Crysis: Warhead Hands-on Preview

Status Whoa!

The funny thing is though, that even though Warhead is the new expansion pack/sequel/instalment in the Crysis saga, there actually isn’t a whole lot in the game that is drastically and phenomenally new.

For starters, most of the environments are the same – though that much is to be expected obviously. You won’t be running through many of the exact same levels, though there may be the tiniest bit of deliberate overlap at points. Still, the levels are similar. Even the ones which are different are the same.

Likewise, the nanosuit is the same, as are the fundamentals of the gameplay. This is the US Army that you’re being cast into, so anything radically different from the norm is frowned on – Psycho handles exactly the same and has the same abilities as Nomad from Crysis. No more, no less.

Much of this though is a limitation of the story – and yes, the writing team from Crysis has been reassembled to handle Crysis: Warhead, including Martin Lancaster. Because Psycho is from the same unit as Nomad and has the same gear and allegiances, it makes absolutely no sense for him to have a different HUD or load-out.


What there is though is a whole new set of vehicles, weapons and missions – because these parts of Psycho’s experience are different. We’ve already mentioned the ability to dual wield SMGs, though we skipped over the frustrating demand that you have to pick both guns up separately – but what else is new.

Well, sticking with weapons for the time being, we also got a chance to try our hand with a grenade launcher or two, which is one of the weapons that the original Crysis was notably absent of.

The grenade launcher is a fantastic back-up weapon and at least half our time with the game was spent simply running around finding cars to roll grenades under using it. It’s also handy for bouncing the tiny explosives round corners and through windows, dumping them among the conveniently placed pressurised canisters and explosive barrels.

There are new vehicles too, some of which are admittedly just rehashes of the existing jeeps and tanks, others of which are a little more interesting and fun to play with. We only got a chance to have a go with a new AVC armoured jeep, which unfortunately falls into the first category like a kitten with its paws tied together.


Rest assured though, there are other modes of destruction and methods of transportation awaiting to be found in Crysis: Warhead – though Crytek remains tight lipped on what they may be.

In terms of the new baddies and enemies however, things still seemed to be limited somewhat to the faceless Korean footsoldiers from what we saw previous, though the missions at least were suitably varied and Psycho’s story sees him working closely with other soldiers and support characters.

The mission we played highlighted this especially, with Psycho having to help secure a submarine base after rescuing a downed helicopter pilot called O’Neill that he had been working with and who had provided air support as necessary.

In fact, from what we saw of the game the idea of making Psycho work alongside other characters was one of the things we liked the most – that and the massive chase scene which leads right up to the Submarine base and sees Psycho speeding a car along a jungle alley filled with explosions so big that even the polar bears can hear it.