Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

10 Hours or Less

The Bottom Line:

"Amazing"

Released a year after its much-hyped predecessor, Crysis Warhead is technically an expansion pack (originally retailing for $29.99). One could also argue that Warhead is a full new game, as it doesn't require the original Crysis to play and includes a vastly reworked multiplayer component. Whether you see it as an expansion or a full game, however, Warhead blows its already stellar predecessor out of the water - this game looks better, plays better and is just more fun overall.

One of the weakest components of Crysis was its story; the protagonist Nomad was a faceless non-character, and the actual plot didn't become involving until the very last level. Warhead's plot (which runs parallel to the original) follows the considerably more interesting (and talkative) Sgt. "Psycho" Sykes as he attempts to recover an alien device on the island. The story has a good deal more twists and turns, with a far more menacing Korean villain and a much more satisfying conclusion. Part of this is due to the fact that there are actual cinematic cutscenes this time, allowing the protagonist to show some real emotions.

From a gameplay perspective, the weapon mechanics are quite similar to the first game (although there are some new machine pistols for you to dual-wield and a very handy grenade launcher). Vehicles, however, have been completely revamped - you'll no longer have to put up with flimsy tanks or sluggish VTOLs. Trucks and SUVs also handle considerably more tightly, and there is an absolutely awesome APC for you to goof around with (as the player will discover in a terrific car chase early on). There's also an inventive hovercraft chase, with vehicles flying off jumps formed by frozen waves.

On foot, levels are somewhat more linear than the open environments found in the original game, but there's still a lot of tactical choice. More importantly, levels feel far more focused. North Korean AI has been slightly improved, and the aliens now actually use cover and team tactics (as opposed to flying around aimlessly like they did in the first game). Additionally, the pace of the gameplay is smoother, each mission's impact on the story is more significant, and the environments are far more varied. The end result is that the game is just much more addictive and fun to play than before, and given how good Crysis was, that's saying something.

About the only thing the original game has on its expansion is the length of the single player campaign - while Crysis could be beaten in around ten hours, Warhead can be blown through in about six. Still, that's longer than many recent Call of Duty games, and Warhead is far more replayable than those. Add in a multiplayer component (dubbed Crysis Wars - it installs and runs from a separate disk) that's entirely superior to the original's, and Warhead is arguably a better value than the first game.

And it looks better, too. Environments have thicker foliage and the effects are fancier, but the real advantage is in the performance, where Warhead runs much smoother than its resource-hungry predecessor (Crytek evidently put a lot of work into optimizing this one). The art design has also improved (even though there's no trips through alien spaceships this time), with greater advantage taken of the frozen settings. Additionally, I encountered far fewer graphical bugs and glitches than in the first game. Put simply, with everything on Enthusiast (the highest graphical setting), you'd be hard-pressed to find a better looking game on any platform. The music is also a good deal more aggressive (and even more Hans Zimmer-ish), fitting the faster pace of the adventure. The voice acting is also good, with Sean Chapman giving a standout performance as the main protagonist.

In the end, Warhead stands as one of the ultimate counter-examples to the idea that expansion packs are never better games on their own merits than the original product. Improving on virtually every one of Crysis's flaws, Crytek's second trip to the icy jungle is one of the most entertaining first person shooters in a long while, raising the bar high for the "real" Crysis sequel (coming early next year). Even if you skipped over the original Crysis (or got bored with its slower-paced tactical nature), Warhead is a must-have for anyone with a decent PC.

+ More fun, more focused and more explosive than the original
+ Graphics are even better (and much smoother) than before
+ Vehicles are terrific
+ Finally, a full-featured Crysis multiplayer
- Campaign is a bit short

Reviewed on 10/11/2010