat Yerli, the Crytek CEO, said that they’re “working very closely with Sony and Microsoft in regards to motion control on both the PS3 and Xbox 360.” Want more info? Sorry, for “that’s as much as NDA allows [Crytek] to say right now.”

All of this hubbub stems from the recent registration of a name and logo in the UK for something called “Self Defense.” Word on the street, and I have no idea where this street can be found, is that “Self Defense” has to do with motion control.

Mouse and keyboard till I die, etc.

The World’s video game press gathered in New York on Tuesday for the world premiere of Crysis 2, the sequel to the game whose memory lives in on the question, “Yeah, but does it run Crysis?” It’s no coincidence that Crtyek, the game’s developers, and EA, the game’s publisher, chose New York to show off the game, with Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli calling the city “symbolic of the pride of mankind.” Clearly he hasn’t been to the more rubbish sections of Queens. Yes, you’re in an altogether different type of jungle this go-round.

Tuesday was a glorious day, not least of which because it was sunny and warm in New York (and Barcelona beat Arsenal), and that I essentially took a half day—fancy video game launches don’t cover themselves. I did, in fact, get to see Crysis 2 in the small movie theater inside the Tribeca Grand. In the lobby where EA had us all corralled, you could hear Russian, French, and British English spoken; it wasn’t merely a U.S. affair.

But enough of that scene-setting, let’s talk about the game.

Crytek played the Xbox 360 version of the game in front of the press, the first such demonstration of its kind. (Press didn’t get to actually play the game that day, so don’t be too jealous.) The very fact that Crytek was able to develop to the game for the 360, which turns five years old this fall, is a testament to their talents as developers. The original Crysis, first released in 2007, still gives many of today’s PCs a tough time. Turn on anti-aliasing and play at any sort of “high” resolution and you’d better be using a proper video card. I was able to play the game on my ATI Radeon 5850 on Very High settings provided I knocked the anti-aliasing to 2X, and it still wasn’t a solid 60 fps. This is an Intel Core i7 860 (OD’d to 3.8GHz) system—reasonably powerful, yes.

The point is, a reasonably brand new (built around Christmastime) system still had a difficult time running the first game, but Crytek has the game running flawlessly on the ol’ 360. Well done, chaps.

Some of you may be thinking, “So, I guess the PC version is garbage then, right?” Not according to Crytek, who told me they made “no compromises” to the integrity of the PC game despite the fact that they were concurrently developing the PC and console version. (Development on the second game started almost immediately after the first game shipped.) Please don’t think Crytek, seeing the large install base of the 360 and PS3, decided to give PC gamers the shaft. When the game comes out this holiday season, you can expect the question to become, “Yeah, but does it run Crysis 2?”

Probably not, no.

The game takes place in New York City, and once again puts you inside The Suit. (I’m capitalizing The Suit because it looks cool, and because Crytek said The Suit will become “a new IP.” I fully expect Suit lunchboxes and Slurpee cups in the near future.) You have to fend off some sort of alien invasion while simultaneously battling these other guys who don’t like you for whatever reason. The story—one of the only things criticized in the first game—has been written by Richard Morgan, a British science fiction author who won the Arthur C. Clarke award in 2008. If that doesn’t instill you with confidence, I don’t know what to tell you. The very fact that Crytek went out and hired a proper novelist should ensure that the story isn’t typical FPS nonsense.

It’s Crysis all right. You’re a man in The Suit, and you go around shooting other men (and… things) who aren’t wearing The Suit. There’s big guns and big explosions, and a stirring “Oh, dear, this is important” soundtrack accompanies you along the way. Are you basically Gruff Military Man shooting bad guys? Yeah, but it never seems as silly or overbearing as, say, Gears of War did. Oh, look at me, I have big muscles and I talk like I’m gargling rocks, and I shoot first and ask questions later.” Just shut up already, stupid cliché.

There was no mention of any sort of multi-player mode.

We weren’t allowed to take photos or video of the game as Crytek played it. Thems the rules.

