Details on Crysis Warhead

[CSN NewsBot]

The Czech gaming site, Tiscali Games, has the scoop on what gamers can expect from Crysis Warhead, the expansion/sequel to Crysis.

• Begins when the original game's Nomad character parts ways with Warhead's new hero, Psycho, and follows him all the way until the two are to reunite again on board the aircraft carrier.
  
  
• Mostly located on the other side of the island.
  
  
• Less linear approach and more sandbox type of gameplay, as opposed to the original.
  
  
• Same nanosuit and the same functions, with more likely to be revealed later (definitely a "surprise" in that matter is promised).
  
  
• Singleplayer campaign to last 8-10 hours.
  
  
• At least two new weapons, the granade launcher and double SMG.
  
  
• Improved enemy AI, better able to organize itself and follow tactics.
  
  
• New vehicles incl. Armored Scout Recon (about the size of a jeep with a mounted gun) and a hovercraft, both playable in multiplayer as well.
  
  
• New team-based MP mode and less complex than the original two.
  
  
• Better optimized to run faster than the original game on the same hardware.
  
  
• Won't require DX10 for maximum details and full effects.
  
  
• Dialogues done by Bioshock's Susanna O'Connor.
  
  
• Completely stand-alone and as noted by developers, not an add-on but a full title.
  
  
• The possibility of Crysis 2 to rely heavily on Warhead's sales

The balance of the Crysis series is now in the hands of Warhead. With a SP campaign that's only 8-10 hours long though, let's just hope the price is comparable.

[LMN8R]

Here are some better details from IGN and PC Gamer:

PC Gamer information:



Crytek is mainly focusing on dealing with a perception problem:

-Performance, what it *actually* takes to run the game

-Sales, specifically saying it's sold about 1.5 million copies

-The perception that multi-platform development will dumb down PC versions



Crysis Warhead is a PC exclusive



Warhead is a full sized game, following Psycho during the events of Crysis. Not just a standalone expansion



Psycho's known appearance allows for 3rd-person cutscenes. Don't scoff - they could be used to teach you nanosuit techniques. I'll believe it when I see it though...



Prophet's story isn't touched in this game, but his story could be in yet another "sidequel". Ugh, what about addressing the cliffhanger ending?



Game starts when Psycho leaves Nomad (main character from first game) about half-way through the first game. Ends sometime before he shows back up on the aircraft carrier



Single player campaign of about 8-10 hours, beefed up multiplayer game (I'll go over it later)



Crytek's aim with Warhead is specifically to satisfy critics of the first game



Yerli admits that designing the game with future scalability was a "mistake", and that they should have released those higher settings later with a patch



"If you were able to run Crysis, you'll be able to run Warhead better" -Cevat Yerli



In addition to better performance, Warhead includes a new "global ambient lighting" system, lighting and shadowing improvements, and new particle effects - none of which impact framerates on current-gen machines



You don't need Vista and DX10 this time around for the highest-end effects - you can max out the graphics with DX9 on XP



AI improvements - aliens have more human-like organizations, enemies have better group tactics, korean combat chatter improves



Unlike Crysis' linear focus towards the end, Warhead maintains scripted and sandbox aspects, better integrated throughout the game. Vehicles remain important throughout it



You'll never be forced into a vehicle - they always remain options in Warhead



Yerli admits that announcing Crysis too early may have hurt the game - Warhead will ship this year, and from now on, he hopes to announce games merely 3 months before their release



Psycho's suit abilities will be the same as Nomad's, but Crytek says there might be a surprise later in the game.



Multiplayer



Warhead includes everything that Crysis has, including stuff added to the game post-release



Includes a third mode to the first Instant Action and Power Struggle modes



New mode isn't named yet, will be less complex than Power Struggle, but be more involved than instant Action



New maps feature more vertical environments, wide gaps to encourage strength jumps and such



All vehicles - including the new amphibious APC - will be available in multiplayer



Interview clips



Doesn't agree with Brad Wardell on piracy, says the problem is people choosing between spending money on hardware or spending money on software. Basically hopes that now that people have the hardware, they'll spend their money on Crysis



Says that yes, Crysis sold well, Crytek/EA made a profit despite the big budget of the game, but sales could have been better. Yes, 15-20 pirated copies for 1 sold copy doesn't mean they could have sold 15-20 times as much, but he thinks selling double the amount isn't an unreasonable estimate



Crysis 2's development depends heavily on Warhead's success



Cross-platform development would involve two teams, avoiding the "distilled, easier to access experience" that console games need on the PC version



Crytek's previous GDC announcement involving PS3 development is not Crysis-related



Pushing PC hardware? "I think we wouldn't be Crytek if each platform didn't have its technology pushed."



The PC Gamer $653 Warhead Machine



Crytek built its own machine capable of running the game "silky smooth", with "all the bells and whistles turned on". Considering that it has an 8600GT, I'll take it with a grain of salt, but Dan Stapleton confirmed in a PC Gamer Podcast thread that they absolutely did play the game on this machine, and it was running on High details.



Shuttle SG31G2S Barebone Case - $239.99

Intel Pentium E2180 2.0GHz Dual-Core CPU - $82.99

Samsung SH-S203B DVD Burner - $29.99

Hitachi Deskstar 7K160 160GB hard drive - $48.99

A-Data 2GB DDR2 SDRAM - $45.99

MSI GeForce 8600GT 512MB video card - $94.99

Vista Home Premium - $109.99



Don't forget that you can easily find a case/power supply solution for cheaper than that! It would compensate for the mouse, keyboard, speakers, and monitor you might need.

IGN information:

IGN's preview: http://pc.ign.com/articles/884/884351p1.html



I'm mostly stoked for this:



The designers gave us a view of one of early levels in the game, Ambush. Right off the bat it's intense. VTOL transports are coming in to drop off Marines, the radio is full of chatter, and jet fighters are dropping bombs left and right. Think of the opening of the Crysis level Assault, but with that amount of energy sustained throughout. It's all very loud and frantic, but this isn't an attempt to make a linear-game like Call of Duty. Warhead still embraces the series' philosophy of the nanosuit, the high-tech power suit that lets you alter your strategy and tactics on the fly. The battlefields are still large and open, and this gives you an incredible number of options when in a fight. You can stealth and hide to restore your health or ambush an opponent. Use strength to leap atop buildings and hit your enemy from above. Or you can use speed to zip from one location to another. "The core gameplay is still Veni, Vidi, Vici," Yerli said, referring to the Latin term "I came, I saw, I conquered."



With Assault being easily my favorite level in Crysis, seeing as it's basically a combination of the intensity of Call of Duty 4 but with the openness of Far Cry, I couldn't be more happy to read this.



They mention the same $652 computer that PC Gamer does, so I'm starting to think that the 8600GT making the game look good isn't a fluke after all. They say:



"Performance was astonishingly smooth and fluid even with a high level of graphical detail."