Crysis 3

Where Crysis felt like an ocean of opportunities, Crysis 2 came across as an attempt at appeasing the "corridor shooter crowd". There were still options, but the structure of the game and the architecture of New York, was more limiting than some fans would have liked.

"We wanted to do something different this time around, and everyone on the team really liked what we did with the first game. The world wasn't as open as you may have been given the impression of, but the choices made for a more obvious illusion of freedom. We wanted to bring that back with Crysis 3," we're told by producer Michael Read at a recent event in San Francisco.

The proof, however, is in the pudding, and as sit down with a level from the campaign from Crysis 3 I'm curious as to where this game will land in terms of freedom and choice. Prophet is faced with a large, derelict warehouse to get through. There are loads of Cell troops, and their constant radio chatter breaks the relative silence of the surrounding jungle that once was New York City. I'm equipped with a bow - one of the most talked about new features in the game and my trigger finger is itching for some action.

On a higher ground a clueless Cell soldier peers out across the overgrown warehouse. I pull back the string, take aim and release. In complete silence I manage to take out one, two, three soldiers before I'm spotted. The objective is a wire at the top, but I'm not sure how to make my way there yet, and there are plenty of Cell operatives in between me and my goal.

I'm faced with multiple choices on how to get from A to B. The warehouse is enormous with several levels and hidding places. I give the straight forward approach a try, but quickly realise that it's an exercise in futility. It's always tempting to run and gun, but that's never been what Crysis has been about. I take a more methodical approach. I use "cloak", hide in cover, peek out for a headshot, duck back into cover and patiently sneak on. At times I get caught in the sights of a turret, and I'm forced to retreat with "armor" turned on.

At long last I reach the upper levels where a trip along the wire takes me to the next stage of the level. The most terrifying part of the level. I'm surrounded by a deserted landscape full of rusted school buses and burnt out cabs. It looks more like a jungle that has been used for a dumping ground than an overgrown New York. The term"Urban jungle" has rarely been more fitting and it feels as if Crytek have managed to strike the perfect balance between Crysis and Crysis 2.

Below my feet there is a vast expanse covered by tall grass reaching two metres above the ground. I jump down and move towards my next objective. A loud scream is heard. I turn around, but there is nothing there. I quickly turn back around. Nothing. I move on. But after just a few steps a Seph sweeps in and starts stabbing me. I shrug it off, take aim and end its existence. Soon I hear another scream, and I feel the panic setting in. I've lost my sense of direction and as I try and regain my composure, but before I've settled my nerves another Seph is upon me.

The tables have turned. The Seph know where I am, but I can't see them. The hunter is now the prey.

"We settled on the hunter theme early on in development. The hunter becoming the prey isn't just to do with the fact that as Prophet you're hunting Cell, but also as you in turn can become the prey in environments such as the tall grass. The player is meant to feel somewhat helpless, and not just like an invincible super soldier," Yerli explains.

I can't help but put it to the developer that it felt a lot like Jurassic Park. He laughs. "Exactly. It was that feeling, when they're being chased by raptors, that we were going for."

I'm slightly exasperated as I reach Psycho on the other side of the field. Together we take down a few more Seph, before we jump on a moving train and go to... well, wherever it is Crytek are taking us next.

It feels refreshing not to know what's around the next corner, and with the campaign action fresh in my mind I take on the new multiplayer mode Hunter. One team plays as Cell, the other as nanosuit wearing tough guys - and each killed Cell respawns as a Nanosuit powered soldier until only one Cell remains and his objective is to survive until the timer runs out.

At first it's slightly bewildering. I spawn as a Cell and panic forces me to run around like a headless chicken, much like my fellow Cell mates next to me. Nobody is using tactics, each man is on his own. Soon I start hearing how my teammates are picked off one by one, and soon I'm one of only two remaining Cell soldiers. That's when I take an arrow between the eyes, and with my Nanosuit on I witness how the last Cell soldier wins the round as he manages to survive.

In the next round I start out with the Nanosuit. I quickly cloak and begin the hunt. Finally, I find a scared little Cell soldier cowering in a corner, raise my bow (the only weapon I possess), and take him down. My first kill, but the round ends as quickly as it begun, and I'm back to playing as a Cell again. It lasts for four rounds, and once it's over I'm left with the feeling that I want this to last a little longer. The rounds only last 3 minutes, and there isn't enough time to establish real tactics, and that sense of truly hunting your prey never sets in. I can imagine that the length of each round is something you might be able to adjust in the final game, but Crytek refused to comment on it at this stage.

From a technical standpoint it comes as no surprise that Crysis 3 delivers gorgeous visuals. Crytek wisely opted to let me play the game on an extremely powerful setup, the green and rust coloured colour palette really shines. The sounds of the weapons are as heavy as you'd expect, and I appreciate the fact that there is once more a lot of vegetation to feast your eyes on. The sequence in the tall grass feels as far removed from Crysis 2 as is possible, and a big step forward.

"We haven't created a CryEngine 4 yet, but rather chosen to work hard on optimising CryEngine 3 - the tool that allowed us to begin work on several platforms," says Michael Read. I ask whether this be the last game (in the series) that makes use of CryEngine 3.

"I don't dare answer that question. We're still working on the engine and improve it, and it's almost impossible to compare this version of the engine with the one in the beginning. So I really have no idea."

What about whether they see the game as a PC title first and foremost? "I have to say that when you're playing with mouse and keyboard Crysis 3 comes across as more of a PC game than Crysis 2," Read explains. "But I still think we've managed to reach a point where you can switch between controller and mouse and keyboard without noticing much of a difference. I think we've managed to find the perfect balance between console and PC."

What I was able to play so far, has been all about the triumphant return of Prophet. But if Read is to be believed players shouldn't expect too many connections with the previous titles.

"There are certain elements and characters who were there in Crysis," says Read. "But we haven't included any flashbacks or such things. Cevat Yerli said back in 2007 that Crysis was envisioned as a trilogy and it's great to see how far we've come in five years. We've created a greater Crysis universe, but given that this is a trilogy Crysis 3 is going to be the final chapter."