Crytek talks about Crysis 2 for the PC

[WaitingForNehalem]

GameSpot: What was the general feeling among the team when work began on Crysis 2? What did you feel that you needed to prove?
Jan Lechner: First of all, we were proud of what we had achieved with Crysis. Having worked on a game for three years and then witnessing how much people love it feels amazing. Nevertheless, we also knew that there were many areas we could do better and that there was still room for improvement. Crysis was perceived as a technical beast that could melt down the strongest PC hardware. Crysis was made to last long in the rapid progression of PC hardware. But the fact that many people felt they could not max it out on their rig led to negative feedback. At times it was perceived as bad optimization on our end, so this time we wanted to prove that we could do the same on consoles.

GS: How do you perceive some of the negative reaction from PC players? Did you expect the vocal vehemence based on a perceived step backward in visuals and sandbox gameplay?
JL: Yes and no. We understand that many PC gamers were expecting yet another big step forward in visuals as we did with Crysis since the game set an incredibly high benchmark, especially in terms of graphics. From the beginning of Crysis 2 development on, it was our goal to exceed our own benchmark and deliver an even better gaming experience with Crysis 2--not only in terms of visuals, but overall experience. The change of the setting resulted in the fact that the gameplay is one of the biggest differences between Crysis and Crysis 2.
A city does not provide you with the open spaces of a jungle, but at the same time a city definitely offers a wide range of new experiences and offers many different areas that players can use as playgrounds. The destruction of the city allowed us to break the game space open, but we also could not overdo it and risk losing the feeling of New York. We added the vertical gameplay and combat approach that provides the player with many interesting and different gameplay layers. The players are not just confined to the ground and streets. They can jump between different floors or onto buses or trucks, drop down into craters and fissures in the streets, and leap from one building to the next. We didn't take a step back in sandbox gameplay; rather, we transformed it into something that we could apply to the setting of Crysis 2. The game combines the intensity of a linear FPS experience with the open sandbox gameplay and spaces Crysis is famous for.

GS: If you had made Crysis 2 just for the PC, technology aside, do you think you would have designed the game differently--for example, done a different setting or had a different kind of multiplayer?
JL: We could not have created a game with the scope, scale, and multiplayer features of Crysis 2 if it were a PC-only title. The PC market just does not support that cost of development, but going multiplatform does. The decision to go multiplatform has allowed us to bring a better game to everyone, which has been our goal all along.

http://www.gamespot.com/features/6312998/crysis-2-final-thoughts/p-2.html

It is a shame how many people whined about Crysis being "unoptimized."

 

[KaOTiK]

I bet that guy gets a boner sniffing his own farts.

 

[quadomatic]

I bet that guy gets a boner sniffing his own farts.

+1

 

[duragezic]

Yep people whining about how "crysis is unoptimized" is stupid.

Crysis comes out and has amazing graphics and can't even be maxxed with current hardware. People say it's "unoptimized POS". Crysis 2 comes out with good graphics that are playable and able to be maxxed by a reasonable system and it's a "POS lazy console port". The whiners never fail to, well whine.

I think my biggest issue with Crysis 2 graphics is it seems like objects pop in very badly and not until very close. Actually it seems like sometimes it's fine and other times it's like everything doesn't appear until very close. Though I probably shouldn't complain about that too much as I'm on like the lowest settings. I could probably bump up the "Object" setting to the next level and that would fix everything without dropping performance too much.

 

[KaOTiK]

I don't think it was unreasonable to assume Crysis 2 graphics would at least bit a bit better then Crysis 1's, especially since we were dealing with a city this time around.

I agree though about the people crying that C1 wasn't optimized while it was just really far ahead of hardware at the time.

 

[Barfo]

We could not have created a game with the scope, scale, and multiplayer features of Crysis 2 if it were a PC-only title. The PC market just does not support that cost of development, but going multiplatform does. The decision to go multiplatform has allowed us to bring a better game to everyone, which has been our goal all along.

So...Crysis 2 must be a masterpiece of scripting, voice acting, storytelling and gameplay in general if they spent so much resources that a PC exclusive would not be able to support. Right?

 

[DirkGently1]

I've played all the Crysis games extensively and for me, Crysis 2 is far and away the better game. I prefer the look, the feel, the gameplay, the sound.... Is the game perfect? No. Is any game perfect? No.

I'll be playing the campaign for the fifth time this coming weekend.

 

[Aristotelian]

Only 9 minutes for the Crysis 2 hate to start.

I agree with DirkGently1 - Crysis 2 was much more fun, though less pretty in parts. Some parts were gorgeous. Some areas were a lot of fun, especially towards the end. The fight in Grand Central Station, for example, was pretty epic. I wish the game had been longer. I'm also hoping that we aren't going to need to wait 4 years for a sequel.

 

[gorcorps]

It is a shame how many people whined about Crysis being "unoptimized."

Just goes to show that people will bitch about anything.

 

[KeithP]

It is a shame how many people whined about Crysis being "unoptimized."

From what I have read, most people seem to complain about Crysis game play and, to lesser extent, in game UI. Relatively few talk about it being "unoptimized." This just sounds like he is making stuff up to back up his own BS.

-KeithP

 

[gorcorps]

From what I have read, most people seem to complain about Crysis game play and, to lesser extent, in game UI. Relatively few talk about it being "unoptimized." This just sounds like he is making stuff up to back up his own BS.

