Crysis (series)
Encyclopedia
Crysis is a science fiction
first-person shooter
video game series developed by German developer Crytek
and published by Electronic Arts
. The series revolves around a group of military protagonists with "nanosuits," technologically advanced suits of armor that allow them to gain enhanced physical strength, speed, defense, and cloaking abilities. The protagonists face off against hostile North Korean soldiers, heavily-armed mercenaries, and a race of technologically advanced aliens known as the Ceph, who arrived on Earth millions of years ago for unclear reasons, and have recently been awakened.
As of 2011, the series consists of two main installments, a standalone spinoff of the first game with a separate multiplayer title, and a compilation. More sequels are planned, though they are currently not in the development phase.
s developed by the military that grant them special abilities. "Maximum Armor" gives the suit wearer heightened defenses to withstand bullet and shrapnel impacts; "Maximum Strength" gives the wearer greatly enhanced physical strength, to the point of being able to punch cars through the air; and "Maximum Speed" causes the wearer to run and act at extremely fast speeds. Additionally, the suits contain a cloaking element
to make the user near-invisible.
The first two games, Crysis and Crysis Warhead, take place in 2020 on the fictional Lingshan Islands, off the Philippines
. The protagonists of both games have belong to "Raptor Team," a United States special forces
operation that is sent to the island to investigate aggressive behavior by North Korea
. The player uses various weapons, including traditional projectile weapons like handgun
s, submachine gun
s, assault rifle
s, and sniper rifle
s (all of which can be modified with scopes and attachments), as well as explosives and the nanosuit's natural abilities. Multiplayer gameplay modes introduce fictional futuristic weapons based on the ice technology introduced by the alien antagonists who reside on the island. In single-player, Raptor Team faces off against both the North Korean military and these alien foes.
Crysis 2, the sequel to the original game, takes place in 2023 in New York City
, where characters from the previous games appear or are mentioned, but the protagonist is a new character, a US Marine named Alcatraz. The nanosuit in the game (dubbed "Nanosuit 2") is a streamlined version of the original, without separate "strength" and "speed" modes, rather performing context-sensitive acts of enhanced strength or agility, although it retains the separate "armour" and "stealth" modes.
City in 2023. The player controls Alcatraz, a US Marine who is found almost dead by Prophet, and given the upgraded Nanosuit 2 before he (Prophet) commits suicide. He is then tasked by Prophet to rescue a scientist named Nathan Gould. At first, Alcatraz has to face Crynet's CELL agents, a mercenary force who police Manhattan
, still thinking that Alcatraz is Prophet. After discovering Ceph capsules and Catalyst, the Ceph take over as the main antagonists for the rest of the game. Alcatraz and Gould team up with Tara Strickland, an undercover CIA lieutenant, and Jacob Hargreave, the original creator of the nanosuit. Alcatraz eventually enters the Ceph core spire and wipes out all the Ceph in New York. Now facing death again, he meets a memory pattern of Prophet, whose DNA is merged into Alcatraz's. The game closes with Alcatraz being contacted by Karl Rasch, a nanosuit scientist, and vowing to continue the war against the Ceph.
(2007) and Crysis Warhead
and Crysis Wars (2008) published by Electronic Arts
. Crytek states that the package is "the ultimate Crysis experience."
The game does not feature any extra material. The package is primarily focused to be a low-priced combo pack. All system requirements remain the same.
was awarded a 98% in the PC Gamer
U.S. Holiday 2007 issue, making it one of the highest rated games ever in PC Gamer, tying with Half-Life 2
and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
. The UK edition of the magazine awarded the game 92%, describing the game as "A spectacular and beautiful sci-fi epic." GameSpot
awarded Crysis a score of 9.5 out of 10, describing it as "easily one of the greatest shooters ever made." GameSpy
gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stating that the suit powers were fun but also criticizing the multiplayer portion of the game for not having a team deathmatch. X-Play
gave it a 3 out of 5 on its "Holiday Buyer's Guide" special episode, praising the graphics and physics, but criticized the steep hardware requirements as well as stating that the game is overhyped with average gameplay. GamePro
honored Crysis with a score of 4.75 out of 5, saying it was "a great step forward for PC gaming," but criticized the steep hardware requirements. IGN
awarded it a 9.4 out of 10, hailing it as "one of the more entertaining ballistic showdowns in quite some time."
