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In a new regular feature, ‘Reaction’ helps us share what’s relevant. These are subjective views based around an educated opinion. Feel free to disagree, slate us, hate us or block us, but these are the issues we feel need addressing. If you must vent in our ‘comments’, keep it clean and to the point. We'd love to see you write a similarily lengthy peace which we'd publish on your behalf.

Before we go anywhere, watch the latest gameplay of Crysis: Warhead courtesy of Game Videos below. The quality isn’t the best, but it does the job.

You’d be mistaken (and subsequently forgiven) for thinking that you were watching the original Crysis. Even in its current state, it looks the same. It’s simple as. While that’s nothing to scoff at (as we still believe that Crysis running on Very High Detail in Direct X 10 mode is the best looking game on the market), the harsh reality is that there seems to be little engine improvement. The latest batch of Nvidia cards appear to handle Crysis maxed out with a decent FPS so the argument that it’s built for the future is obsolete. When you purchase a new game you expect an improvement, otherwise it’s only an expansion pack. We’d presume Crytek to quote “per-pixel improvements” and better particle effects, but to the naked eye it’s not evident.

The models, objects that litter the game and vegetation all possess a déjà vu feeling. It’s not stepping out of line if you’re questioning the originality of Warhead. The Koreans still possess a clumsy habit of leaving explosive barrels precariously. The interface is a carbon copy. The weapons, their customization and their aiming methods are a complete continuation. The AI seems as ridiculously idiotic as it ever was. You have to sit down and go frame by frame to actually see a difference.

Whether Crytek like it or not, Crysis: Warhead is an expansion. Any attempt to justify the game as a sequel is insulting. If they intend to charge full price for the game then it’s not going to go down well. We’d be happy to pay £19.99 ($40) for it, but the reality is probably going to be different. It’s a crude attempt of milking money from fans. The alternative story is barely a reason to call this a new game. It’s a shoddy attempt at elongating the game’s cash power. It smells of money grabbing. If there are aliens in it, we’ll simply not buy it.

It’s a simple case of disillusion. Crysis is supposedly going to span a trilogy. Regurgitating the same characters is absolutely fine as it brings in a sense of continuity. Using the same location is debatably acceptable because the gamer will feel in a familiar situation. The line crossed is a copy and pasting on what we’ve already had. A rearranging of the jigsaw pieces doesn’t warrant the term ‘sequel.’

We’re not alone in the theory. WhatIfGaming’s editor has had ‘hands on’ time with the game and stated, “It doesn’t look different. It looks like most of the texture work was increased, but when you’re running at 80 mph, it doesn’t matter about A.I. faces.” (Usman, I. July 2008) The ‘raved about’ optimisation could easily have been achieved with patches rather than a poking of gamers’ wallets. PC Zone also raised the issue, "Ultimately, what Crysis wants you to know (are desperate for you to know, some might say) is that Crysis is no longer a beast to be feared." (Porter, W. June 2008).

Expansion packs are a dirty business. They're on par with our biggest pet hate; paid downloadable content. It's substance that shoud've been in the game in the first place, but was either omitted due to time constraints or for future monetary pilfering. Crysis: Warhead is fooling no one here and we're warning you to stay vigilant.

UPDATE: Shacknews has stated that the game's arriving for $29.99. The points raised here will still stand until a UK price is revealed.

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