With only a couple of hours left on the final day of E3 2006, we finally got a chance to sit down and talk to Bernd Diemer, senior game designer of Crysis for the PC. Developed by the makers of Far Cry, the general consensus among our staff was that Crysis was the most visually impressive game on the show floor. If the depth of gameplay can deliver as much as its ocular appeal, then Crysis can easily be one of the best shooters we'll see this year. Considering what we saw, it's safe to say Crysis was one of the best PC games of E3 2006.

The North Koreans have occupied Spradley Islands in the Chinese Sea after a mysterious asteroid crash lands on the island. The ever nosy US government decides to investigate the area, only to discover a large sphere around a spaceship, instead of the believed and publicized asteroid. You play as Jake Dunn, second in command of the US delta team sent in to recover information regarding the crash and fight the Koreans for control.

According to Diemer, Crysis lets you play the game as freely as you wish. You can take on any of the main objectives in whichever order you want, but decisions you make regarding how you play will affect how the rest of the game and AI react. Though we didn't actually see an example, Diemer explained that if you snuck past one group of enemies at an earlier level of your progression up a mountainside and are seen by other enemies later, the latter group will call the former sentries you passed earlier for support from the rear. The AI keeps in constant communication to react appropriately to how you play the game.

Dunn is equipped with a hi-tech future warrior 2020 bulletproof exoskeleton which can deflect bullets and even affect your physical capabilities. For example, you can boost either your speed, strength, or armor, which can be changed on the fly depending on the type of situation with which you are faced. If you're being overpowered by multiple enemies, you have to decide whether you want to boost your strength for the extra firepower or concentrate on your armor for added protection. There are advantages and disadvantages to both tactics, and it ensures a unique experience for several people.

You aren't exactly limited in the number of weapons you're able to carry at once. Instead of setting it to some arbitrary number, Crysis limits you on how much weight you can carry. So in addition to your standard pistol, you can carry up to about 220 pounds of weaponry. In theory you can carry multiple smaller weapons, which offer variety at the expense of heavy power or you can carry one large weapon like a rocket launcher, but lose options in the gun game. It also affects how your avatar moves in the game world. If your character is carrying a couple of giant guns, it'll cause him to move slower and wear down. You can try to recoup your lost speed by focusing your exoskeleton's boost to speed to try and travel at a more “normal” pace.

Obviously your weaponry is important, and there are over 20 guns available for lead-spewing action. Through the “rail” system, you can add a large number of attachments to your assault rifle, such as a silencer, grenade launcher, or scope, all of which come in advanced versions the further you progress through the game.

There are a number of ways you can advance on enemies as well. You can scope out your enemies from a distance and tag them to your radar, which is a nice addition instead of magically having them appear on your radar Metal Gear Solid-style. If you wish to play smart, it's imperative that you search the area and mark your enemies since it'll leave only a small element of surprise from unseen enemies, if at all. You can also tactfully choose who you take down. If you're tagging an area, it's important you mark an enemy troops' commander, because if he's executed the others will have difficulty settling on their plan of attack.

The pretty visuals aren't just for show, since the ways you interact with the environment of Spradley Island are only accentuated by the lush foliage. Just about everything is fully interactive, with your guns able to pierce tree trunks and knock over trees. Depending on the thickness of the tree, it'll take more firepower to break it apart. The breaking points aren't predetermined either, as the tree will crack and fall from whichever point is attacked. If you shoot on the right side of the tree on any height, you can chip away the wood until it's nonexistent, forcing the trees to fall over toward the side being blown to bits. You can also use the environmental destruction to create cover for yourself or destroy enemy cover, and vice versa. You can obstruct the road with a few well-placed grenade shots into nearby trees, and the enemy AI will have to react accordingly by trying to either clear the road or find another way around.

We'd be lying if were weren't optimistic and gleeful after seeing Crysis in action. The game looks pretty unbelievable, and if you have a powerful enough PC – all Deimer would tell us was the rig was running on an AMD 64 processor – then Christmas may come early for you when Crysis ships this winter.