Crysis Warhead
received largely positive reviews. Most reviewers praised the improvements over the original Crysis in areas like AI and gameplay pacing, citing the original game's criticism that battles were few and far between. The new protagonist, Psycho, was also received better than the original's less developed Nomad. The revamped multiplayer mode, Crysis Wars, was also praised for adding a team deathmatch mode, the lack of which most reviewers criticised in the original game. Criticism of the game by reviewers includes the short story mode and a lack of new features over the original game. Some continue to cite the game's high system requirements as unacceptable even a year after the original game, which has the same requirements. Indeed, some reviewers did not see any significant performance improvement with Warhead compared with Crysis, stating that only high-end GPU
s could handle the game comfortably at decent frame rate
s.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
video game series developed by German developer Crytek
Crytek
Crytek is a German video game company founded in 1999 by three Turkish brothers: Cevat, Avni and Faruk Yerli. Crytek's main headquarters are in Frankfurt, Germany, with five other studios in Kiev, Budapest, Nottingham, Sofia and Seoul. The company is best known for developing the game Far Cry and...
and published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. The series revolves around a group of military protagonists with "nanosuits," technologically advanced suits of armor that allow them to gain enhanced physical strength, speed, defense, and cloaking abilities. The protagonists face off against hostile North Korean soldiers, heavily-armed mercenaries, and a race of technologically advanced aliens known as the Ceph, who arrived on Earth millions of years ago for unclear reasons, and have recently been awakened.
As of 2011, the series consists of two main installments, a standalone spinoff of the first game with a separate multiplayer title, and a compilation. More sequels are planned, though they are currently not in the development phase.
Common gameplay elements
Characters in Crysis use nanosuits, advanced powered exoskeletonPowered exoskeleton
A powered exoskeleton, also known as powered armor, or exoframe, is a powered mobile machine consisting primarily of an exoskeleton-like framework worn by a person and a power supply that supplies at least part of the activation-energy for limb movement.Powered exoskeletons are designed to assist...
s developed by the military that grant them special abilities. "Maximum Armor" gives the suit wearer heightened defenses to withstand bullet and shrapnel impacts; "Maximum Strength" gives the wearer greatly enhanced physical strength, to the point of being able to punch cars through the air; and "Maximum Speed" causes the wearer to run and act at extremely fast speeds. Additionally, the suits contain a cloaking element
Cloaking device
Cloaking devices are advanced stealth technologies still in development that will cause objects, such as spaceships or individuals, to be partially or wholly invisible to parts of the electromagnetic spectrum...
to make the user near-invisible.
The first two games, Crysis and Crysis Warhead, take place in 2020 on the fictional Lingshan Islands, off the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. The protagonists of both games have belong to "Raptor Team," a United States special forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
operation that is sent to the island to investigate aggressive behavior by North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. The player uses various weapons, including traditional projectile weapons like handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s, submachine gun
Submachine gun
A submachine gun is an automatic carbine, designed to fire pistol cartridges. It combines the automatic fire of a machine gun with the cartridge of a pistol. The submachine gun was invented during World War I , but the apex of its use was during World War II when millions of the weapon type were...
s, assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
s, and sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
s (all of which can be modified with scopes and attachments), as well as explosives and the nanosuit's natural abilities. Multiplayer gameplay modes introduce fictional futuristic weapons based on the ice technology introduced by the alien antagonists who reside on the island. In single-player, Raptor Team faces off against both the North Korean military and these alien foes.
Crysis 2, the sequel to the original game, takes place in 2023 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where characters from the previous games appear or are mentioned, but the protagonist is a new character, a US Marine named Alcatraz. The nanosuit in the game (dubbed "Nanosuit 2") is a streamlined version of the original, without separate "strength" and "speed" modes, rather performing context-sensitive acts of enhanced strength or agility, although it retains the separate "armour" and "stealth" modes.
