14 DAY TRIAL // Crytek is a development studio well known for its work on the first person shooter Crysis, which pushed the envelope in terms of graphics quality when it originally came out and is still used as a benchmark for performance when it comes to hardware.
But the company, in addition to working on a sequel that improves the Nanosuit mechanics and moves the action to New York, is also quietly working on another project called Codename: Kingdoms, with little in the way of details allowed to come out.
Phil Spencer, who is the head of Microsoft Games Studios, has talked to the Official Xbox Magazine about Codename: Kingdoms, saying that what the game does is “unique to what [Xbox 360 represents] as a platform.” He went on to talk about how the relationship between Microsoft and Crytek can be beneficial to both sides, saying, “If they have ideas that they think and we think are better for third-party publishers, I’m actually happy to have success on our platform with those games. They’re just such a top-tier developer. Graphically, they’re on a par with anybody else in the industry – and I think it’s a great addition to our line-up.”
Codename: Kingdoms is set to appear exclusively on the Xbox 360 and a short trailer was shown at the E3 press conference for Microsoft. Apparently, the game will be set during the Roman Empire or shortly after its fall and the main character will have to use a particular brand of ancient ultraviolence as they fight through hordes of enemies. It's not clear what the plot of the video game will be or when Crytek will be offering more information about it.
At the moment, Crysis 2 is set to be launched during the fall on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 and the PC. Codename: Kingdoms will likely become more important for Crytek after the launch of the first person shooter.