Crysis had a massive following on the PC, so can a follow up sequel - which comes to the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles for the first time - continue to carry the torch?

EA certainly hopes so, ensuring that it was shown in 3D at its E3 press conference and then having a large presence on the stand, albeit, admittedly, behind closed doors (don't worry we had a pass).

So will it be one to start saving for? Or, will the move to New York City spell trouble?

Name

Crysis 2

What platform is it on?

PC, PS3, X360

When's it due out?

November 2010

What other game is it like?

Crysis, Gears of War 2, Resistance: Fall of Man

Does it use any new tech?

Yep, 3D support for both Xbox 360 and PS3.

The pitch

The blockbuster action game will be the first major video game on multiple platforms to take full advantage of true stereoscopic 3D. Crytek is recognized worldwide for being technical pioneers, as showcased in the universally-acclaimed Far Cry and Crysis, as well as their award-winning, proprietary CryENGINE technology.

The storyline

Crysis 2 drops players into a devastated New York in the midst of an attack by a frightening alien species. The alien enemies are armed with deadly weaponry and exceptional sensory abilities that test players' skill and push them to the limit. These terrifying invaders stalk the streets of New York, leaving the streets in chaos and the skyline in flaming ruin. Surrounded by catastrophic destruction, players harness the superhuman abilities of the Nanosuit to level the playing field, becoming the ultimate weapon on a mission to save New York.

Video of the action

EA showed a scene set in Grand Union station in New York showing some of the gameplay elements from the game.

Our first impressions

Crysis 2 is undoubtedly stunning. Demoed in EA’s presentation and again on the show floor to us behind closed doors, Crysis 2 is shaping up to be something very special indeed. There were fears that porting the Crysis engine to console would result in a loss of visual fidelity, but amazingly the opposite appears to be true. The game’s vision of a New York City ravaged by alien attack is nothing short of spectacular, and sets the stage for some truly epic battles.

Crytek told us that this time the focus is on giving players the tools to fight in two definite play styles: as a sneaky, invisible predator, toying with their prey, or as a mighty hunter, using strength, armour and speed for frontal assaults. Either way, the new ability to use two nanosuit powers at once should make you feel that bit more powerful, and better able to handle the mercenaries and armoured aliens that stand in your way; the latter looking like they’ll put in a decent challenge this time around.

If Crytek can clear up the odd drop in frame-rate during the busiest scenes, this will be a definite contender for the top FPS of 2010.

Please note

The E3 games convention is a fantastic chance to see the latest games due out over the coming year, as well as, letting us get a glimpse into what is going to be the big titles and the ones to avoid like the plague.

The big problem however, is that for most of the titles that glimpse is, well, just that. At the show you'll get to play a level here or a multiplayer map there.

So with that in mind we present you with our Quick Play.

What we've done is broken down the key facts you need to know and then given you our first impressions based on around 15 minutes of gaming. For us that 15 minutes isn't enough to do a First Look review. How can you rate a game that offers over 30 hours of gaming on just 15 minutes of play? However it should hopefully give you an idea, a feeling, a notion, of what to expect come launch day.