Game rating: Crysis: Warhead (2008)

[B33 ENN]

Game title
Crysis: Warhead (2008)

Category            Rating            Comments Story line 7 Although Crysis: Warhead was released as a standalone game, it is understandable that it might be seen as an "expansion" to the original Crysis released a year earlier. After all, the game is set within the timeline of the original script and uses the same but slightly modified game engine, and the game mechanics are all but unchanged. However, this time you play one of the other characters, "Psycho", who was a friendly A.I. controlled NPC the last time. Practically, this makes little difference and only has an asthetic and content impact in voice-overs and cut-scenes. The story is based around the fact that during the previous game, when you played "Nomad", your team-mate Psycho separated for a half the levels and followed his own sub-arc within the story until you were re-united at the climax of the mission. This is as reasonable a motivation for a sequel as any and, in fact, probably a more original rationale than most games make an effort to offer. In fact, it is quite clever as it ties up nicely with the events in the original story. Graphics 9 The graphical excellence in Warhead has remainded no different to the original, though there has been some subtle improvement in framerate optimisation after the criticism of the original. However, it is not significant to the point where the system requirements  have lowered to any realistic degree or would be noticed by most end users. Some obvious changes are purely superficial, such as the settings options being renamed from "Very High"/"High"/"Medium" to "Enthusiast"/"Gamer"/"Mainstream" respectively. Thankfully, the advanced options are still available to tune or alter specific settings more precisely for the educated gamer. Naturally, the game is appreciated best at the Enthusiast preset or tuned above. With new levels comes exciting new content, diverse new scenery, and the distinct environments that theme each level are just as or even more rewarding than the first game. Sound 8 The sound effects in Warhead are by and large no different to the original Crysis, which was already more than sufficient in all areas. The in-game theme music is much the same as the first game but with a somewhat greater urgency, with its air of a 90's military/political action thriller. However, one of the main criticisms of the earlier review stated that the enemy KPA troops dialogue was unfortunately stereotyped. Very few mainstream reviews mentioned this so it comes as a pleasant surprise that Warhead has considerably reduced this to a more acceptable degree. However, the parts you now don't hear have not been replaced with any new discernable content, so essentially, they now just talk less. If anything, hearing less English phrases spoken by them only increases the believability and therefore the immersion: Crysis is not best enjoyed with sneak'n'peak gameplay as can be say F.E.A.R. 2 and Far Cry 2; so inevitably, you shouldn't be spending enough time within earshot of a live Korean to care what he mutters to his endangered comrades, and if you do, you are doing something wrong. Game play 8 As noted at the open, Warhead is best seen as an expansion to the original game; however, it comprises all the better features of that experience and reduces or eliminates the worst, similar to Mount & Blade and it's Warband 'expansion'. With the exception of two levels, this time the gameplay does not become progressively constrained as you advance through the levels. Even though you are still being directed from a beginning to an end, there is the extensive "breathing room" to formulate your own stratagems that was present only in the early part of the original Crysis. The two levels where the game deviates from this involve a corridor-shooter style underground cave system, and a turret-sequence disguised as rail transport journey. The former is actually quite challenging and creepy and will seem familiar to anyone who played Metro 2033; and the latter is far easier and brief than the comparable mission in F.E.A.R. 2, so it is a short-lived detour from the norm if you are not that way inclined. Most of the gameplay mechanics remain unchanged from before apart from some noticeable extras like the ability to "dual-wield" a pair of SMG's for those "Lara Croft" moments - just don't think you have unlimited ammunition though! Unfortunately, there have been no alterations to the Nanosuit modes making it any more useful or anwhere as iconic as the Plasmids in BioShock. Sadly, Cloak and Speed modes still drain your suit's energy reserve before you have had a chance to enjoy their unique contribution to the FPS combat genre. Strenth mode is generally only useful when a particular mission obstacle is designed around you needing to use it to progress, essentially to jump higher than normal onto or over obstacles. Armour mode (your default state) is generally all you need for a really challenging gameplay experience, and that renders the other modes to feeling more like cheat modes than part of the normal experience. However, playstyle will determine to a larger extent what you make of them, as one of Crysis' strong points in the genre is that it allows the player the freedom to make it their own. Replay value 9 Where Warhead may lose ground in being half the length it should've been, it makes up for it in replayability. Just like the original, the sandbox level approach is key in this respect and offers distinct challenges at different difficulties; and the there is noticeably more tactical freedom in even the more 'claustrophobic' of the levels. The A.I. in this installment appears to be improved as well, offering a slightly enhanced challenge over the previous experience. The game also comes with a separately installed multiplayer mode called Crysis: Wars. It has some major refinements and some enhancements (such as a team-deathmatch mode) over the limited and reputedly buggy previous built-in version. Final thoughts Warhead offers the content that should have been, but wasn't, the last half of Crysis; which brings us to the only major criticism of this installment: there are only seven levels in the single-player campaign compared to eleven in the original Crysis. Even though the size and variety of them is  vast and detailed; for many, this would be seen as having been short-changed as well as short-lived. For those who might be interested in the compiled "Maximum Edition", it would be ideal to suggest that they play Crysis up to the end of level 7 "Awakening", then switch to Warhead and continue from there in order to get the best experience - optionally returning to the first to finish out the story if they wish. As discussed in the previous Crysis review, that game's execution suffered greatly beyond the first half-levels. For that reason and its brevity, Warhead could be interpreted as an attempt to correct that flaw, and therefore seen as an effort to redress the complaints like an add-on to the original rather than a true second chapter. However, if one were limited to recommending just one of the series to a franchise newcomer, it would definitely have to be this one. The consistent pacing of the level designs; the impressive player freedom provided by the large sandbox levels; and even a finale this time around that is much more satisfying; all combine to ensure a challenging and, most importantly, fun experience worth revisiting and contrasting to newer titles in the future.

