Perhaps what was most encouraging about seeing Crysis at this year's E3 Expo in Los Angeles wasn't its amazing graphics or open-ended levels or options to customize your character's gear. It was hearing Crytek CEO Cevat Yerli acknowledge the things its rookie effort, the award-winning Far Cry, did wrong -- things like a poor savegame system, insanely difficult endgame levels, and spotty network code that marred an otherwise excellent game with groundbreaking level design and some of the best graphics we'd ever seen in a videogame. Based on what we saw (and played) at E3, there's every reason to believe that Crysis could end up outdoing Far Cry in every way.

Despite the similar names, Crysis isn't a sequel to Far Cry, but instead features an all-new storyline and cast of characters. Set in the year 2020, in a future where the U.S. and North Korea are the dominant world powers, an asteroid has crashed to earth, and your character -- a top Delta Force operative -- is called into action. Crytek admits that the story behind Far Cry was a bit cheesy, and its goal with Crysis is to make something closer to a true blockbuster than a B-movie.

The first level we were shown was set in a jungle, not unlike the tropical settings of Far Cry. Here, our character was tasked with making his way up a mountain and reaching the asteroid crash site, patrolled by the North Koreans. Instead of forcing us down a linear path, this level was more of the sandbox format that Far Cry did so well, where we had the freedom to find our own path up the hill, winding our way through whatever soldiers might be patrolling various areas.

According to Crytek, the AI has been rewritten from scratch for Crysis, hopefully resulting in soldiers who will do a better job of using cover, working in teams, and flanking you. The stealth meter returns from Far Cry, so you can tell if you're in danger of being spotted, and you'll also have a set of high-powered binoculars on hand to scope areas out from afar.

One thing Crytek was eager to show off during the E3 demo was your ability to interact with the environment. To start, we shot down a couple of trees until the immediate area was cleared of any foliage taller than a foot high. Next, we shot the gas tank on a nearby jeep, setting it on fire and causing it to explode a few seconds later. (Crytek says events like this have a random element to them, so you won't always know when the explosion might happen.) Finally, we ran up to a small, thin-walled shack with a few enemy soldiers inside. In most games, you'd run inside and clear the building out; instead, we blew out one of the walls with a rocket launcher, causing the building to collapse and crush any soldiers inside.