Although I've only played a little bit of Crysis 1 and 2 at this point, I think it's already fair to say that I don't think the awkwardly pseudo-tactical gameplay is particularly good at all (especially not Crysis 2 since that game seems downright broken when it comes to certain crucial design elements).

That said, while there are some graphical aspects of (un-modded) Crysis 1 which look a little bit dated by now, those water effects are still pretty darn nice. I almost want to reach out and touch it, but that damn BenQ XL2410T monitor keeps getting in my way...

A new gaming PC is not only useful for playing new games; it also makes it possible for me to check out some of the comparatively hardware-intense mods which significantly enhance the experience provided by older titles. A good example of this is the original STALKER's "Complete 2009" mod which apart from various visual upgrades (improved lighting, depth of field, parallax mapping, SSAO, over 900 reworked texture files etc.) also adds a lot of gameplay additions and balance tweaks such as sleeping bags, repair kits, third-person camera, freeplay after the campaign ends etc. More importantly, however, the team responsible for Complete 2009 is currently working on yet another, even more impressive mod pack called Complete 2012, which will most likely bring GSC Game World's classic open-world action shooter fully into the new decade with style...

Although I've only played a little bit of Crysis 1 and 2 at this point, I think it's already fair to say that I don't think the awkwardly pseudo-tactical gameplay is particularly good at all (especially not Crysis 2 since that game seems downright broken when it comes to certain crucial design elements).

That said, while there are some graphical aspects of (un-modded) Crysis 1 which look a little bit dated by now, those water effects are still pretty darn nice. I almost want to reach out and touch it, but that damn BenQ XL2410T monitor keeps getting in my way...

A new gaming PC is not only useful for playing new games; it also makes it possible for me to check out some of the comparatively hardware-intense mods which significantly enhance the experience provided by older titles. A good example of this is the original STALKER's "Complete 2009" mod which apart from various visual upgrades (improved lighting, depth of field, parallax mapping, SSAO, over 900 reworked texture files etc.) also adds a lot of gameplay additions and balance tweaks such as sleeping bags, repair kits, third-person camera, freeplay after the campaign ends etc. More importantly, however, the team responsible for Complete 2009 is currently working on yet another, even more impressive mod pack called Complete 2012, which will most likely bring GSC Game World's classic open-world action shooter fully into the new decade with style...