[Fiach]

This is very interesting for me mate so thanks for the review.

I am still waiting for my copy of the original crysis (bloody hard to get here), but when I was getting my new PC, the criteria I had was ..... "can it play Crysis?".

I felt that Far Cry 1 had a great start, but halfway through became crap similar to your critique of the original Crysis, so I guess I'll have to try and locate a Warhead expansion now and paly it as you suggested.

I'm disappointed with what you feel about the suit, I was really looking forward to that aspect of the game.

I'm surprised you only gave the gfx a 9/10, I thought that Crysis was supposed to be the best looking game on the market, so I'm curious to know why.

Great review though, cheers  :-X

[B33 ENN]

...I am still waiting for my copy of the original crysis (bloody hard to get here), but when I was getting my new PC, the criteria I had was ..... "can it play Crysis?".

That's a phrase that is now carved into gaming history I think   ^+-+ Although games like ARMA II and Metro 2033 have pushed the frontiers further, Crysis still taxes modern equipment greatly.

Sure, on single screen up to say 1920x1200 it is pretty smooth on the latest gfx cards, but go to 2560x1600 and performance can get start to reverse... and try Eyefinity multiscreen like I do, and you are back to square one looking at a late 19th century slideshow, but in colour!  ???

I'm disappointed with what you feel about the suit, I was really looking forward to that aspect of the game.

I'm glad you raised that: I didn't include it in the review (as that should be about the official release) however, you can do a simple workaround on the difficulty *.ini files to tweak the strength and energy replenishment rate etc of the suit to improve gameplay to how you want it. So don't be disheartened ;)

I'm surprised you only gave the gfx a 9/10, I thought that Crysis was supposed to be the best looking game on the market, so I'm curious to know why...

Simple, nothing gets a 10 from me on principle as nothing is that perfect  >:D Actually, it might happen someday, but I like to be strict with the ratings system as these things are so subjective.

In my recommendations, 10 represents a perfect score, to me that means it can't be improved, or there were no compromises made...

Rarely can that be true, no?  ;)

[Fiach]

OK thanks for that, I feel the same way about 10's tbh, but I would have thought that Crysis was such a gfx benchmark, in that it surpasses all other games so significantly, it should have got 10 (I havent played it yet, just an observation on my part :)

Thanks for the heads up on the suit tweak. :)

EDIT excerpt fro a guide :) :

There are three cut scenes where you see Bourbon
approaching and opening the gate at the end of a long tunnel. During the second
cutscene, you get pulled backwards. Run forward towards Bourbon and away from
the opening doors when this happens. During the third cutscene, run forward and
you'll grab onto the gate and, with a little help, you pull yourself and
Bourbon to safety. Congratulations! You just avoided dying to, uh, something.

[Fiach]

BTW, regarding metro, I played a bit of that and was'nt all that impressed (360 version I guess is the reason), I stopped because I left the first area with a guy and we went somewhere that you needed to keep replacing your mask (I think), was a lot of dead bodies, the other guy went to look for a gate or something, I kept dying seconds after replacing a mask, I never knew why, So I just returned the game, probably should have read the manual LOL :)

[B33 ENN]

OK thanks for that, I feel the same way about 10's tbh, but I would have thought that Crysis was such a gfx benchmark, in that it surpasses all other games so significantly, it should have got 10 (I havent played it yet, just an observation on my part :)

Part of Crysis' problem is that the CryEngine 2 is not well optimised on anything!  :( So as I said earlier, it has that fatal flaw where it looks gorgeous but the framerate was so low at that point that people couldn't actually enjoy it.