Player characters
- Nomad, real name Jake Dunn, is the protagonist of the first game, a member of Raptor Team. His backstory is alluded to in Crysis Warhead, where it is revealed he replaced O'Neill as a member of Raptor Team. Nomad survives the events of the first game and is, as of its ending, returning to the island with the intent to find Prophet and stop the alien threat at its source.
- Psycho, real name Michael Sykes, is the protagonist of the spinoff Crysis Warhead and another member of Raptor Team. He appears throughout the first half of Crysis and then returns in the last level, and Warhead fills in the intermediary time as Psycho attempts to stop North Koreans led by Colonel Lee from extracting a captured alien and reverse-engineering its technology. As of the end of the first game, Psycho is returning to the island with Nomad with the intent to find Prophet.
- Alcatraz, the silent protagonist of Crysis 2Crysis 2Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
, a Force Reconnaissance MarineUnited States Marine Corps Force ReconnaissanceThe Force Reconnaissance Companies , are one of the United States Marine Corps's special operations "capable" forces that provide essential elements of military intelligence to the command element of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force ; supporting the landing or joint task force commanders, and...
deployed to New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to rescue the scientist Nathan Gould. Found near death by Prophet, he is equipped with the nanosuit, still and continues searching for Gould. As he battles his way through hostile CELL mercenaries, he eventually finds Gould, only to be ambushed by CELL operatives and become separated. Gould and Alcatraz eventually meet up again at Grand Central Station, where they plan to evacuate the remaining people left in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. After leaving Central Station, Alcatraz makes his way to the Prism, the island where the nanosuit's creator, Jacob Hargreave, resides, planning to find deep layer protocols stored by Prophet. After doing so, he evacuates the island after it self-destructs, making his way to Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. There, he completes the "Assimilation" and wipes out all alien forces in New York City. While presumed dead, he meets Prophet in the deep layers of the suit. Karl Rasch, joint creator of the Hargreave-Rasch biomedical company which developed the nanosuit, contacts Alcatraz as he rises out of the rubble of Central Park, and asks who is the wearer of "Jacob Hargreave's Nanoshell." Alcatraz then responds "They call me...Prophet."
Other protagonists
- Prophet, real name Laurence Barnes, is the leader of Raptor Team and appears in Crysis and Crysis 2 (though he can be heard in Warhead). Prophet guides Nomad throughout the first part of his mission, but is captured by an alien and presumed dead until Nomad finds him in the ice sphere. After being rescued, Prophet begins acting oddly, having unexplained knowledge of alien technologies and a drive to return to the island. He returns to the island during the final battle and is presumed dead again when the military nukes the island, but somehow sends a message to Nomad and Psycho and they head back to find him. He also appears in "2" as the Nanosuit 2's first wearer, and gives the suit to Alcatraz it before killing himself to break his memories with the Nanosuit 2.
- Helena Rosenthal is a scientist on the island who is captured by the North Korean army. She is rescued by Nomad and returned to the US carrier fleet. She, Nomad, and Psycho survive the alien attack and intend to return to the island to find Prophet.
- Sean O'Neill is a major character in Warhead who is an old friend of Psycho's. He was originally supposed to be a member of Raptor Team, but was replaced by Nomad after failing an evaluation test. He assists Psycho several times despite being told not to by the military, and eventually escapes the island with Psycho. It is not known what happened to him during the alien attack on the carrier fleet.
Antagonists
- General Kyong is the leader of the KPA military detachment to the island; he intends to use the aliens' technology to turn North Korea into a world-dominating superpower.
- Colonel Lee is one of the leaders of the North Korean army on the island and the primary antagonist of Warhead. He captures an alien and intends to bring it to Korea for reverse-engineering, but is stopped several times by Psycho. At the end of the game, Lee is finally defeated and presumably killed by the alien warship.
