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It's been nine long years since the last console release for Crysis. The new remastered edition is finally here - and surprisingly, it's launching first on Nintendo Switch. In this detailed tech review, John Linneman assesses the Switch port up against the PC and last-gen console versions - and discusses how this port is important and why Crysis is still such a remarkable game.

Crysis Remastered on Switch: yes, a handheld really can run Crysis

Can it run Crysis? It's been 13 years since Crytek's epoch-making release hit the market - and in some respects it's st…

www.eurogamer.net

Summary:

- Dynamic resolution with temporal up-scaling
- On docked, the game runs at 1280x720p with the lower or higher when docked.
- 540p was the lower resolution spotted
- On portable, the game max resolution is 720p
- In portable, the shadow quality is lower than docked
- The game have Sparse Voxel Based Global Illumination
- SVOGI runs at a low resolution on Switch in comparison with future other versions (PS4/XBX/PC)
- Certain lighting effects are removed
- Blur, DoF and Per Object still intact
- Full destruction model retained but significant impact on performance on Switch
- Certain things like foliage sway, destruction etc renders at lower frame rate
- The game is a mix of PC and PS360 version
- Shadow Rendering is very low for foliage/trees compared to PC
- Flashlight shadows re present but absent only from the 1st level
- POM absent from Switch version, it was present in PC/PS3/360 versions
- Game suffers from frame time spikes which causes near constant stutter
- Related to rendering pipeline from the 360/PS3 version which was inherited here
- Target frame rate is 30 FPS with some drops at 16 FPS
- Still better than PS360
- Some later missions have temporary minor pauses during combat which the dev have said they will address
- Big explosions can drops the framerate
- The game have option for Gyro aiming
- Looks like as PS360, the mission Ascension have been removed
- There are some freeze scenes while you're aim, but as the dev team told, will be fixed in a future patch.

 

[UnNamed]

Good port. Sadly LOD and geometry are from the PS360 version with some improvements but not that much. I'm curios to see it on a more powerful system such as PS4 or PC.

 

[Shodan09]

Runs the same but looks better than the pc version I originally played. On a portable. Black magic.

 

[DESTROYA]

Double dipping for this one.

 

[Rikkori]

The once mighty Crysis, the meme-source, now reduced to being just another FPS. Meh.

Good version for Switch, kudos to that, but the magic is gone. This should have been path traced for PC with mGPU support.

 

[Fake]

For those curious about the differencial between Switch and PS360 version. 6:26



As well on 8:18

 

[Romulus]

I like that they did this, but how is this impressive? We already knew the switch was more powerful than the 360 years ago, so this is expected. The 360 ran it, and this runs it better.

Even still, the gameplay hasn't aged well looking at those videos. And they took out one of the best missions in the game still.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

Impressive port! Never played but Far Cry 2 had the destructability thing going on and it was a lot of fun

 

[Great Hair]

Weird, during the video he highlights the "terrible, perma stutter, bad frame pacing", says "the performance is a mixed bag" ... yet concludes with a "smooth performance".

 

[CamHostage]

So, I assume a lot of this is down to Saber really knowing how to churn with Switch by now (their next project is, somehow, World War Z, although that is on Saber's own Swarm Engine, so same thing there,) but I wonder if this is any indication of CryEngine as a performative engine on Switch?

This is only the second CryEngine game shipped (earlier this year the F2P shooter Warface released on Switch, I haven't heard any raves about the port but there are some good reviews, it's locked-30fps & 720p-docked / 540p-handheld,) but they're doing nice stuff like SVOGI and other things here that might be worth keeping an eye on if CryEngine gets more Switch projects.

(Or not? There have apparently been other Global Illumination uses on Switch, and CryEngine's competitor UE4 may be all over the map in performance on Switch but that's been true of every middleware engine. So I'm not sure if there is or will be an "Ah ha!" moment for an engine's performance on Switch ... as usual, it probably just comes down to how the developers use it.)

 

[FireFly]

Weird, during the video he highlights the "terrible, perma stutter, bad frame pacing", says "the performance is a mixed bag" ... yet concludes with a "smooth performance".

He's comparing with the previous console versions I think, and also partially with the performance of the original PC version in the CPU limited parts.

 

[pawel86ck]

Impressive port, performance is much improved compared to PS3 / X360 ports and graphics is also way better. Especially GI looks amazing, because indoors no longer look so flat.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Super impressed by this version.

We aren't escaping reality, with a suite of visual cuts and adjustments, including a level, but the final result seems to be a beautiful version of actual Crysis, docked or portable, without the severe trade-offs that some ports on this platform have popularized.

