Who hasn’t heard the ultimate question about their PC setup: “Can it run Crysis?”. This phrase is one of the most famous memes in gaming history, but its roots lie in Germany and it all began 25 years ago .
Where does the phrase come from? The phrase originated back when Crytek introduced its stunning shooter “Crysis” and unleashed it into the world of gaming. The game was considered revolutionary in 2007, primarily due to its engine.
For its time, the requirements to run Crysis smoothly were enormous. You could say Crysis was the ultimate benchmark to test your performance. Nowadays, that is no longer a problem, but many gamers still jokingly use this phrase when questioning the hardware of a PC.
As for Crytek, the company from Germany has had a long journey before becoming known for its stunning engine. It began 25 years ago with three brothers from Coburg.
Crytek turns 25 – Celebrate its moments in gaming
How did it all begin? Three brothers from Coburg – Avni, Faruk, and Cevat Yerli – wanted a high-end gaming PC from their father in 1994. The reason: they needed it to learn – but like them, these brothers were also passionate gamers and used their old machine to play various games.
From a passion, the goal emerged a few years later to also develop games themselves, but they wanted to change something. German game studios at that time were known for their complex RPGs and strategy games. However, the brothers wanted to take a different approach and move towards sandbox and open-world experiences.
They created a tech demo called X-Isle with 50 other enthusiasts on ICQ. They then presented it at E3 in 2000. One studio was very impressed with their demo, which led to their first contract. This was with Ubisoft and the game Far Cry.
Through the tech demo, Crytek was able to demonstrate how ahead of their competitors they were in terms of graphics representation. With Far Cry, they implemented that with CryEngine 1.
The game was well-received and especially praised for its strong graphics and world. However, the team wanted to improve, so the development of CryEngine 2 followed, along with their own game “Crysis”. Here the studio wanted to take another direction.
What did Crysis do better than Far Cry? Far Cry enchanted many players with its idyllic island, but this one was created from the minds of the developers and was therefore fictional. As for Crysis, the team wanted to elevate realism to a new level. For this reason, they sent some employees to a tropical island to get a feel for the terrain there.
This excursion bore fruit, as the game was able to amaze the entire gaming community in 2007. Trees fell after being shot at, breaking into pieces, and even grass and leaves could bend and move with the wind depending on explosions.
It’s no wonder that even today the saying “Can it run Crysis?” pops up when you build your gaming PC.
What is the studio working on now? Crytek initially worked on Crysis 4, but the project was recently canceled as the studio had to lay off some of its employees. Currently, the studio is maintaining the multiplayer success Hunt: Showdown, but it is unknown if there will be any future projects for the studio.
Crysis was already a strong shooter, but there are also other titles you can blast your way through. A list of the best shooters has been compiled by our shooting expert Dariusz Müller. Here’s the list: The 25 best shooters of 2025 – These PvP and PvE games impress with their gameplay
