Crysis 3 Multiplayer Beta - First Looks

I've never been a big fan of Crysis.  Not because it isn't beautiful or cutting edge (except Crysis 2) I just never got into the whole Sci-Fi alien invasion thing.  The first game was the benchmark by which all others were judged for a long time, however.  It still is a game that can bring even the stoutest game rig to its knees and this latest installment is said to do the same.

So it's with this expectation that I foolishly took advantage of the free 3GB Multiplayer download of Crysis 3.  It took about an hour to download mostly because EA still doesn't let you pick alternate servers and I happen to be on the west coast.  So there's that...

Anyway, My other game rig is a bit less stout than the ideal spec as you'll see from the screen captures on this page.  It's still in line with most higher end mainstream gaming rigs but the hardware is two years old.  Before you ask, yes the lastest 13.1 ATI Radeon driver and Windows 7 updates have been applied.  I don't have any huge overclocks on this system since it pulls double duty as a production pc with just a hard drive swap.

Hopefully the video is still online as it shows my experiences with the game. 

First off, realize this is a beta.  We're about 3 weeks out from Crysis 3 being officially released so it's 99% there. Still, there are some issues that show up like problems with connecting to servers, game freezes and inconsistent textures.  Also know that some features are disabled like map voting.  Servers are also laggy so don't expect to employ much in the way of tactics.

Now on to my aging gaming rig.  Here's the specs:

CPU - Intel Core I7 860 2.8GHZ 4core with HT

RAM - Corsair CMP4GX3M2A1600C8 DDR31600 2GB x4 (8GB)

Motherboard - ASUS P7P55D

Graphics - Sapphire AMD/ATI Radeon 6950 1GB

Storage - Hitachi Deskstar 7200RPM 320GB

Operating System - Windows 7 Ultimate Service Pack 1

If the video gets yanked off of YouTube it's not much to try out the beta yourself but know this.  On a rig with the specs above the game was playable on high settings at 1920x1080 averaging above 30 frames per second.  I saw more issues with lag than display.  It would probably be smoother if I ratcheted the settings down a bit but with such a visual game that could put you at a disadvantage in multiplayer. 

Control setup is textbook FPS using mouse and keyboard just like BF3 and COD with the added perk of allowing for native support of a gamepad.  An obvious nod toward console gamers but I have to wonder how good the experience will be on what is now 5 year old hardware that isn't due for a refresh till the end of 2013 at the earliest.  Still, consoles sell more volume so I guess I understand it.

FedEx Office Print Online 15%

There's 2 game modes available in the beta, Hunter and Crash Site.  I couldn't get into a Hunter game so most of my video is of the Crash Site game type.  Hunter is basically a team deathmatch mode and Crash Site is just like conquest in Battlefield 3 in case you were wondering.

I didn't plan on a full review of the game, just wanted to make you guys aware of it.  Check out the video if it hasn't been pulled down or try the beta yourself.  Nothing but an origin ID is needed.  Oh yeah, I read the EULA and it looks like there may be some opportunity to buy Beta specific upgrades or items.  I don't know why anyone would but know that they won't work in the released version of the game.  Also realize that the hardcore Crysis guys are already at level 10+ and will likely use you for target practice so don't take it personally, I didn't.

That's it, check it out.