The fact that we're even seeing a major improvement over the original PC version, with that Global Illumination/Light Bounce solution, is impressive. Likewise that this Switch version is so improved over the one we saw on last-gen consoles.

This looks like a must-own for Switch fans. Despite being busy with Far Cry 5 atm (which strikes me as a similar game), I am really, really tempted to pick this up.

 

[Astral Dog]

Weird, during the video he highlights the "terrible, perma stutter, bad frame pacing", says "the performance is a mixed bag" ... yet concludes with a "smooth performance".

I imagine compared to other console version its 'smooth'

 

[StreetsofBeige]

Sounds like Crysis isn't even as good as 360/PS3.

That's Nintendo gear for ya. 1-2 generations behind.

Those GC days were a long time ago.

 

[Shodan09]

Sounds like Crysis isn't even as good as 360/PS3.

That's Nintendo gear for ya. 1-2 generations behind.

Those GC days were a long time ago.

Apart from all the ways the video says its superior and the best console version yet, sure.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Hurry up with the PS4 Xbox tests already!...lol...

 

[Saber]

Looks pretty damn solid. Even more its not a retarded blurry mess, thank the moon.

Its one of reasons I agree in so many points with John. We all know sacrifices will exist, but how you deal with them while preserve certain elements its what makes a port impressive. It was the right choice calling Saber for doing this, the guys really know how to deliver a good port.

 

[SF Kosmo]

Sounds like Crysis isn't even as good as 360/PS3.

The video makes it clear that this is much, much better than the last-gen port. The only thing that version had that this doesn't is Parallax Occlusion Mapping and that might be added in a patch.

I'm pretty impressed with this, it looks like a totally reasonable port that might not look as good as the PC version maxed out, but it still looks fantastic for the hardware. I'm interested to see if the PC version offers any worthwhile enhancements for those who still have to original in our Steam libraries.

 

[Mister Wolf]

Game has better lighting than most Xbox and PS4 games.

 

[Victoria3D]

As expected it looks like shit and defeats the whole point of playing Crysis.

It's a gimmick port. No one's actually going to play this version seriously, right?

 

[SF Kosmo]

As expected it looks like shit and defeats the whole point of playing Crysis.

It's a gimmick port. No one's actually going to play this version seriously, right?

If you are the sort of person who has a lot of downtime on trains/buses/planes and needs something good to play, you might. Of course since Corona, the Switch has gone from being the commuter's system to the thing you give your kid to shut them up while you work from home.

 

[Fake]

It's a gimmick port. No one's actually going to play this version seriously, right?

You mean someone without a PC? I have a 2011 notebook, do you think this can run Crysis?

 

[Fbh]

Doesn't seem as bad as I expected. On a big TV it will probably look horrible, but given the resolution it will probably look pretty decent in handheld mode.
A demo would be cool, I don't really want to play through it on Switch but I'd love to play like 10 minutes of it just to check it out.

You mean someone without a PC? I have a 2011 notebook, do you think this can run Crysis?

To be fair the remaster on Ps4/Xb1 will probably look and possibly run better.

 

[stranno]

As expected it looks like shit and defeats the whole point of playing Crysis.

It's a gimmick port. No one's actually going to play this version seriously, right?

I'm planning to Delta it a asap..

 

[Tesseract]

very cool, grats to the team

 

[Victoria3D]

If you are the sort of person who has a lot of downtime on trains/buses/planes and needs something good to play, you might. Of course since Corona, the Switch has gone from being the commuter's system to the thing you give your kid to shut them up while you work from home.

If I had a lot of downtime on public transportation... I'd be reading something or playing a game that isn't meant for graphics whoring.

A first-person shooter graphics extravaganza like Crysis isn't meant to be played with a controller on a handheld system. This version of the game is an abomination.

 

[-Arcadia-]

Sounds like Crysis isn't even as good as 360/PS3.

That's Nintendo gear for ya. 1-2 generations behind.

Those GC days were a long time ago.

As expected it looks like shit and defeats the whole point of playing Crysis.

It's a gimmick port. No one's actually going to play this version seriously, right?

When you can't even watch the video, read posts, or look at the bullet point summary in your rush to troll.

 

[Max_Po]

Year: 2020

Game: Crysis

- On docked, the game runs at 1280x720p
- Target frame rate is 30 FPS with some drops at 16 FPS
- Still better than PS360

 

[carlosrox]

Sounds like Crysis isn't even as good as 360/PS3.