- The Ceph are an initially-unnamed extraterrestrial race that has been dormant on the island in a large mountain. Their units range from small, robotic creatures and powered exoskeletons to enormous warships. In the first game they use ice-based technologies and can grow in strength when they absorb energy. The purpose of the aliens on Earth is unclear, but they are antagonistic towards both the American and Korean armies. They remained unnamed until the 'Prophets Journey' trailer and the multiplayer demo. In the second game it is revealed that they possess multiple buried structures around the planet, like the ones in the Lingshan islands and beneath New York City.
- Commander Dominic Lockhart is the primary antagonist of the first half of Crysis 2 and the leader of C.E.L.L., he is attempting to kill Alcatraz, whom he thinks is Prophet. Lockhart is a sociopath who will do anything to achieve his goals, including betraying his employer and going against orders given to him by his superior officer. he is killed when Alcatraz throws him out of a second story window.
- C.E.L.L. Agents are members of Crynet, the Company behind the quarantining of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. They, along with the Ceph, are the main enemies that Alcatraz faces in Crysis 2Crysis 2Crysis 2 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek, published by Electronic Arts and released in North America, Australia, and Europe in March 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360...
. They are human and use armor along with a wide variety of guns. Though they are generally weak foes, they have more powers in numbers. They can use vehicles, such as trucks, tanks, and helicopters.
- C.E.L.L. Agents are members of Crynet, the Company behind the quarantining of New York City
- Jacob Hargreave is the main antagonist of the second half of Crysis 2. he is one of the co-founders of Hargreave-Rasch and at first guides Alcatraz through many of the levels following Gould's capture until Alcatraz kills Lockhart, then it is revealed Hargreave is attempting to take Alcatraz's suit so he can fight the Ceph himself. He is betrayed by one of his subordinates, Tara Strickland, who was in truth an undercover CIA operative; she reveals to Alcatraz that Hargreave was the one behind the events of the original CrysisCrysisCrysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
, orchestrating the encounter between the US military and the Ceph, and that he came in contact with the Ceph in Tunguska over a century ago. Alcatraz confronts him in his office, where it is revealed that he is actually in a vegetative state and floating in a green fluid filled chamber. He is presumed dead when the Hargreave-Rasch building collapses after an attack by the Ceph.
Crysis (2007)
After Helena Rosenthal sends a distress signal saying the North Koreans are invading the seemingly unimportant island on which her team is working, the US government dispatches Raptor Team, a group of nanosuit-clad soldiers. After arriving on the island, however, Raptor Team's ranks are thinned by mysterious flying creatures, eventually leaving only Nomad, Psycho, and Prophet, who is subsequently kidnapped by the organisms later called the Ceph. Nomad rescues Helena but is eventually trapped in the alien ship after it unleashes an "ice sphere" on the island, freezing a great deal of the island. Nomad escapes the island with Helena and an oddly-behaving Prophet, and returns to the US carrier fleet, where he finds Psycho. Prophet returns to the island, which is subsequently nuked in the attempt to kill the aliens. However, they only grow stronger from the energy. The aliens launch a massive attack on the carrier fleet, successfully destroying it. Nomad, Psycho, and Helena escape and receive a distress signal from the still-alive Prophet, and decide to return to the island.Crysis Warhead (2008)
During Psycho's own mission, he was sent to retrieve a captured alien from Colonel Lee and the Koreans. After numerous setbacks and the assistance of his friend O'Neill, Psycho successfully defeats Lee, obtains the alien, and brings it back to the carrier fleet. At this point, the story continues in the original title.Crysis 2 (2011)
A sequel set 3 years after the original game, Crysis 2 takes place in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
City in 2023. The player controls Alcatraz, a US Marine who is found almost dead by Prophet, and given the upgraded Nanosuit 2 before he (Prophet) commits suicide. He is then tasked by Prophet to rescue a scientist named Nathan Gould. At first, Alcatraz has to face Crynet's CELL agents, a mercenary force who police Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, still thinking that Alcatraz is Prophet. After discovering Ceph capsules and Catalyst, the Ceph take over as the main antagonists for the rest of the game. Alcatraz and Gould team up with Tara Strickland, an undercover CIA lieutenant, and Jacob Hargreave, the original creator of the nanosuit. Alcatraz eventually enters the Ceph core spire and wipes out all the Ceph in New York. Now facing death again, he meets a memory pattern of Prophet, whose DNA is merged into Alcatraz's. The game closes with Alcatraz being contacted by Karl Rasch, a nanosuit scientist, and vowing to continue the war against the Ceph.
