Crysis was known as a technical beast when it appeared on the PC in 2007. To the surprise of many, the game comes to the Nintendo hybrid in a remastering that retains much of its technical and playable attributes. We discover it all in our review of Crysis Remastered for Nintendo Switch.
My memories with Crysis go through putting a gaming team to the limit more than a decade ago. Of course it was a great game, but if it went down in history it was because of its technical section, which has served to assess the performance of PCs for a long time. Therefore, to think that such a demanding game has been brought to Nintendo Switch is news in itself … and surprising. But do you know what is the best? Which becomes, at least until the arrival of the PS4 and Xbox One versions, the best existing port of the Crytek game .
The video game already had a version for PS3 and Xbox 360, but despite coming out years later, it failed to live up to the original ( in fact it looked much worse ). The Switch does not work miracles, but it is more faithful to the original version , and after playing it I find it difficult to think about how it could have been done better with the limited hardware that this machine has. In fact, I consider it to rival the port of The Witcher 3 (also run by Saber Interactive) in dedication .
Crysis Remastered presents numerous visual and even playable cuts on Nintendo Switch, such as the AI (which does not quite convince me), the control (could be better adjusted) or the absence of the Ascension mission (which was not in the last port either). However, it maintains aspects such as the destruction of environments and the use of global lighting that was not on PC. In the end, the conclusion is that it is a version that can be played – quite well – and that is an interesting alternative for those who want to enjoy this gem of shooters anywhere.
A technical beast for Switch
Crysis Remastered on Nintendo Switch shows its graphics and technical details in video
What is of interest in this analysis is to comment in detail what Crysis Remastered means on Nintendo Switch at a technical level. However, let me make a brief paragraph to comment on the essence of Crysis, a shooter in which you have an objective in each level, but nothing is written about the way you achieve it. I think that has always been the best thing about Crytek’s work . The developers propose a destination for you, but along the way you can practice a style of play with more infiltration or more action.
Drops in resolution are sometimes masked by motion blur.
To do this, the game offers you various abilities linked to your Nanosuit. There are two essentials: camouflage and armor . Depending on the situation, you can face the challenges in different ways, something that is enhanced by the breadth and variety of the scenarios. Although the phases are linear, internally they behave like small open worlds. You can melee without making a lot of noise, grab a turret or directly jump into a jeep to advance quickly between checkpoints.
In short, I had fun, and this is already significant when we talk about a shooter with so many years old. The shooting sensation is powerful, and I haven’t finished getting used to the control. Luckily, the game includes sensitivity adjustment for the sticks (a must), but I have missed other options such as eliminating the dead zone (since analogs have some travel until they respond). In this regard, I highly recommend using the Switch Pro Controller, more accurate than the Joy-Con.
Another important aspect is that the game supports gyro control . Personally I consider it a missed occasion, because it does not include sensitivity adjustment. Games like Splatoon 2 have shown us what a great idea it can be when the feature is well implemented, but unfortunately that is not the case in Crysis Remastered. You can get used to it, and even lean on the gyros to aim, but I was expecting something more accurate. It can be disabled from the settings menu. And by the way, there is the option of activating a slight aiming aid, for those who do not quite get the hang of it.
Considering the limitations, the visual results are more than decent for meLet’s talk about the technical. The game has dynamic resolution on Switch, between 900-540p in dock mode and between 720-400p in laptop mode. Considering the hardware limitations, the visual results are more than decent for me, even looking sharper than in The Witcher 3 Complete Edition . Of course, all the textures that we saw on PC (also on PS3 and Xbox 360) lose in detail, but in return we are offered good lighting and color treatment . The scenes are alive, with an intelligent use of the SVOGI solution, as commented from Digital Foundry. SVOGI is basically the global lighting technique, not present neither in PC nor in the console port. Thanks to it, the objects are better represented and the shadows more marked, with a high level of contrast. Each and every one of the elements loses in geometry, from the modeling of our protagonist to the trees and buildings. Even so, playing with the lighting has allowed to generate a competent visual representation, in which it is noticed that some sequences significantly change the position of the sun so that everything looks optimally.
The game runs most of the time at 30 frames per second , although it is not exempt from experiencing some drops when the scenes are overloaded with elements (something more frequent when enemies besiege us). However, the port shows that it is working because even at this moment there are technical ingredients that limit this perception. For example, Crysis Remastered features quite powerful motion blurwhen we rotate the camera. It does not become heavy, but it is not invisible either: you will realize it the first minute of playing. With that said, the performance in laptop and desktop mode is pretty similar, and I don’t really appreciate any significant changes. Loading times are moderately long at the start of the level, but respawns are almost instantaneous.
The Switch version maintains all the original playable attributes.
All this speaks very well about the work done: it is a port that has not been done in a hurry. Despite the logical reductions, the PC game appearance is maintained , with the trees collapsing when you shoot them and lush vegetation wherever you walk. Even the reflection effects on the water can look from you to you to the original version, which is quite an achievement in technical terms.
But I repeat: not everything is technical. Although we are facing a good port in technology, I think that Saber Interactive, in collaboration with Crytek, should have paid more attention to the playable . And I’m not saying it because of the level that is still absent, which in the end is the least of it … It mattered more to me that the AI was improved. It’s a lottery: sometimes you are a kilometer away and they see you; others you are by his side and as if nothing. The way they move is often erratic, so the qualifier “remastered” would have been more powerful if these aspects had been solved. I have the same critical perspective on control, which is extremely important, but little attention has been paid to it.
I don’t know if I would have believed a few years ago that a Crysis remaster was going to join the Nintendo Switch catalog.In spite of everything, I must say that the balance is favorable , and I don’t know if I had believed more than three years ago, when the machine was presented, that a remastering of Crysis was going to be in its catalog. Something tells me that if the will exists, even the most unlikely things can turn into feats, and this is what Saber has done again. Enjoy it, that’s what it’s for. If you like shooter and you feel like Crysis, this is a good option to play it … and above all on a laptop.
“Very good”
Crysis remastered
Crysis Remastered for Nintendo Switch is another good adaptation work by Saber Interactive (after the port of The Witcher 3). Aspects such as control or AI could have been more polished, but technically it couldn’t have been done much better. The game retains graphic attributes of the original PC version, and even dares to improve some, such as global lighting. Without a doubt, a more than remarkable option to play this classic of shooters in portable format.
- It’s the original experience, carefully transferred to the Nintendo hybrid
- Good technical performance, with a stable frame rate
- Use of advanced graphic resources, some absent in the PC version
- The shooter has survived the years very well: it’s still a good game
- The control can be improved and there are fewer configuration options
- The AI fails a lot and gets to cloud the experience
