Despite its four-year vintage - and last years hideously ugly Wii outing - Cryteks Xbox and PC versions of Far Cry still look incredible, the games lush jungles and dazzling effects providing a unique backdrop for Jack Carvers crafty creeping and savage slayings. But in Crysis, the German developers graphical prowess has been taken to dazzling new heights, the photorealistic locations, sumptuous shadows and beautifully-animated enemies providing a perfect backdrop for the games intense gunplay.
And the thrills dont end with the graphics. Your heros futuristic battle suit - packed with a blitzkrieg of baddy-bashing gadgets - will make you feel like a super hero, especially when you switch on the Predator-style cloaking device, sneak up behind a group of soldiers and brutally snap their necks. The freeform action which allows you to tackle objectives in any way you choose will delight both habitual action gamers and anyone who prefers using a little more stealth, but best of all are the hugely destructible environments that add extra energy to every skirmish as buildings crumble around you and blasted trees fall over and crush unwitting opponents.
The sprawling online mode - where 32 players can hook up and do battle - means there are months of bloodthirsty pleasure to be had from the game... even if you do need to spend thousands upgrading your PC to get the best from this memory-sapping experience.