Every so often a game comes along that establishes a new graphical standard. Gears of War did just that for consoles last year, whereas Doom 3 pushed PC visuals a couple years back. Crysis follows this lead with a truly astounding presentation. More amazing than this, however, is how the game manages to complement its gorgeous presentation with equally compelling gameplay. What appears at first to be just another pretty shooter unfolds as one of the most sophisticated gaming experiences to date. Beauty, speed, the subtle complexity of its action--these are the elements that define the Crysis experience. But you're going to need some serious horsepower to enjoy it.

Set in the near future, Crysis suits you up as covert operative tasked with rescuing American scientists held captive on an island near the Philippines. The island's sudden annexation by the North Korean government has prompted the United States to intervene with the hopes of extracting the hostages. Although North Korean forces grossly outnumber you, an advance nanosuit grants you superior strength, speed, defense, and stealth. Taking advantage of the suit's capabilities is vital to rescuing the scientists, not to mention confronting a greater threat. The object of their study--an unusual asteroid tucked deep in the tropical forest--has opened the way for an alien invasion.

From a rescue mission to a fight for humanity's survival, it's up to you to get the job done and your job involves a lot of shooting. Crysis is as straightforward as first-person shooters come, granting access to all kinds of guns and vehicles with which to obliterate your foes. The game shares some similarities to Far Cry, Crytek's first title, namely its open-ended combat and tropical locale. Commonalities end there, as Crysis distinguishes itself as a vastly superior game in every respect. Exploring an alien vessel in zero gravity or attacking a North Korean installment from the seat of a tank provides thrilling set pieces.

Fundamental to what makes Crysis unique are the powers available to you through your nanosuit. Pushing in the click wheel on your mouse allows you to activate four abilities: defense, strength, speed, and stealth. By default, your suit is set to the defense parameter with any damage draining its energy before harming your health. Speed and strength abilities exact a cost on suit energy whenever an action is taken, such as running or punching an enemy. Stealth is the only nanosuit ability that actively drains. When selected, you're cloaked to blend in with the surrounding environment; however, this lasts only as long as there's energy in your suit after which you'll become visible again.

How you utilize these abilities when tactically engaging enemy forces is entirely up to you. Crysis gives you the freedom to confront enemies in a variety of ways or even avoid them if you wish. Activating stealth and creeping through the jungle is an easy way of bypassing a fight, although you can just as well use stealth to sneak up and dispatch an unsuspecting foe. Quickly sprinting up to an enemy using speed and then shooting them up is a great way of eliminating targets. Equally effective and even more interesting is tapping the strength ability to power throw an enemy. It's also possible to pick up objects and hurl them for massive damage.

There's no right way to approach combat and that's what makes Crysis so much fun. The only requirement is use of your nanosuit, which counters an overwhelming number of North Korean troops and legion of powerful alien forces. Nanosuit powers could easily have degraded into a nonessential, tacked on mechanic; instead, they're so well integrated into combat that using them is a must. Never do they feel forced, though, since a fine balance exists between the tactical advantage the nanosuit provides and frequency of use.

Nanosuit abilities can be used in multiplayer matches, but their role is subdued in comparison to the campaign. Two modes of play are offered: instant action and power struggle. Instant action equates to standard deathmatch, supporting up to 32 players depending on the host. The action is so fast--especially in large matches with more than 16 players--that use of the nanosuit becomes secondary to quick, accurate shooting. Power struggle emphasizes tactical engagement more than instant action by pitting two teams against each other for domination of a map.