Crysis Remastered

Crysis Remastered might be great on other platforms but definitely doesn't stand out on Nintendo Switch.

Although you are sometimes allowed to fully utilize your nano suit's superpowers, you are frequently shackled by its overly restrictive battery life. The result is a game that feels somewhat contradictory, one that is open-ended and freeing in its level design and aspirations, but somewhat restrictive when it comes down to actual combat. While this port of Crysis may not exactly play like how we remember the original, at least it largely looks the part.

Crysis Remastered brings the original gaming experience to Nintendo Switch: lots of fun with little compromises.

One of the most impressive technical achievements on the Switch, which even manages to make improvement to the PC original – although it’s rather expensive and the original is beginning to show its age in design terms.

Although it is definitely a technical feat, Crysis hasn’t aged very well. If you love the first episode of the series and want to enjoy it anywhere, the Switch version is indeed impressive, but the original flaws are much more noticeable now.

As a sum of its parts, Crysis on the Switch is another "miracle" port that turned out less magical than others of its kind. It's a less extreme example of the dissonance between being able to run a game and whether it should have been ported in the first place. It's not as pared back as The Outer Worlds was, but it also doesn't offer a lot of content, and its shortcomings in different areas are enough to hamper the experience. If you cannot play Crysis on any other platform, this may be as good as it's going to get, but if you don't care about portable play, the Switch version isn't as good of a proposition as it should have been.

This Switch version was my first time playing Crysis. I think as a piece of gaming history, and it’s interesting to see what the standards for visuals and design were back in 2007. That said, it feels dated and the campaign struggled to keep my attention due to the weak storytelling, problematic controls and drawn-out firefights. Still, for those who are interested in visiting (or revisiting) this landmark title, this Switch port might be their best bet.

Throughout my time with Crysis, and maybe more accurately, throughout my time writing this review, I’ve been pondering just what the purpose of this experiment was. I won’t act like there isn’t an indisputable intrigue to having a title once regarded as the pinnacle of PC gaming on a handheld system. But I’m also not going to act like Crysis on the Switch can even begin to hold a candle to its PC counterpart. I implore you to find out what Crytek’s 2007 smash hit was all about, doing it the way it was meant to be done. You know, it’s bizarre to think, but this is sort of like Crysis’ mid-life crisis.

For those of you who are curious about this series and want to jump in, you could do a whole lot worse on the Nintendo Switch. If you want to play Crysis in the most shiny way possible and own another platform, it's best to wait.

The Nintendo Switch version of Crysis Remastered tries to be as good as the original Crysis rather than trying to be an improvement, which is what a remastered version should really do. It still looks visually stunning on Switch hardware, but it's also full of technical issues and bugs. In the end, it remains to be seen how Crysis Remastered will perform on PC later this year, and it needs a lot of improvements on the Switch version if it wants to be a hit again.

Crysis Remastered is not the best way to play Crysis, but it isn’t a terrible port. Still, calling the Switch version a “remaster” is a bit of a stretch. You’ll have to look past the dated visuals of the experience and maybe a few technical bugs, but if you’re looking to play Crysis on the go you’re covered. However, if you can wait, it might be better to wait for a more powerful console release (or just play it on PC).

Despite its remaster label the Switch version is rather comparable to its siblings on PS3 or Xbox 360. AI-problems, framerate issues and crashes take another toll on a theoratically solid port.

From a technical perspective, Crysis Remastered looks fantastic when taking in the sights, but that presentation is ultimately marred by consistent and noticeable framerate hiccups and technical issues. Crysis Remastered manages to outshine the PS3 and Xbox 360 console versions and stands as a solid return to the Crysis franchise. It just feels like too much was sacrificed to get such a demanding game running on the Switch.

Crysis Remastered is an amazing technical achievement to have it run on the Nintendo Switch, but at what cost? On the surface, in handheld mode, it suffers from framerate issues and stability; in docked mode, things get better and make the gameplay tolerable. Unfortunately, it’s the technical issues that hurt the game the most.

Crysis Remastered is an excellent port of a legendary video game. Some of the mechanics feel dated and a little odd sometimes, but the remaster remains true to what the original game was all about, which feels like a more important goal given the game's age and this being far away from a full on remake. Crysis is still visually stunning and sets a standard for what Nintendo Switch games can look like. Crysis Remastered is a must-play for fans of the series, which hasn't seen a new entry in quite some time.

If you’re really looking to enjoy Crysis as it is meant to be played, I’d recommend booting up your PC and playing any of those versions. At least that way you won’t be limited in terms of fidelity, which will also likely improve gameplay fluidity simultaneously.

The only reason to try Crysis Remastered is that you do not have another platform to play it and it was always your dream, but you could never do it. But even in that context, I can't recommend it. The only advantage I find is playing it in handheld mode.