Crysis was the one game from E3 2006 that put me completely on my heels. I was not expecting to be astonished that day. It isn't a direct sequel to Far Cry but more of a spiritual successor that sports the best graphics I've ever seen in a video game bar none. Normally I'd say graphics can only take you so far but Crysis will be an exception. The visuals are so immersive and the environments so responsive that the graphics make up a great deal of the game play. Even so, the game needs to play well to satisfy jaded PC shooter fans the world over. When E3 2007 rolled around we were anxious to see what had changed and how close it was to being done. Electronic Arts and Crytek gave press their first look at a completed level from Crysis this year, and it's safe to say that the quality of the game play is catching up to the amazing technology driving the game.

The level on display this year was one of the early levels from the game and had us dropping into a jungle island populated by the North Korean army. Even after having seen the graphics last year and in multiple movies there's nothing like sitting and playing it for yourself. The super-soldier suit that the character wears enables you to stealth in and scope out the enemy before attacking or just load up on armor and go in shooting. The suit has an easy-to-use interface that gives you access to cloaking, speed, armor, strength, and weapon modifications on the fly. It's been said about many games in the past but Crysis truly does feature multiple ways to engage the opposition. You can even forgo the guns and wade in there throwing objects and enemies around like the Hulk (although you probably won't last long). You can also jump in vehicles and use their weapons to soften the target before approaching or take out all the vehicles so they can't be used against you. The objectives are linear but the methods are quite open-ended and since this is a mostly outdoor game there is an almost infinite number of ways to assault a given position.

View the Crysis E3 2007 Slideshow (13 images)

One of the stand-out features of Far Cry was the enemy A.I. and Crysis looks to benefit from Crytek's experience. The North Korean soldiers in the demo react to sound, use group tactics, and call for reinforcements when they're overwhelmed. They aren't all brave though; sometimes they just turn tail and run when their boys start falling over dead. Reinforcements can come in the form of a Humvee full of soldiers or a patrol boat pulling in from the water. What's important is that it all feels like the world is responding to changes in a dynamic way and not reacting to predetermined scripts. If games want to truly immerse players in their environments, the environments need to allow for any action imaginable and respond in kind. Crysis is a step in that direction.

As of today the Crysis release date of September 11, 2007 is holding firm but who knows anymore. Publishers play with release dates like so many cards in the wind. The demo level was extraordinary but the A.I. could still use a little tweaking and the frame-rate was not consistent with a lot of action so there is still some room for polish. With a few months left in the schedule to iron out the kinks Crytek could have a new PC gaming classic on their hands. See for yourself in the slideshow. Hopefully we'll all find out in September.

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