Had it had that quality and been able to run at maximum settings on the best systems of the period, or shortly after... it would have a 10 for sure. People buying it today get a better deal for sure as the new tech compensates for that shortcoming.

BTW, regarding metro, I played a bit of that and was'nt all that impressed (360 version I guess is the reason)...

I haven't got into it big time, so I don't understand all the gameplay aspects, but the mask prevents you getting poisoned by the bad air from the apocalyptic holocaust you survive in. Shame you returned it otherwise you could have looked at some gameplay guides online to get a handle on the complexities.  :)


As for the graphics, understandable the console version the game is nowhere near its full potential. I run the PC version and it has more settings then I can get my head around   :o It is a visually fantastic and atmospheric game; but far, far too linear to have great replay value. Anyway, that'll be the subject of another review...  ;)

[Fiach]

Well I gave it back because the money/currency is bullets, which you also need for fighting, it just seemed like a stupid mechanic, I could visualise painting myself into a corner and have a good weapon and no bullets, so I didnt even bother trying to find out why I died, if the game cant inform me, its bad design I think, I tried changing masks are there were a few laying around, but I died seconds after putting them on.

I didnt consider the game good enough to bother looking too deeply into the matter, I'm not the worlds biggest shooter fan, I'm more of an RPG nut, that game didnt satify either catagory enough for me, maybe I shoulda given it more time, Its only a tenner here, maybe Ill give it another go.

Cheers :)

EDIT : Excerpt from a guide :

There are three cut scenes where you see Bourbon
approaching and opening the gate at the end of a long tunnel. During the second
cutscene, you get pulled backwards. Run forward towards Bourbon and away from
the opening doors when this happens. During the third cutscene, run forward and
you'll grab onto the gate and, with a little help, you pull yourself and
Bourbon to safety. Congratulations! You just avoided dying to, uh, something.

[JRD]

Excellent review B33 ENN, very well written!  :-X

1 - Regarding graphics in Crysis and 10`s
I`d give it a 10 as I don`t expect to see any perfect game in my lifetime. My rating is more flexible as I usually get impressed with new generation games - hence my 10  ;D . Upon release, Crysis was the most beautiful game I`ve ever seen, so Fiach, even if it is a game from 2007 and also not getting a 10 from B33 ENN, don`t worry, the looks on this game is amazing, you won`t be disappointed  8)

2 - Regarding the nanosuit
It could`ve been so much better! I wholeheartedly agree with your comments. Cloak is somewhat useless as it can only hold on for so long, and that`s if you are not moving! Speed mode is a joke, it`s just a short lived sprint  :-( , strength mode is only good to jump on/over stuff even if some trailers suggest otherwise... finally armor mode is all you need... basically if you didn`t have a nanosuit you`d have to use some kind of armor anyway but the suit looks wicked  ;D. As a principle I always play a game without any cheats so I can get a a feel of what the devs wanted me to experience, but the second time around Crysis I tweaked the suit to last for much longer than before and yet I only played the first two levels up to the point where you enter the KPA base at the shore... so much for replay value!  :-(

@Fiach... can`t you just order a copy at amazon-uk?  ???? ... I got a copy of Operation Flashpoint - the original GOTY in a couple of days!

[B33 ENN]

I`d give it a 10 as I don`t expect to see any perfect game in my lifetime. ....not getting a 10 from B33 ENN, don`t worry, the looks on this game is amazing, you won`t be disappointed  8)

I totally get where you are coming from, but as I mentioned in a reply earlier, had the game played on the best computers of 2007/8 as well as it was supposed to, so people could enjoy it out of the box, it would have deserved a 10.  :-\\

As it happens, poor optimisation and hyped promises from the developers (who could have been a bit more honest about it to buyers) is what leads me to think it didn't deserve the that 10. You could say, the playability of those wonderful graphics let it down a point. But having said that, a 9 isn't exactly a fail on one of my reviews!  ;)

... As a principle I always play a game without any cheats so I can get a a feel of what the devs wanted me to experience, but the second time around Crysis I tweaked the suit to last for much longer than before and yet I only played the first two levels up to the point where you enter the KPA base at the shore... so much for replay value!  :-(

Same here, I finished my first plays on both games with no modification. Then later went back and tweaked the settings to improve the fun factor and reduce the frustration for my next plays.

