Crysis Remastered, the remastered version of the original game developed by Crytek and released on November 13, 2007, has been re-released after approximately 13 years with various improvements. As someone who has played the game from start to finish on PlayStation 4 and spent a considerable amount of time on the PC platform, I would like to focus on the enhancements and changes compared to the original game in my Crysis Remastered review article, rather than discussing its story or gameplay. It’s worth noting that the game doesn’t introduce any new content apart from the visual improvements.
How Much of a Difference Do the Visual Improvements Make?
When we watched the technology trailer of the game, we were all delighted to see various improvements such as enhanced models, textures upgraded to 8K resolution, and support for Ray Tracing. However, upon playing the game, I realized that although there are some noticeable improvements in certain aspects, overall, when compared to the original game released in 2007, you don’t see much of a difference. In fact, in some cases, certain textures and models in the original version look better. So, many of the improvements remain only on the surface. Perhaps someone with a high-end gaming PC who can experience the game in 4K resolution and with unlimited draw distance in the highest setting of “CAN IT RUN CRYSIS?” option will truly feel the difference compared to the original game. However, the number of people who can have this experience is very limited compared to the general audience.
Console Performances
The game runs at 30 FPS on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, while on PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X, it runs at 30 FPS in “Quality” and “Ray Tracing” modes, and at 60 FPS in “Performance” mode. The “Ray Tracing” mode aims to provide a software-based ray tracing experience, the “Quality” mode focuses on the highest visual quality, and the “Performance” mode aims for the highest frame rate. However, the “Performance” mode is not very satisfying as it often struggles to maintain the promised 60 FPS, and we frequently encounter frame rate drops. Additionally, on the PlayStation 4 console, I experienced momentary freezes whenever the game performed an autosave, and this issue becomes quite frustrating after a while.
Even Though Crysis Remastered Was Released in 2020, the NPC’s AI Still Feels Stuck in 2007
We occasionally come across successful Remastered versions of games, albeit in small numbers. However, the concept of Remaster is often misunderstood or not fully embraced by many game companies. Instead of revamping outdated elements of the game, some game companies focus solely on improving texture quality and adding minor polish, then re-release the game with the word “Remaster” attached to its name. When players notice only superficial enhancements, they understandably express their disappointment and criticism.
Crysis Remastered seems to have suffered from this issue as well. Despite the supposed visual improvements, many aspects of the game, such as gameplay mechanics, animations, and especially the artificial intelligence, remain stuck in 2007.
Yes, maybe some of you may interpret this as preserving the originality of the game, or you may say that this is quite normal because they did not redo the game from beginning to end, but we are in 2020 and the artificial intelligence looks really funny. Personally, I’m not suggesting a complete rewrite of the game’s AI, but it’s disheartening to see that there hasn’t been any noticeable progress or difference in the AI. Unfortunately, the artificial intelligence is still stuck in 2007.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that Crysis Remastered lacks the multiplayer mode and manual save system present in the original 2007 release. Personally, I don’t consider the absence of the multiplayer mode to be a significant drawback, as it may not have been in high demand. However, the lack of a manual save feature is a major shortcoming.
Final Word
To summarize Crysis Remastered review in a few final sentences, I can say that it is an unfortunate and unsuccessful remaster that lacks the necessary attention to detail. If you have already played the original version of the game, there isn’t much reason to experience this version. However, if you haven’t played the game before, you can give it a try.
