Everything we know about Crysis Remastered, from platforms to new features

The Crysis series from Crytek has been dormant since the release of The Crysis Trilogy in 2014, but that won't be the case for much longer: Crysis Remastered, a remaster of one of the most ambitious shooters from the 2000s, has been confirmed by developer Crytek.

Here's everything we know about it, from the potential release date and platforms to some exciting new features.

When is the Crysis Remastered release date?

Crysis Remastered was only confirmed on April 16, 2020, and a specific release date has yet to be announced. While its reveal trailer, which you can watch below, and its website only say that it's coming soon, Crytek clarified in a press release that Crysis Remastered will launch sometime during Summer 2020. As it's not currently slated for any next-generation platforms like PS5 or Xbox Series X, this release window makes sense. If the game makes this window, expect Crysis Remastered to launch before the end of September 2020.

While Crytek won't give a specific release date, one day will seem likely to those who have played Crysis. August 7, 2020, is the day the story of Crysis kicks off. August 7 just so happens to be a Friday, which is the day of the week when video games are usually released. Releasing Crysis Remastered on that day would a very cheeky move, and it's a major missed opportunity if they don't release it then.

What platforms will Crysis Remastered be available on?

A Crytek website leak early on April 16 revealed that Crysis Remastered would be released for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, and these platforms were confirmed when the remaster was formally announced. While the remaster is dodging a release on Google Stadia and next-gen consoles, it is coming out for all of the most widely owned platforms.

The Switch port, in particular, is very intriguing because Crysis was already a demanding game power-wise, and the remaster will likely bump up the quality of its assets. The Switch port is the one to keep an eye when Crysis Remastered gameplay is shown off for the first time.

How did Crysis Remastered leak?

Players first caught wind of Crysis' return on April 13 when the Crysis Twitter accounted posted for the first time since 2016 saying "RECEIVING DATA." It followed that up with another tweet asking, "Hey Nomad, are you still with us?" on April 14, but has been silent since. A new Crytek job listing also referenced an "unannounced AAA title," leaving many to believe a new Crysis project was in the works.

The big leak came on April 16 though, when Crysis Remastered's website went live early. As IGN reported, Crytek's Cookie Policy page featured a logo for Crysis Remastered. Clicking on it would bring you to the game's website. It not only contained artwork but featured the following message: "Crysis Remastered brings new graphic features, high-quality textures, and the CRYENGINE's native hardware- and API-agnostic ray tracing solution for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and – for the very first time – Nintendo Switch."

The official Xbox YouTube account posted the official trailer for it early and then took it down. Crytek then officially released the trailer and website for Crysis Remastered.

What companies are developing Crysis Remastered?

While the leaks did not contain any indication the developer, the game's press release revealed that Crysis Remastered will be a joint effort between Crytek and Saber Interactive. After the release and underperformance of Crysis 3, Crytek into financial trouble in the mid-2010s, so the only titles it has put out over the past few years include the underrated multiplayer shooter Hunt: Showdown and VR games The Climb and Robinson: The Journey.

Meanwhile, Saber Interactive has experience with original titles as well as ports and remasters. While you might know them best for creating NBA Playgrounds and World War Z, they also played a part in the development of remasters like Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Ghostbusters: The Video Game Remastered.

Saber Interactive is also a smart choice because it's a talented Switch port developer. It's brought the likes of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Vampyr to Nintendo's hybrid console. This year, Saber Interactive is flaunting how they can bring even more demanding games like World War Z and Crysis Remastered over.

What new features does Crysis Remastered have?

While Crysis was already a great looking game, this remaster is overhauling its visuals to make it look even better. In addition to better textures and assets, Crysis Remastered is utilizing advanced techniques like temporal anti-aliasing, SSDO, SVOGI, reworked lighting, motion blur, volumetric fog, ray tracing, screen-space reflections, and parallax occlusion mapping to make the game look even better.

Those are probably some alienating terms if you don't know much about gaming, but just know that these things will make Crysis Remastered look a whole lot better. Crytek CEO Avni Yerli says that the remaster will be "worthy of [the fans'] passion for the game," in its press release, though the goal is to also make it appealing to new gamers.

For now, only the single-player part of the game is being remastered, so fans of Crysis' multiplayer shouldn't expect an updated return to it later this year.

What is the story of Crysis?

In Crysis, players control a super soldier called Nomad who wears a nano suit that gives him super-strength and added resistance to gunfire. He's sent to the Lingshan Islands after they are invaded by North Korea, though the threat eventually becomes aliens, which kicks off an epic sci-fi story that lasted three games. Crysis is a fun romp and the plot won't be changed much in a remaster like this, so give Crysis Remastered a shot if you like sci-fi.

Why does Crysis deserve a remaster?

At the time of its release, Crysis was an innovative game for the mostly straightforward first-person shooter genre. It featured a lot of variation in how players could go about objectives as they had a wide variety of weapons and vehicles at their disposal. It was also a graphical powerhouse at the time that showed just what CryEngine could. Asking if your PC could run Crysis became a running gag within the PC community because of just how demanding it was, and that's indicative of its greater impact on video game graphics in the late 2000s. That's why it's so surprising that it'll be available on a console like Nintendo Switch, which isn't known for its processor.

The original Crysis still looks good to this day, so a well-made remaster has the potential to be one of the best-looking FPS games on the market. The original Crysis' multiplayer mode was shut down in 2014, so a remaster could play a part in bringing that community back as well, though it doesn't look like that will be present at release. If you couldn't run Crysis at the time of its release, you should try out Crysis Remastered when it is released for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch by Crytek.