One thing is interesting, after all these years it still brings out that controversy whenever it is discussed! :-D

[JRD]

I`d give it a 10 as I don`t expect to see any perfect game in my lifetime. ....not getting a 10 from B33 ENN, don`t worry, the looks on this game is amazing, you won`t be disappointed  8)

I totally get where you are coming from, but as I mentioned in a reply earlier, had the game played on the best computers of 2007/8 as well as it was supposed to, so people could enjoy it out of the box, it would have deserved a 10.  :-\\

Agree... I had a powerful GPU back then and the highest settings wasn`t even highlighted to me.... I could see them but not enable them  :-( ... frustrating!!! I was impressed nonetheless but had I written a review back in 2008 when I played the game and maybe it would`ve made me rate it 9 instead! As you said... a 9 is not a fail in your rating!  :)

One thing is interesting, after all these years it still brings out that controversy whenever it is discussed! :-D

Crysis 2 is around the corner with a completely different level design... let`s see what they come up with for the new suit this time!  ;)

[Fiach]

Well as it happens, I got it today in the post LOL, (from play.com for 9.99), but in Ireland I could never find it in any of the game stores (GAME, Gamespot, Xtravision etc). It was always on order, but never came in, then xmas and the really bad december snow storms probably exacerbated the delay.  :D

[B33 ENN]

Well as it happens, I got it today in the post LOL, (from play.com for 9.99), but in Ireland I could never find it in any of the game stores (GAME, Gamespot, Xtravision etc). It was always on order, but never came in, then xmas and the really bad december snow storms probably exacerbated the delay.  :D

:-() You reminded me why I got interested in using Steam last year... I went to a London specialist game store and asked if they had Crysis... The guy looked at me and asked, "Is that PS3 or xBox?"  ^+-+

When I said it was a PC only game, he tried searching his database to order me a hardcopy, and nope... nothing, nada, zippo.  ???

[Fiach]

Well Half Life 2 put me off Steam, so I refuse to use it, I prefer hard copies of games anyway, I like to be able to touch them, smell them, run my wet fingers all over thei shiny surfaces as I lick the edges and poke my tongue through their spindle ho...... erm..... i like to have the actual game disc  :-[  >:D

[Art Blade]

Fiach, that last comment is about the funniest post in this topic  ^+-+ :-X

Great review and discussion here, thank you guys  :-X

[B33 ENN]

Well Half Life 2 put me off Steam, so I refuse to use it, I prefer hard copies of games anyway, I like to be able to... <censored> erm..... i like to have the actual game disc  :-[  >:D

I guess those of us that like to watch use Steam   8)

[Fiach]

ROFL!!!   ;D :-X

[JRD]

 ^+-+ :-X

[fragger]

 ^+-+ ^+-+ ^+-+

I'll never look at a disc the same way again...

[KingRat]

I'd picked up Crysis and Warhead off Steam a year ago. Played crysis through the Korean missions then quit...part of the problems I had were traced to a bad motherboard, but I also lost interest with the aliens. Haven't tried warhead yet, but I'm reminded of a quote from PCGamer in their FarCry2 review>

"FarCry2 is what Warhead should have been"  ;)

[Art Blade]

I played FarCry1. Then everyone waited for Crysis and the devs kept telling us how cool it would be. When it came out, it was disappointing. When FC2 came out, it was a not easy at once but a lot better than Crysis, and FC2 eventually became our favourite game. I am still so fed up with Crysis that I haven't wanted to play any of the sequels.

oh, and..

... I like to be able to... <censored> erm..... i like to have the actual game disc  :-[  >:D

I guess those of us that like to watch use Steam   8)

:-() :-() :-() :-X

[JRD]

I`m just like Art...  wasn`t expecting for anything from C2. The discussion we had with B33 ENN and the reviews I posted a few posts ago brought some interesting insights though.

It might present some nice improvements and concepts:

- Vertical scenarios - looking down from 30 stories buildings! Wow... if it looks like I am imagining right now... big WOW  8)
- An open world jungle is, most of the time, blocked by the very nature of the scenario - trees and bushes, therefore an open world city landscape may present itself as a much wide area!  8)
- Teared streets leading to sewers and metro systems, if coped with high buildings where you can get in to and if set as a network of streets and tunnels instead of a corridor style... than we are talking about some serious shooter, mate.... worth keeping our eyes peeled!!!!  >:D

[Art Blade]

hehe, someone should get it, play it, and tell us  :-()

[deadman1]

Well Half Life 2 put me off Steam, so I refuse to use it, I prefer hard copies of games anyway, I like to be able to touch them, smell them, run my wet fingers all over thei shiny surfaces as I lick the edges and poke my tongue through their spindle ho...... erm..... i like to have the actual game disc  :-[  >:D

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