I can say it took place in downtown New York, right around Wall Street, and The Suit was put through its paces. Maximum Power-assisted big jumps—the same disembodied robotic voice announces “Maximum Power” as in the first game—and Maximum Armor keeps you safe and sound from the bad guys.

New York looks amazing. I asked someone at Crytek if they expected comparisons to GTA IV, and they gave me a puzzled look. I don’t know why, seeing as though that was a complement. Two years ago, GTA IV‘s Liberty City was the most authentic version of New York yet seen in video games. Crysis 2‘s looks better, more “real.” The entire demo took place within Manhattan, and it’s unknown if the outer boroughs of New York will make an appearance. Other landmarks you’ll get to see include Madison Square Garden, Grand Central Terminal, Times Square, and Federal Hall (which instantly reminded me of Metal Gear Solid 2‘s wacky ending).

I guess that’s it. It’s Crysis, but set in New York. I fully expect it to be the biggest game of the holiday season. You know damn well that Microsoft will be promoting it like crazy… “Look what the Xbox 360 can do~!”

I, of course, like a true geek, will be getting the PC version. It’s game like Crysis 2 worth sinking hundreds of dollars into a gaming PC worthwhile.

Here’s the full trailer from the other day:

Any other questions and I’ll try to answer ‘em.

You may have missed the game the first time around because of its insane graphic requirements. But chances are that you’ve updated your PC, or bought a new one, it should have no issues running the epic game. Buy at least the original if you’re don’t want to invest $30 total. It’s just a good ol’ running and shooting game. You’ll love it.

This is a scene from the movie Blade Runner rendered using CryENGINE 2, the game engine that powers Crysis.

And this is a scene from the movie I am Legend, also rendered using CryENGINE 2.

These shots come from the Game Artists message board. There’s a few other famous scenes you might recognize.

And yes, this is nothing more than afternoon eye candy.

via Rock, Paper, Shotgun

If this custom gaming rig from Tiger Direct and EA doesn’t play Crysis, someone better lose their job. The game has been out for almost a year now and the specs listed seem to indicated a good enough system, (2GB of ram…for vista?) so I can only hope that the game will run well on the tuned system. Truth be told, most modern rigs can play the game alright, just not on the ultra-OMG-O-face setting and this system can be built on almost every hardware site for nearly the same price. So, my good gaming friends, I would use the system above as a EA-built reference tool and customize your Crysis computer similarly.

Gotta admit that I didn’t see this one coming. Apparently in anticipation of Crysis Warhead, Electronic Arts will be getting into the hardware business with some gaming PCs made to “correspond to Crysis Warhead’s levels of graphical detail, with a likely price range being $600-$800,” according to Remowned.

The rumor was overheard at EA’s Comic-Con booth. A rep for the company apparently mentioned that the PCs would be released alongside Crysis Warhead in order to calm people’s fears that games from Crytek require multi-million dollar machines to run smoothly. I had a hell of a time trying to get Far Cry to run on a 486DX2/66 that I use for gaming, but people have been telling me that it’s time to upgrade anyway.

[via Ubergizmo]

“We are suffering currently from the huge piracy that is encompassing Crysis. We seem to lead the charts in piracy by a large margin, a chart leading that is not desirable. I believe that’s the core problem of PC Gaming, piracy.  To the degree PC Gamers that pirate games inherently destroy the platform. Similar games on consoles sell factors of 4-5 more. It was a big lesson for us and I believe we wont have PC exclusives as we did with Crysis in future. We are going to support PC, but not exclusive anymore.”

Plenty of other PC game developers have raised the same complaint about piracy. You’ll recall that THQ chimed in a couple months ago and Gears of War developer Epic Games announced that it’ll be going console-only from now on.

via ALBOTAS

Of course, the 360 was the obvious choice, what with the DirectX framework already in place. Still, it’s good to know that the Xbots will get their shot at 2007′s prettiest shooter.

GDC 08: Crysis on Xbox 360 Shown Behind Closed Doors [Primotech]