GOTY 2011: Best Graphics Runner Up – Crysis 2

While video game graphics these days are being weighed down by the aging consoles, like the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, there were still quite a lot of great titles that were released this year which managed to push current platforms to their limits and delight us with their visual fidelity.

Among them was Crysis 2, coming from developer Crytek and powered by its all-new CryEngine 3 technology.

Seeing as how the original Crysis made a name for itself by delivering stunning graphics exclusive on the PC, while being unable to render them at its full quality for quite a long time because the necessary components were available, Crytek definitely had a lot to live up, especially since Crysis 2 also appeared on the PS3 and Xbox 360.

Thankfully, the German studio delivered, managing to delight everyone, no matter the platform, and once again took full advantage of the PC by showcasing one of the richest visual experiences of the year.

From the stunning environment of a destroyed New York city, to the detailed alien monsters, the game just beckoned you to enjoy its scenery, in between throwing at you legions of enemies for you to gun down while wearing your impressive Nanosuit.

If the standard game wasn’t to your liking, Crytek also deployed a special DirectX 11 patch that added even more graphical features, provided you had the hardware necessary to use them.

But, while we were more than impressed with its visuals, Crysis 2 delivered a complete package, streamlining many of its predecessor’s features, building upon them and offering a great first person shooter with graphics that distinguished it from all of the other titles from the genre.

In case you don’t believe, check out a spoiler-free video introduction below and enjoy the visual fidelity of Crysis 2, our runner up for the best graphics in 2011.