Crysis 3: Are its system requirements too high?

To see more you have to have more; consoles are a practical alternative.

By Harrison Garovi

The Crysis series of first-person shooter games has always been known for its groundbreaking graphics and top-notch physics engine. But when is enough enough? PC gamers generally want the most powerful rig to purchase or build to their heart’s desire. Many newcomers might be discouraged when they learn how expensive all the necessary parts may be in order to play Crysis 3 at maximum settings. System requirements— such as the necessity of using a DirectX 11 graphics card—don’t play fair to loyal fans of the series, at least in economic terms. If you’re still on Windows XP, an upgrade is mandatory, as the only operating systems compatible with Crysis 3 are Windows Vista, 7, and 8.

Crysis 3 brings stunning image quality and a pretty good story. (source: Electronic Arts)

PC performance in gaming has come a long way. I remember standing in Comp USA sometime in 2004, being amazed at how well some of the PCs on display could play Doom 3. That was state of the art in 2004, and so is Crysis 3 in 2013. Nowadays, Doom 3 doesn’t look as amazing as it did in 2004 because of the fast development of technology. The same thing will eventually happen to Crysis 3, but right now the graphics, game play, and physics are some of the best around and help put this game on a pedestal. For the time being, however, only true hardcore gamers with a budget to match can unlock its full potential.

But don’t fret; there are workarounds, if you can live with a bit of compromise. If you own a PC with a dual-core CPU and at least 3 GB of RAM, you can play Crysis 3 on its minimum settings. Those specifications are common, but you’ll get a subpar experience. If you really want the best possible experience without laying out hundreds of dollars, there’s another possibility. If you happen to own a PS3 or Xbox 360, Crysis 3 is available for purchase without any hardware upgrades or OS updates required. Though certain textures will not be as visually appealing as its PC counterpart, you can still enjoy the Crysis 3 experience the way the developers intended it to be.