Crysis was well known for its PC origins but now it is jumping to Microsoft’s other platform. Crysis, Crysis 2, and Crysis 3 joined the Xbox One backwards compatibility list today. Players can enjoy the Crysis Xbox One backwards compatibility by buying the game on demand or use their existing Xbox 360 discs.
Xbox’s Major Nelson confirmed the news earlier today on Twitter. Franchises don’t always come to the Xbox One backwards compatibility list in one fell swoop but Crysis is one of the few.
Crysis originally released on the PC in 2007 and was used as a benchmark for computer hardware. It then was ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360 in late 2011. The game was generally received well both times for its powerful supersuit that allowed players to play stealthily and aggressively.
Crysis 2 also released in 2011 before the original had hit consoles. However, it simultaneously launched on all three systems. Crysis 2 also reviewed well and was a more streamlined version of the first game. However, it garnered criticism for its more linear structure and smaller world.
The most recent game in the series, Crysis 3, hit PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 in 2013 less than two years after its predecessor. And it showed. While critics still generally liked it, the game’s proximity to Crysis 2 didn’t give it the room to grove and evolve. The open world and bow and arrow were highlights, but it didn’t completely overcome the apathy towards the game.
The Crysis Xbox One backwards compatibility news doesn’t mean a sequel is coming since it is not clear if or when the series coming back. Cervat Yerli, Crytek’s former CEO, told RockPaperShotgun in late 2012 that they didn’t know what was next. Ex-Crytek Producer Michael Read talked to DustyCartridge in 2013 and said that the “franchise itself has life left in it” and said that the next game might not even be a first-person shooter.
However, neither of these statements are recent which means that the studio is likely not prioritizing another Crysis game. Crytek is currently working on the cooperative and competitive hunting game Hunt: Showdown and the free-to-play title, Warfare.
