Crytek recently shared that the "biggest difference" between Far Cry and Crysis was in the different approaches used for creating their respective in-game environments. These two titles are among the earliest games shipped by Crytek and were both critically and commercially successful.
Before the Far Cry IP was acquired by Ubisoft in 2006, it was the property of Crytek, the German studio that had developed the highly popular franchise's first-ever entry. The 2004 shooter was not only its debut project but also its first big hit. Three years later, Crytek followed Far Cry up with another successful original game called Crysis, which would go on to spawn multiple well-received sequels throughout the next several years. Although both these games are first-person shooters set in a jungle, there are still some notable differences that separate them, one of which the Crytek devs recently talked about.
Far Cry's Love of Tropical Settings Should Bring It Back to One Overlooked Region
The setting of the next Far Cry game has yet to be revealed, but the upcoming chapter should look to the franchise's past for inspiration.
In a new video on its official YouTube channel, Crytek discussed the various phases of its journey so far, with a special focus on Crysis, which remains its best-rated game even after almost 20 years. Comparing what was the studio's second major success with its first one, Far Cry, Crytek Art Director Marcel Schaika said that the biggest difference between these two titles was in how the jungle setting was created for each of them. He explained that, for Far Cry, the art team "created a natural environment as they have [sic] imagined it," whereas the artists who worked on Crysis "mimicked nature as closely as possible." Schaika, who made 3D art for the 2007 sci-fi game, further stated that these two different approaches made "a massive difference" despite both games sharing identical technologies in certain areas.
Crytek Talks About How Crysis Did Things Differently Compared to Far Cry
Tom Deerberg, who was the senior 3D artist for Crysis, shared a part of the process that helped the team with building the in-game world. He said that artists and level designers physically visited "some tropical island," drew ideas from there, and captured plenty of pictures, which enabled them to better understand the vision for the game's setting. He added that the field trip helped "the level of quality and visual consistency" present in Crysis.
It's worth noting that developers making trips to real-world places before recreating similar in-game environments is not something unusual, especially for games of a vast scale. For instance, Rockstar Games has been known to tour relevant locations for the development of its GTA games, which portray fictionalized versions of real cities.
While the next installment in the Far Cry series continues to take shape at Ubisoft, the new Crysis game is unfortunately on hold indefinitely. Back in February 2025, Crytek conducted layoffs and paused the development of Crysis 4, casting serious doubt over the future of the franchise.
What begins as a simple rescue mission becomes the battleground of a new war, as alien invaders swarm over a North Korean island chain. Armed with a powerful Nanosuit, you must achieve your objectives by any means necessary. Become invisible to stalk enemy patrols, or boost your strength to lay waste to vehicles. An advanced AI controls your enemies, so play smart. One wrong move out here could be your last.
- Adapt to Survive – An epic story thrusts players into an ever-changing environment, forcing them to adapt their tactics and approach to conquer battlefields ranging from newly frozen jungle to zero-gravity alien environments.
- Suit up – A high-tech Nanosuit allows gamers to augment their abilities in real time on the battlefield. Players can choose to enhance their speed, strength, armor and cloaking abilities to approach situations in creative tactical ways.
- Customizable Weaponry – A huge arsenal of modular weaponry gives gamers unprecedented control over their play style. Blow the opposition away with experimental weapons, discover alien technology and utilize custom ammunition from incendiary-tipped rounds to tactical munitions that can silently put foes to sleep.
- Veni Vidi Vici – Lifelike enemy AI challenges players to assess a situation and approach it strategically. It isn't about having the fastest trigger finger – players are challenged to be proactive in the fight, not reactive.
- Zero-G Gameplay – Battle a horrifying alien species in a true Zero-gravity environment, where physics change everything as players must adapt to moving in Zero-G and contending with the recoil from their weapons and more.
- Next-Generation Graphics – Built from the ground up using Crytek's proprietary CryENGINE 2™, Crysis' visuals define "state of the art," with full DX10 support and scalable options to deliver solid performance on older machines.
- Open, Physicalized World – Choose your own path through the open world of Crysis, destroying obstacles, driving vehicles from VTOL's to boats and using the environment itself against your enemies.
