Article by: Brian Rowe

More than three years have passed and Crysis is still used as a benchmark for a PC's prowess. Crytek is a developer that prides itself on pushing the boundaries of technology, even if it takes everyone a few years to see those boundaries.

Crysis 2 marks the first appearance of the series on consoles, and Executive Producer Nathan Camarillo wasn't shy about the challenges the team faced.

"We had to take CryEngine 3 and rip it apart and re-architect a lot of the engine to support multi-platform. It's a tall order to do all of that; simultaneously building a game while the engine is being constructed underneath it. Just on the PC version alone, between the six different specifications we have, there are 171 different meaningful variables that are behind the scenes adjusted between the different specifications, and even more that aren't that meaningful. We have a wide spectrum of configurations there that really take advantage of the latest hardware."

While PC-users will have access to a technologically superior version of Crysis 2 – one that will likely make your rig self-destruct at the highest settings – every version of the game is 3D-enabled. Crytek formed special teams to develop 3D techniques that enhance the gameplay in tangible ways while overcoming the common problem of eye-strain. Camarillo is confident that Crytek's brand of 3D will stand out as the frontrunner in digital entertainment.

"While I think probably most projects would go with the first implementation [of 3D technology] and then ship it, we a had a first implementation almost a year ago and we've been reiterating on it ever since, fixing it and improving it and really making sure that you can play the single-player campaign for the entire time in 3D if you like, which is like 10-12 hours, which is what we're seeing on average for most gamers to get through the game. We don't want you to stop every 15 minutes to take off your 3D glasses because your eyes are tired.