Bummer: Crytek Denies Crysis 2 DirectX 11 Patch

The highly-anticipated FPS game Crysis 2 from EA and Crytek finally launched last Tuesday on March 22, 2011, for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Windows PC. Surprisingly, the PC version didn't ship with DirectX 11 support, instead requiring DirectX 9.0c at the very least to be installed on gaming systems.

Naturally fans were elated when news of a DirectX 11 patch arrived over the weekend, an update which would (obviously) beef up the graphics for supporting high-end systems. But on Monday party balloons quickly deflated and eager fans were left empty handed when the supposed release date came and went without the arrival of the coveted DirectX 11 patch.

But as seen on this post in the MyCrysis forums, no patch was ever confirmed by the developer in the first place. "I have no idea why this website even posted such information," said Crytek community manager Cry-Tom. "This thread is locked just the same as the others for trying to spread inaccurate information. When there are any big announcements regarding Crysis 2 they will be posted on MyCrysis, if you read something about a patch for example, but don't see it on MyCrysis.com, then it isn't genuine."

Although the game currently doesn't support DirectX 11 (which means it's still possible in the near future), the PC version of Crysis 2 has received an overall 88.47-percent review ranking over on GameRankings and 86-percent on Metacritic. Still, if Crysis 2 supported DirectX 11 out-of-the-box, would it have scored better with the critics?

Nevertheless, stay tuned, as we're certain more will arrive concerning Crytek's new shooter and DirectX 11 options at a later date.

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24 Comments Comment from the forums

xinpig

Wow, crytek fails. so this next gen game is Dx9 only? I cant believe I wasted my money buying it on PC. I could be playing it with my friends instead on xbox.
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joytech22

I guess Crytek took profit over it's customers.

Look at the end of the day, the game looked nice and was/is fun to play but wasn't exactly the best visual experience out there.
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nevertell

And I thought I'd be missing out on much stuff with my 8800gt.

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HolyCrusader

Only DX9? Is it just me, or does this feel like a slap in the face?

Then again, the news that DX11 would be patched in later was a bit surprising, considering Crytech doesn't have the best track record for supporting their products post-release, from Far Cry to Crysis Warhead.

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Trialsking

I bet it will never have DX11.
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jmvanderleeuw

"the PC version didn't ship with DirectX 11 support, instead requiring DirectX 9.0c at the very least"

DIRECTX 9.0c at the very least NOT DIRECTX 9 only.

The game supports DX9 and DX10 but NOT DX11
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weaselsmasher

So here's an experiment. Take three DX11-capable systems that are hardware-identical and software-identical, down to the drivers. Take a few games that are capable of DX9, DX10, and DX11. Put them next to each other, run the game with maximum settings under each of the three DX versions. Now see how many people can correctly identify the DX11 game.

I would bet good money that even among a knowledgeable set of testers (say, GDC attendees or something like that), that the rate of correct identification will not be much more than a "random" 33%.

Crytek "owes" nobody DX11. Of COURSE they choose profit. They have to, if they want to stay in business, write paychecks that don't bounce, and pay rent and taxes. Any company that doesn't do that isn't a company for long (a fact utterly lost on the "I'm entitled to everything for free" generation, and on people who are utterly without clue on what it actually costs to run a AAA game company in the real world).
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bv90andy

I remember when the news came that crysis 2 will be available on consoles and the guys at crytech where all over the news screaming how this won't hurt PCs at all... what aces. I won't give them 1$ for this game. The company that made the most hi-end game a few years ago is such a let down now... I can't even believe this. F them, I'm going back to metro 2033 (on dx11, which shows a big difference compared to dx10,9)

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atikkur

so BF3 will set the new standard.. go DICE go.
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sgtmattbaker

Weaselsmasher: I can definitely tell the difference between the water in Crysis 1 and 2 as it is very.noticeable. That isn't even a DirectX thing though, the DX9 water in C1 still looks better.
Some games though aren't a whole lot different with the new API. I haven't played much of it, but Stalker Call of Pripyat doesn't look super different to me using DX9 vs. DX11. The only thing that changes drastically is there is dynamic weather (lightning, etc.)
You are right though, Crytek doesn't owe anybody anything and they have an obligation to make money. However, what they have done is they have lied to their original fanbase about the graphics, etc. and a result they will very likely lose their support.

bv90andy: yes I remember some nonsense talk about how "the consoles pushed Crysis 2 to be better because console players 'were more critical' ". Crysis 1 was and still is a spectacle. It is remarkable for its graphics and physics. I still have seen few games that match it in those aspects.
However, having a game that lacks DX11 or DX10 doesn't necessarily make it bad. The gameplay can be great and all the graphics need to do is to be decent. With Crysis 2 however it seems as if some of the gameplay and gameplay mechanics have been changed for the worst.

I'm glad they officially said this so now I don't have to get it for the PC at all. If they can't make the PC version with PC specific features (there isn't even a proper way to adjust graphics settings) then I'll just rent it for $10 and beat it in a few days on the xbox. Too bad for them though because I'm fairly certain they don't get any revenue from rentals.
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