Best Crytek Games

Key Takeaways

• Crytek’s diverse portfolio primarily consists of FPS games like
  Crysis
  and
  Far Cry
  but also ventures into genres such as VR and third-person action.
• The
  Crysis
  series set new graphical benchmarks multiple times, cementing the iconic
  “Can it run Crysis?
  ” question in gaming culture.
• Hunt: Showdown 1896
  is an innovative multiplayer title that has steadily carved out its own unique niche, growing in popularity with each passing year.

Shortly after its establishment, Crytek quickly emerged as one of the leading developers in the first-person shooter genre, renowned for its groundbreaking technology, CryEngine. This proprietary engine has consistently set new benchmarks for graphical fidelity, delivering visually stunning games that often push cutting-edge hardware to its absolute limits. Each new Crytek release has become synonymous with technical innovation, raising the bar for what players can expect in terms of visual and performance standards.

Though primarily known for first-person shooters, Crytek boasts a surprisingly diverse portfolio. Over the years, the studio has ventured into VR experiences, mobile titles, live-service shooters, and even third-person action-slashers, showcasing a willingness to experiment across genres and platforms.

Honorable Mentions:
For this list, we’ll focus solely on Crytek’s major releases, leaving out the studio’s more niche or experimental projects. These include VR-only games
(The Climb, Robinson: The Journey, The Climb 2)
and mobile games
(The Collectables, Fibble: Flick ‘n’ Roll)
, as they aren’t quite comparable to the rest of Crytek’s triple-A catalog.

10 Crysis Wars

A Solid Multiplayer Addition That Is No Longer Accessible

• Platform: PC
• Released: October 18, 2008
• Genre: First-person shooter

Crysis Wars serves as a standalone multiplayer component for Crysis Warhead, which stands out as an unusual decision, given that most other titles in the Crysis franchise include multiplayer directly within the main game. From a gameplay perspective, Crysis Wars builds upon the multiplayer foundation of the original Crysis, offering a more refined experience with additional content. The game introduced a larger variety of maps, expanded player customization options with new weapons and gear, and featured three game modes: Power Struggle, Instant Action (returning from the first game), and the new Team Instant Action mode, catering to fans of cooperative team-based play.

However, Crysis Wars faced a major drawback due to its reliance on GameSpy, the multiplayer service that shut down in 2014. As a result, the game became unplayable, a fate it shares with the multiplayer mode of Crysis 2, which was not restored in the Crysis Remastered collection.

9 Crysis Remastered Trilogy

Bringing The Iconic Trilogy To Modern Platforms

The Crysis Remastered Trilogy began as standalone releases for each game before eventually being bundled into a single collection, aimed at modernizing the iconic series for today’s platforms. Surprisingly, the trilogy was even made playable on the Nintendo Switch, showcasing the impressive adaptability of CryEngine to function effectively on lower-spec hardware.

The most significant improvement lies in the lighting, which now boasts a generational leap in fidelity, providing more realistic environments and shadows that breathe new life into the games. While the remastered versions successfully bring Crysis to a new audience with enhanced visuals and performance, they simply aren’t as notable as the rest of the project developed by Crytek.

8 Warface

An F2P Multiplayer Shooter Struggling With Its Identity

Warface marked Crytek’s initial foray into creating a standalone, long-term multiplayer title, though it ultimately fell short of achieving the lasting success of games like Hunt: Showdown. Ironically, for a game with “face” in its name, Warface struggled to establish a distinct identity, blending into the crowded field of class-based multiplayer shooters of its time. Its heavy reliance on microtransactions and standard mechanics made it difficult to stand out among competitors.

The game underwent multiple relaunches over the years, with the most notable being Warface: Clutch, a modernized free-to-play version now owned and published by My.Games, a Dutch company. Warface includes both PvP and PvE modes, offering players variety, but its lack of innovation relegates it to a relatively niche audience.

7 Ryse: Son Of Rome

An Underappreciated Cinematic Slasher Set In A Visually Rich World

At launch, Ryse: Son of Rome was often labeled as a glorified tech demo for the Xbox One, praised for its stunning visuals but widely criticized for its simplified gameplay. However, over time, the game has gained more appreciation — not only for its visuals, which still hold up remarkably well more than a decade later, but also for its rarely explored setting of the Roman Empire and Crytek’s surprising venture into the third-person action genre, diverging from their FPS roots.

While the combat in Ryse: Son of Rome lacks depth and is largely driven by quick-time events (QTEs), it offers a cinematic flair that makes each battle feel grand, spectacular and enjoyable enough to keep players engaged through the game’s relatively short campaign, which averages around seven hours. Coupled with its historical backdrop and stunning production values, the game has cemented itself as a unique, albeit flawed, experience in Crytek’s portfolio.

6 Crysis Warhead

The Studio’s Only Expansion Focused On Gameplay Above All Else

• Platform: PC
• Released: September 16, 2008
• Genre: First-person shooter

Crysis Warhead could easily rank higher on any list of Crytek’s games, but its secondary nature as an expansion to the original Crysis keeps it slightly in the shadows. Serving as the only expansion in Crytek’s history, Warhead retains the technical brilliance of the original game while delivering more refined and intense gameplay, and it largely succeeds in doing so.

