Crytek, the renowned gaming studio established in 1999 by Turkish-German brothers Cevat, Avni, and Faruk Yerli, has launched a new documentary series. The first installment of this limited-run production is now available online, offering fans an exclusive look at previously unreleased footage, early concept art, and an in-depth exploration of the stories that shaped the studio.
The documentary opens with the tale of the brothers receiving their first black box PC from their father, ostensibly for “studying.” However, they already harbored clear ambitions for their future careers, and equally, they knew what they aimed to avoid.
“We couldn`t be a typical German game company because, back then, German game companies usually created very complicated strategy and RPG titles,” explained Avni Yerli. “Our vision was to offer a completely new kind of experience: open-world or semi-sandbox environments where players could explore, move freely, and immerse themselves. This concept was truly groundbreaking at the time.”
Initially based in Coburg, Germany, the studio dedicated itself to pushing the boundaries of real-time 3D graphics in video games. Their early technical demonstrations, such as X-Isle, quickly garnered attention from Nvidia, leading to a publishing agreement with Ubisoft for their inaugural major title, Far Cry, released in 2004.
The first part of the documentary primarily focuses on the development of Crysis. It highlights how the studio sought to build upon their learnings from Far Cry, striving to push the graphical limits of the era even further.
“In Far Cry, the art department designed natural environments as they imagined them – essentially, they conjured the jungle from their minds. For Crysis, however, we meticulously mimicked nature as closely as possible. I believe this made a significant difference, even if the underlying technology wasn`t drastically different in some areas,” stated Marcel Schaika, a 3D artist for Crysis.
Schaika further elaborated: “The way we constructed the environments, the precise manner in which we utilized technology to emulate how nature behaves – how leaves appear when sunlight filters through them, the look of the ocean, the refraction of water, and so forth. Artists collaborated closely with engineers to meticulously craft a virtual environment that perfectly matched our collected real-world references. I believe this collaborative mindset truly set Crysis apart.”
This initial part of the series runs for just 20 minutes, and the total number of upcoming installments remains unconfirmed.
In other Crytek news, the studio recently experienced layoffs earlier this year, which unfortunately resulted in the postponement of a new Crysis sequel.