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Crysis Remastered Review - Former PC Benchmark Is Back On Nintendo Switch
The old benchmark for a PC's capabilities was whether or not it could run Crysis, a legendary title from developer Crytek that pushed graphics to the limits in its day. Getting to play the former gold standard on a Nintendo Switch feels almost sacrilegious at first, but it performs admirably on the modern console. Not only that, but it actually looks better than it ever has before with new lighting effects and updated visuals. Crysis Remastered stands out as one of the best looking games on the Nintendo Switch, and a solid play experience on top of that.
Even to those who have never played Crysis, the storyline is hardly innovative. Players will be put in the shoes of a super soldier named Nomad who is tasked with fighting against North Koreans. It is a very bland story full of obvious twists, but this simplicity serves the game well. It is easy to ignore what the story is doing and instead just enjoy the rich gameplay that Crysis Remastered provides.
Despite the original game coming out almost 13 years ago, the gameplay in Crysis Remastered is still deeply rewarding. Players have a choice between playing aggressively with the shield ability of their suit or they can use their invisibility to sneak up on their enemies to take them out. With a limited open world, this means that players have the ability to approach every encounter however they like and can mix and match their abilities with different weapons.
The shooting mechanics and controls are also very tight, if maybe a little dated. While there is an aim assist option, it isn't as refined as the assistance in more modern shooters. This really isn't an issue though, as, after a small adjustment period, the additional challenge makes combat encounters a lot more engaging. Vehicles actually feel very similar as well. Vehicles may not handle as fluidly as in a modern video game, but they are still a lot of fun to drive around Crysis' map.
Crysis Remastered looks very good on the surface, but there are a few issues that players may encounter during battles. For one, the game has a tendency to crash randomly at times. Over the ten hours or so it takes to complete, players will probably encounter the error screen a handful of times. The enemy AI is also very frustrating, especially when players are trying to be sneaky. Unless the player has their invisibility activated, enemies will be capable of spotting them from an incredible distance, hindering their efforts and making it difficult to prevent this from happening each time. That is, of course, before mentioning that enemy aim is ridiculously accurate no matter how far away they are, which can feel like taking on an entire army of Bullseyes at its worst. The thing is, though, that these are issues that Crysis has always suffered from that have yet to be fixed more than a decade later, and it could be more a preservation of the previous experience than neglect.
At the end of the day, Crysis Remastered is an excellent port of a legendary video game. Some of the mechanics feel dated and a little odd sometimes, but the remaster remains true to what the original game was all about, which feels like a more important goal given the game's age and this being far away from a full on remake. Crysis is still visually stunning and sets a standard for what Nintendo Switch games can look like. Crysis Remastered is a must-play for fans of the series, which hasn't seen a new entry in quite some time.
Crysis Remastered can be played on the Nintendo Switch now, and will release on PC, PS4, and Xbox One at a later date.