That's Nintendo gear for ya. 1-2 generations behind.

Those GC days were a long time ago.

This is a portable console ya know?

 

[Max_Po]

This is a portable console ya know?

- On docked, the game runs at 1280x720p
- Target frame rate is 30 FPS with some drops at 16 FPS

 

[Hawking Radiation]

Never thought i'd see the day Crysis running on a fucking Nintendo handheld.

Good lord how times have changed.

 

[FireFly]

If I had a lot of downtime on public transportation... I'd be reading something or playing a game that isn't meant for graphics whoring.

A first-person shooter graphics extravaganza like Crysis isn't meant to be played with a controller on a handheld system. This version of the game is an abomination.

It might be the best looking shooter ever released on a handheld. And if you watch the video, John is very complimentary about how it looks, even compared to the PC original, which doesn't feature the same quality of indirect lighting.

 

[Stuart360]

Runs the same but looks better than the pc version I originally played. On a portable. Black magic.

lol as someone who literally was playing the PC version at the weekend, the Switch port is not even in the same ballpark.

 

[Panajev2001a]

lol as someone who literally was playing the PC version at the weekend, the Switch port is not even in the same ballpark.

C’mon, the SVOGI based lighting was a surprise. This is truer to Crysis than the DOOM port on Switch.

 

[carlosrox]

- On docked, the game runs at 1280x720p
- Target frame rate is 30 FPS with some drops at 16 FPS

Yeah I read your post which is right above mine.

I played Doom 2016 at 1440 maxed settings on a 28 inch monitor and still came away impressed by the Switch version. I have no reason to think this won't be equally impressive.

Not that hard when you're not a complete graphics whore and can appreciate technology for what it is.

 

[Shodan09]

lol as someone who literally was playing the PC version at the weekend, the Switch port is not even in the same ballpark.

Hence my use of the phrase "The PC version I originally played." As in, back in 2008. No shit a recent play through would look better. This is a massive achievement for what is essentially a tablet.

 

[carlosrox]

Some people would probably scoff if we got a port of Doom 3 working on a Gameboy at 16-30 fps.

 

[Stuart360]

C’mon, the SVOGI based lighting was a surprise. This is truer to Crysis than the DOOM port on Switch.

Oh the new lighting is nice, and something that wasnt available in the orig PC version. But resoluton and framerate (obviously), polygon counts, texture detail, shadows, AO quality, destruction, foliage, basically everything else is FAR better in the orig PC version, which is 13 years old now by the way.

 

[Fake]

Oh the new lighting is nice, and something that wasnt available in the orig PC version. But resoluton and framerate (obviously), polygon counts, texture detail, shadows, AO quality, destruction, foliage, basically everything else is FAR better in the orig PC version, which is 13 years old now by the way.

And why would it be any different? Still a portable console with ARM CPU vs a custom machine where the sky is the limit.

The real comparsion will be probably PC vs PC.

 

[01011001]

all I needed to know here is that they still use the consolized control scheme of the last gen versions.
meaning i have zero interest in these new console ports, even if the other ones are technically amazing,
these dumbed down suit controls make the game so much worse... nah thx

 

[MrA]

a competent game of crysis on a device that uses like 10 watts, seems pretty good to me

 

[bender]

I know John touched on it, but I'd go with the opposite of his overall thoughts on the game itself. The suit powers and open-linear design make for an interesting sandbox, but like every other Crytek game, it is hamstrung by the AI. The console versions are hurt by the simplified suit power controls which reduces your creativity in the sandbox. I get the appeal of "this is running on a handheld", I guess but that seems a little more than a novelty. I really wish the PS4/Xbox One versions were actually PS5/Series X ports.

 

[Romulus]

Apparently, the portions that DF tested don't show the later sections much at all.

It gets worse.



It's basically a slide show with added frame pacing to the ultra low fps.

 

[stranno]

Graphical mods popped up and there are two different projects, one from GBATemp and one from 4PDA (russian mobile related forum).

cucholix's Crysis Balance 0.2
https://gbatemp.net/threads/crysis-remastered-graphics-config-files.570448/page-3#post-9146073

ECLIPSE00074's Improved Graphics 1.1
https://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?s=&showtopic=939714&view=findpost&p=98500684

The framepacing thing seems to be related to the framerate value set to 30 (that makes 31.3FPS) instead of 29 (that makes 30.3FPS). With 29 it gets better.

Dynamic resolution seems to be hardcoded in the executable, so its not as easy as changing some config files.