The first three games in the Crysis series, a trilogy of PC first-person shooters known for their (at the time) top-notch graphical ability and resource intensiveness, are now available to play on the Xbox One (via Xbox 360 emulation.) These games are part of the Backward Compatibility program, which brings Xbox 360 games to the Xbox One. The news was announced yesterday via a tweet from Microsoft spokesperson Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb:
The Crysis series of games started back in 2007 when the first game was released for the PC by Crytek, who also made the CryEngine game engine. It was famous for setting the benchmark of PC gaming when it came to graphics. The fact that it came out two years into the life cycle of the Xbox 360 led to jokes from the “PC master race” about whether the Xbox 360 could run Crysis. The answer, as it turns out, was yes, as the first game in the series was ported to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in 2011. The two sequels were released on the PC and both consoles in 2011 and 2013.
The Crysis trilogy is the latest entry into Microsoft’s Backward Compatibility program. Just last week, the Backward Compatibility program also received some classics in the form of Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Since the creation of its flagship series, Crytek has faced some difficulties. Their CEO, Cevat Yerli, stepped down in February, handing off the reins to his brothers Avni and Faruk. Crytek also filed lawsuit against the team behind the Star Citizen project, alleging breach of contract and conspiracy. The case is being litigated in the U.S. court system. The Star Citizen team filed motion to dismiss a portion of the suit, but it was deemed invalid by a district court judge. The case is expected to enter the discovery phase soon.