Offering a fresh perspective, Crysis Warhead puts players in the boots of Sergeant Michael “Psycho” Sykes, rather than Lieutenant Jake “Nomad” Dunn, showcasing a parallel story with a tighter narrative focus. The campaign’s streamlined structure and ramped-up intensity, combined with new weapons and vehicles, provide an experience that’s both familiar and refreshingly different for fans of the series. While it may not carry the same groundbreaking impact as the original Crysis, Warhead stands out as a must-play addition to the Crysis universe.

5 Crysis 3

A Decent Yet Forgettable Conclusion To The FPS Trilogy

The latest installment in the series, Crysis 3, struggled to match the critical acclaim of its predecessors, excelling primarily in its breathtaking visuals powered by the updated CryEngine 3. By this point in the franchise, the formula felt somewhat exhausted. The return of the nanosuit and a New York setting overrun by lush greenery, while visually stunning, lacked the novelty and impact that made earlier entries so memorable.

Despite these shortcomings, Crysis 3 remains a solid FPS experience, offering fast-paced action and a broader variety of enemy types, including both human and alien foes. Its standout addition, the Predator compound bow, introduces a layer of tactical versatility, particularly for players favoring stealth-based hunter-style gameplay.

4 Crysis 2

The Company’s First Multiplatform Game With An Acclaimed Score

Crysis 2 took a more cinematic and linear approach compared to its predecessor, sacrificing some of the original’s sandbox appeal and certain graphical features to ensure smooth performance on consoles, as it was Crytek’s first multiplatform title. The change in setting was one of the sequel’s standout elements, moving the action to a post-apocalyptic New York City ravaged by a full-scale alien invasion.

The story, while not universally praised, offered intriguing twists and an ambiguous ending that sparked discussion among fans. As the first title to utilize CryEngine 3, Crysis 2 impressed visually, but its true highlight was the exceptional musical score, featuring contributions from renowned composers Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, and Borislav Slavov, which elevated the game’s atmosphere and emotional impact.

3 Far Cry

A Groundbreaking Studio Debut That Laid The Foundation For A Long-Running Series

Far Cry is a groundbreaking debut for Crytek that stands out for multiple reasons. The game introduced CryEngine to the world, an ever-evolving technology that remains one of the most powerful gaming engines ever created. On top of that, Far Cry launched as a bold new IP in 2004, competing directly with other monumental first-person shooters of the time, such as Half-Life 2 and Doom 3. It managed to stand out, thanks to its expansive, open-ended gameplay that emphasized freedom and exploration.

Although the franchise rights were acquired by Ubisoft, leading to the series’ transformation into one of the most successful FPS franchises, Crytek’s original Far Cry laid the foundation. With six mainline entries and numerous spin-offs, the series continues to evolve, with the upcoming Far Cry 7 poised to shake up the formula once again.

2 Hunt: Showdown 1896

Carving Out Its Own Niche With Unique Strengths

Hunt: Showdown 1896 (originally just Hunt: Showdown) has a fascinating history and a dedicated following, steadily carving its own unique niche in the world of live-service extraction first-person shooters. The game quickly captured players’ attention with its immersive setting, period-appropriate arsenal of tools and weapons, and a combat system that blends intense PvE and PvP elements. Its unforgiving nature, however, makes it less accessible to newcomers compared to other titles in the genre, creating a dark, tense experience tailored to hardcore players.

Over time, Hunt: Showdown has seen a gradual rise in popularity, evolving with each update into a standout cooperative multiplayer experience with little competition. Its success is a testament to the developers’ commitment to their vision and consistent support for the game. Powered by a new iteration of CryEngine 5, the updated Hunt: Showdown 1896 boasts stunning visuals, setting it apart not only with its cutting-edge technology but also with its memorable, atmospheric, and unforgiving world.

1 Crysis

The Studio’s Most Iconic And Influential Work To Date

• Platforms: PC, PS3, X360
• Released: November 13, 2007
• Genre: First-person shooter

Crysis will likely forever be synonymous with Crytek, thanks to its groundbreaking technology and the huge impact it had on the PC gaming and hardware market. The phrase “But can it run Crysis?” has become iconic, etched into the minds of PC enthusiasts to this day. Released in 2007, the game was ahead of its time, designed with future hardware in mind. At launch, no consumer-grade machine could run it on max settings comfortably. Its jaw-dropping graphics pushed the limits of what was possible, delivering stunning visual effects and vast, open-world sandbox environments. Even years after its release, the original Crysis still holds up remarkably well, showcasing Crytek’s mastery of the CryEngine.

Moreover, Crysis marked the start of one of Crytek’s most beloved and enduring franchises, introducing the iconic nanosuit — a key gameplay feature that set the game apart in the FPS scene. With Crysis 4 now in development, the next question on everyone’s mind is, “Can our PCs run Crysis 4 when it launches?”