EA's first person shooter epic "Crysis" truly pushed the template for first person shooters which had extraordinary graphics and innovative gameplay that was not your traditional nor tired first person shooter game. The only drawback of Crysis on the PC was the system requirements which required a top end system and even if you had the latest graphic cards and CPU's, you were still not 100% guaranteed to run the game at full detail.
 

 

Though some gamers had to comprise with video quality, the experience of Crysis was still revolutionary and thankfully developers Crytek have addressed the issues that some considered plagued this game with their latest addition to the franchise, Crysis: Warhead. Best of all, Crysis: Warhead is a standalone game and the player does not require the original game which is a bonus to newcomers. At a price of $49.95, there's little to complain about.

The story of Crysis: Warhead revolve around an American nano enabled super solider (ala Captain America) called Sergeant "Psycho" Sykes whose partner in the first game was called Nomad. Unlike Nomad from the first game, Psycho is more like Dirty Harry and will use whatever means necessary to complete this task. The title takes place at the same time line of the first story where both super soldiers go their separate ways as an international crisis is about to occur between the US and North Korea.

 

Without spoiling the story to those who have not played the first game, the discovery in Korea does involve alien technology and needless to say, the plot is quite action driven which suits the genre perfectly. Although for those players who have not played the original title before, the story may be a tad confusing at times.

Although the gameplay is almost a carbon copy of the original title, the gameplay does seem a little more story orientated which does help in immersing you into the title. It may also seem like a traditional first person shooter but Crytek have added a variety of twists and turns to the gameplay which does make the game rather original in this aspect.
 

 

The key behind Crysis is the nanosuit technology that you wear which almost makes you a super hero in certain parts of the game, however it balances well with the gameplay. These suits basically increase the wearers strength and their speed plus it work as armour as well. Match that with a cloaking ability and you have everything you need to successfully take on your opponents. With that in mind, the game can be successfully completed as a full out attack or through stealth via your suits capabilities which makes for some varied and interesting gameplay.

In some ways, Crysis: Warhead features an almost Gears of War experience in reference to some of the fire fights that the player engages in and really gets your adrenaline pumping. Crytek have also improved the way vehicles respond to the gaming environment and the control system is much innovative. The AI of the original title was a little lacking in certain parts, especially on the easier levels, however Crytek have changed the way your opponents behave which are much more "human" in characteristics and does challenge the way you play.

Lovers of multiplayer will be pleased with the "Crysis Wars" aspect of this sequel that adds to the original online mode and adds a few new gameplay modes. The new Team Instant Action mode is perfect for gamers wanting a quick and uncomplicated online experience.

 

The maps are also more suited to this "Deathmatch" inspired experience that is definitely not as one sided as the original online maps were. The original online gameplay modes still remain such as "Power Struggle" and even some of the original maps make a welcome return.

Graphically, Crysis: Warhead is a visual treat that looks simply amazing when played at a high resolution with full detail. Fortunately thanks to AMD, we tested the game with a Phenom 9600 and a ATI/AMD Radeon 4870 X 2 graphics card and needless to say, it was like seeing Blu-ray for the first time. The only drawback to the graphics is that the gamer still requires a powerful PC to successfully run this game with full detail, however Crytek have optimized the gaming engine.
 

It's interesting to note that the graphics look even better than the original title with exceptional detail on all characters and gaming environments. The lighting and special effects are simply amazing and just seeing the small things in the game such as the sky or the way water interacts with the environment is pure bliss.

Musically, the title contains a Hollywood sounding "action" movie soundtrack that suits the genre perfectly and match that with awesome sound effects and it really makes you part of this amazing game. As with all EA games, the voice acting is extremely professional and really assists with the gameplay and graphics.

In conclusion, Crytek have slightly upped the ante from the previous game which offers a sturdy single-player mode and entertaining online experience. Although the single player campaign of Crysis: Warhead is rather short and most gamers should be able to complete between five to ten hours, the multiplayer mode is a great aspect of the title which will allow endless online fun with improved graphics and gameplay. Damn fun!