Crysis Wars (2008)
Warhead also contains Crysis Wars, a separate multiplayer game that improves upon the original game's multiplayer.Crysis: Maximum Edition (2009)
Crysis: Maximum Edition is a compilation of all titles in the Crysis series released at the time: CrysisCrysis
Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
(2007) and Crysis Warhead
Crysis Warhead
Crysis Warhead is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game developed by the studio Crytek Budapest, Hungary, and published by Electronic Arts. Crysis Warhead is a stand-alone expansion game and does not require Crysis installed to play...
and Crysis Wars (2008) published by Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...
. Crytek states that the package is "the ultimate Crysis experience."
The game does not feature any extra material. The package is primarily focused to be a low-priced combo pack. All system requirements remain the same.
Reception
CrysisCrysis
Crysis is a science fiction first-person shooter video game developed by Crytek , published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows, and released in November 2007. It is the first game of a trilogy. A separate game entitled Crysis Warhead was released on September 12, 2008, and follows similar...
was awarded a 98% in the PC Gamer
PC Gamer
PC Gamer is a magazine founded in Britain in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future Publishing. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games magazines in their respective countries...
U.S. Holiday 2007 issue, making it one of the highest rated games ever in PC Gamer, tying with Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 , the sequel to Half-Life, is a first-person shooter video game and a signature title in the Half-Life series. It is singleplayer, story-driven, science fiction, and linear...
and Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri
Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri is the critically acclaimed science fiction 4X turn-based strategy video game sequel to the Civilization series. Sid Meier, designer of Civilization, and Brian Reynolds, designer of Civilization II, developed Alpha Centauri after they left MicroProse to join the newly...
. The UK edition of the magazine awarded the game 92%, describing the game as "A spectacular and beautiful sci-fi epic." GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
awarded Crysis a score of 9.5 out of 10, describing it as "easily one of the greatest shooters ever made." GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
gave it a 4.5 out of 5 stating that the suit powers were fun but also criticizing the multiplayer portion of the game for not having a team deathmatch. X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave it a 3 out of 5 on its "Holiday Buyer's Guide" special episode, praising the graphics and physics, but criticized the steep hardware requirements as well as stating that the game is overhyped with average gameplay. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
honored Crysis with a score of 4.75 out of 5, saying it was "a great step forward for PC gaming," but criticized the steep hardware requirements. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
awarded it a 9.4 out of 10, hailing it as "one of the more entertaining ballistic showdowns in quite some time."
Crysis Warhead
Crysis Warhead
Crysis Warhead is a science fiction first-person shooter computer game developed by the studio Crytek Budapest, Hungary, and published by Electronic Arts. Crysis Warhead is a stand-alone expansion game and does not require Crysis installed to play...
received largely positive reviews. Most reviewers praised the improvements over the original Crysis in areas like AI and gameplay pacing, citing the original game's criticism that battles were few and far between. The new protagonist, Psycho, was also received better than the original's less developed Nomad. The revamped multiplayer mode, Crysis Wars, was also praised for adding a team deathmatch mode, the lack of which most reviewers criticised in the original game. Criticism of the game by reviewers includes the short story mode and a lack of new features over the original game. Some continue to cite the game's high system requirements as unacceptable even a year after the original game, which has the same requirements. Indeed, some reviewers did not see any significant performance improvement with Warhead compared with Crysis, stating that only high-end GPU
Graphics processing unit
A graphics processing unit or GPU is a specialized circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory in such a way so as to accelerate the building of images in a frame buffer intended for output to a display...
s could handle the game comfortably at decent frame rate
Frame rate
Frame rate is the frequency at which an imaging device produces unique consecutive images called frames. The term applies equally well to computer graphics, video cameras, film cameras, and motion capture systems...
s.