-KeithP

I disagree. I remember seeing plenty of complaints about it being unoptimized. Specifically when people got to the ice areas is when I heard a lot of whining. "Why does it slow down so much... they didn't optimize this at all... I spent $3k on the system and still can't max it out WAH WAH WAH"

Yes, gameplay was called into question too but there was most certainly whining about it "not looking good enough for how poorly it runs". And now here we are... people completely forgot about these complaints and are holding the original Crysis to some absurd standard that I don't remember many believing when it launched. I'll say it again: PEOPLE WILL BITCH ABOUT ANYTHING

period

anything

It's funny you think he's making shit up to cover his ass. He's certainly buttering up his responses, but that's what he's supposed to do.

 

[Skurge]

I disagree. I remember seeing plenty of complaints about it being unoptimized. Specifically when people got to the ice areas is when I heard a lot of whining. "Why does it slow down so much... they didn't optimize this at all... I spent $3k on the system and still can't max it out WAH WAH WAH"

Yes, gameplay was called into question too but there was most certainly whining about it "not looking good enough for how poorly it runs". And now here we are... people completely forgot about these complaints and are holding the original Crysis to some absurd standard that I don't remember many believing when it launched. I'll say it again: PEOPLE WILL BITCH ABOUT ANYTHING

period

anything

It's funny you think he's making shit up to cover his ass. He's certainly buttering up his responses, but that's what he's supposed to do.

While the rest of the game was fine, the ice section seemed to drain performance more than most. Performance in the ice section improved a lot after the game was patched, so did the last section on the carrier so you could say those part weren't as well optimized as the rest of the game.

It's understandable though, with an engine that advanced for the time, it was bound to have some issues in some places.

 

[penske2298977]

Seriously, you have to be kidding me...this is total B.S. Crysis 2 was horribly configured/optimized for up-to-date PC graphics and multi gpu setups. The problem of flickering remains an issue and there is severe micro-stuttering --- the game is completely unplayable. Total rip-off.

 

[TechBoyJK]

Seriously, you have to be kidding me...this is total B.S. Crysis 2 was horribly configured/optimized for up-to-date PC graphics and multi gpu setups. The problem of flickering remains an issue and there is severe micro-stuttering --- the game is completely unplayable. Total rip-off.

Sure about that?

I've been able to get Crysis 2 to run beautifully. Is it perfect? No. But I've been able to enjoy it w/o much issue. I don't feel ripped off and will be buying the DLC when it drops.

 

[Zargon]

would be nice if they updated some textures for PC isntead of just reusing the smaller console ones.

other than that I hear the SP campaign is really good

 

[wuliheron]

It is a shame how many people whined about Crysis being "unoptimized."

That kind of complaining is just free advertising. "Oh, its horribly optimized, but awesome graphics!" Crytek cried all the way to the bank then made a great console version of the game and is crying all the way to the bank again.

Personally I'm totally disgusted with all the arcade style bells, whistles, and flashing lights. Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding... WE HAVE A WINNER!!! Tutorial modes, balloons, stylized cutscenes, flashing objects, etc. that I can't turn off just distract from the immersion.

 

[coloumb]

so what computer system from the future did they use to benchmark Crysis at maximum settings?

 

[dpodblood]

Personally I loved the campaign in Crysis 2. Even without DX11 it was still a great looking game (though I am still hoping they add it in someday). My only real complaint is the "persistent tutorial" that seems to be present in all games today. "Press C to crouch" - Yes I know to press C! I've known since the very beginning; stop telling me already!

 

[smackababy]

Seriously, you have to be kidding me...this is total B.S. Crysis 2 was horribly configured/optimized for up-to-date PC graphics and multi gpu setups. The problem of flickering remains an issue and there is severe micro-stuttering --- the game is completely unplayable. Total rip-off.

You do realize that micro stuttering is an issue with multi-gpu set ups and not game programming right? Total rip-off!

 

[dpodblood]

You do realize that micro stuttering is an issue with multi-gpu set ups and not game programming right? Total rip-off!

This is why I stick with single GPU set up's. They just aren't worth the hassle.

 

[penske2298977]

This is why I stick with single GPU set up's. They just aren't worth the hassle.

I do understand that -- however, the problem is severely pronounced with Crysis 2. FRAPS will state an FPS of 70 - 100, however, the game is really not smooth at all. Micro-stuttering is a real problem with this version of the Cryengine, more so than any other game I have played in years.

 

[penske2298977]

deleted

 

[dpodblood]

I do understand that -- however, the problem is severely pronounced with Crysis 2. FRAPS with state an FPS of 70 - 100, however, the game is really not smooth at all. Micro-stuttering is a real problem with this version of the Cryengine, more so than any other game I have played in years.

It's very bad with a lot of launch titles from what I've heard from friends with multi GPU set-up's. Usually takes a little while before issues are patched, and driver hotfixes are released. I would only bother with multi-gpu if I was running at very high resolutions (greater than 1900x1200) or using eyefinity/surround.

 

[skace]

I had a beast of a machine when Crysis 1 came out, enjoyed the hell out of it too. I had to tweak my settings 3 times, once at the ice section, once at the volumetric fog and once at the end sequence. However, my computer was still able to run the game solidly and I was able to enjoy how incredible the game was.

After beating it, I recall saying that it does not surprise me if some people hate the game, their misplaced anger for their own system not being able to run the game directed at the game itself. I was right.

However, Crysis 2 is a shadow of it's former self. It's a bad copy, it's an EA knockoff of an original. And the quoted interview responses in the original post are very pretty excuses from a developer who wasn't able to admit one fault and made several ridiculous claims (PC alone couldn't support a game like this!) Yea, ok, how do you explain HL2? A game 10x better than Crysis 2, you schmucks.

 

[Rakewell]

NACT

(Not another Crysis thread.)