Crysis 3 to pack in micro-detail rather than "immense scale" like Skyrim

Crytek is hoping to build a detailed world for Crysis 3 that feels as rich as Skyrim's, but without resorting to the latter game's enormous distances.

Speaking to games.on.net, Crytek's Rasmus Højengaard decried comparison to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

"In Crysis 3, we want scale, but we don’t want the immense scale that Skyrim has," he said.

"What we then add is detail within that scale that we decide, so that we get this richness in the environment that we want," he added.

"Skyrim, they’re going for epic, epic scale, which means that their micro-detail is prioritised less. Their micro-detail exists in their grandeur rather than in their let’s-take-a-look-at-this-little-thing-here."

Højengaard described the level of ambient detail in Crysis 1 as an "almost arrogant approach" that there "wasn't really room for" in Crysis 2's cityscape. Crysis 3's urban ruin affords Crytek the opportunity to explore that once more.

"It isn’t in any way pushing anything but the ambience of the game," he admitted, "but ambience in a setting like this is super-important. If you stop and everything’s frozen, it’s not gonna be believable.

"You need all these layers with the depth; you need the light-shafts that move, you need the movement of the plants, and you need the little animals that hop around or some random deer that walks across the screen at one point that you can maybe shoot with your bow if you want.

"Stuff like this is what’s gonna make people go, 'Holy crap, this is a rich environment.' That is our goal."

Hit the link above for more discussion on Crytek's aims for the game, including striking a balance between open world and corridor shooting.

Crysis 3 is due on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 next northern spring.