Don’t know your parallax occlusion mapping from your custom shape based bokeh depth of field effects? Don’t worry about it! Crytek, maker of Crysis 2, illustrates what new tessellation and displacement mapping technology, part of the game’s new “Ultra Upgrade” pack, means for you, PC gamer.
The free DirectX 11 upgrade for Crysis 2 – with a few improvements for DirectX 9 too – is now available for download from Crytek, alongside a high res texture pack that will put further hurt on your Windows machine. More details at the official Crysis web site, but if you’d prefer to look at pretty pictures while getting an education on “Realistic Shadows with Variable Penumbra,” click through the gallery above.
MrBS
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 8:44 AMDownloaded the packs this morning. Then it was off to work ><
El Phantasmogoro
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 9:11 AMI dislike the whole idea of marketing this as a ‘free upgrade’. This is what the PC version should’ve been like at release.
That said, it looks quite lovely now.
Reoh
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 11:34 AMYeah, it reaks of “marketing spin” and then some.
706
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 9:13 AMCan’t tell the difference in some of the screenshots, but I think I just don’t know what to look for. Will check this out and see if my machine can run it. That ocean really looked great however the actual pools of ‘interactive’ water looked like they were made of rubber.
glittalogik
Monday, July 4, 2011 at 3:53 PMLoad the screenshots in adjacent tabs to compare =)
Peter Richards
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 9:17 AMAt these screen sizes it is pretty underwhelming even in a static shot, I can’t see me noticing it in the heat of battle.
Good to have, but even the DX9 vs DX11 stuff isn’t exactly mind-blowing.
Andy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:50 AMguessing you have no idea what your looking at then.
massive difference when i look at the images.
Peter Richards
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 12:00 PM*Massive* differences looking at the static images on this post?
Some of the ones in the video, yes, (though for some it is the brightness difference more than anything), but for most of the images on this page, it isn’t anything all that impressive.
wooktree
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 1:25 PMTip******, open the images that say “on and off” respectively in two tabs, swap between both tabs. It is then very easy to see the difference.
Ty
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 1:56 PMThat’s because you’re seeing a single shot with one effect turned on or off, not the whole pack.
Tesselation + Occlusion + High def vector assets (signs etc) + reflections + better depth of field focal blurs + SSAO + Tone correct + better edging on motion blur, etc = very different appearance, when used simultaneously.
Iain Graham
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 9:17 AMLooks very shiny, will be downloading it for myself later.
One has to wonder why this is finally being realeased only just now? Was it that the creators of Crysis 1 realising that their new game didn’t create anywhere near as bigger ripples in the games industry as they had originally hoped? Did they over-extend and set a release date that was far too early? Or were they just lazy, and thought they could get away with it?
Crysis 2 was just another generic shooter, without even any of the hyper-realistic graphics of it’s predeccesor to call its own, which -for me- seems a little like it betrayed it’s roots. It’s good to see the Crytek team getting some content out to fix this, however late.
effektd
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 9:22 AMNot able to watch the videos, the pictures do show some differences though (albeit subtle).
Good on Crytek to do the right thing, they should have had this avaliable for release though.
These publishers need to start pushing the boundries of PC gaming or everyone’s gonna continue to fall behind and we’ll be stuck with old outdated graphics due to the consoles…
AnonymousPessimist
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:02 AMA) I can’t tell a difference
B) Pity it’s not on steam so I can’t even buy it to tell if there’s a difference.
McGarnical
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:18 AMThere’s a pretty clear difference to me. DX11 is brighter! Kind of like putting the xbox version on my 46″ LCD and turning the “Dynamic” settings on.
I might load this up on my PC in about 5 years when I can run it.
James Mac
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 1:20 PMApparently it’s on a couple of other stores if you wish to buy it…
Or you could pick it up PC retail, y’know… like we used to?
Marathon
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:09 AMPretty sure I can run it, but anyone know how powerful a rig you’ll need?
And feeling a bit nostalgic I went back to play Crysis 1 on the weekend, it’s playing up at the moment due to Nvidia drivers. :(
clint
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:15 AMwow its like a whole new game
ok seriously now, hands up those who cant tell the difference. I stared at the screenshots for a while trying to notice the tiny changes. Im hoping in action it is easier to notice the difference.
The Insufferable Senor Steengo
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:25 AMI can tell the difference, because I don’t have some degenerative ocular disease.
Andy
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:56 AMhahaha so true.
i noticed the difference straight away the lighting is the biggest difference much crisper etc.
that no standing sign one MASSIVE difference. people just need to open their eyes and actually not go OH its the same place therefore its the same.
Hieronimus
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 11:00 AMdid you look at the screenshots at full-size? I was staring at them just on this page and was thinking the same thing, but then I opened the pictures up bigger and those tessellations jumped out and cut me =’(
Tony
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 10:20 AMLike at release? Perhaps you know, it wasn’t ready? Imagine the whinging if the consoles got a version of the game long before the PC’s. Crytek are in a no win situation no matter how you look at it.
doyle
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 12:29 PMwonder if they ever considered charging for the privilege of enabling “very very high” in the graphics menu?
Aron
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 1:11 PMThis pack alone has made me want Crysis 2. I was going give it a miss, but now I want to get it so I can just… LOOK at everything! This will be a great test for my PC.
jay
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 1:23 PMThe trailer shows the difference more clearly. The lighting, shadowing, shaders and texturing r all different. (Massively different). Goodbye blurry shadows/shader and generic textures.
Those who cant tell the difference, watch the damn trailer.
doubleDizz
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 1:29 PMSo you reckon MS next console will be able to do this? hahaha
but really…
Rohan
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 4:39 PMNow the enemies can look truly stunning as they walk into a wall until they die.
I’m not a PC gamer, I can see little differences but obviously don’t have the trained eye to spot exatly what’s what.
This game was fun, but felt like it was released without that final coat of polish. Or none at all I suppose, if you were a PC enthusiast who assumed that Crysis 2 would do for the PC what its predecessor did.
I’m glad to see this pack released for those who can take advantage of it, but it does only make me monder some more.
How was Crysis 2, Crytek’s next big game and the flagship for CryEngine 3, allowed to be released so unfinished?
Pioneer
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 8:16 PMStill won’t change the more linear levels and lack of suit modes.
Aaron
Tuesday, June 28, 2011 at 8:40 PMFinally, Crysis 2 is the DX11 tech demo it was supposed to be.