Crysis

"Zero G gaming is pretty interesting because once you've almost mastered Crysis, we are bringing a new mix to the table," Yerli says.

"Zero G is about being free floating and actually having to watch not only in front of you and up and down, but in every [direction]. Now you're also looking down and under your feet; you're not safe any more, you're not walking."

You're not in the jungle any more, either, since the Zero G levels take place in the huge alien spaceship. Which means you'll have to work out brand new ways of defeating your enemies as you face off with them on their own turf - in between dealing with the effects of zero gravity, of course.

"For example, in Zero G, when you get shot you get propelled back... And when you shoot weapons in a spin, you actually spin as well," Yerli says.

"Many gameplay details feature in Zero G only, because they're only possible in Zero G."

It's not yet clear whether the Zero G element will also come into play in the multiplayer modes, of which there are four. These include, according to Yerli, "Three standard modes - Team Match, Death Match and Capture the Flag. But all standard modes are actually tactical, and [play differently to those in] other games, because of the innovation we have with the suit and the weapons system.

"We're actually introducing new gameplay mechanics which are not available in other shooters, so it makes it an inherently different experience."

But what of the fourth, non-standard mode? Well, Yerli says, it's called Power Struggle, and it's "About the Americans fighting the North Koreans, trying to capture artefacts and bring them back to buildings. When you do [this], it unlocks new weapon trees and skill trees."

Yerli explains that this creates a kind of economic system within the game, and unlocks new ways to play - but that's all he'll say for the moment, as Power Struggle is being kept under wraps for a while longer. However, he does confirm that all the modes will be for up to 32 players.

Let's push things forward

He also confirms that there are no plans to develop an Xbox 360 or PS3 version of Crysis, stating: "It's a matter of focus... It's not a matter of stupidity, and not a matter of economics, it's really just pushing PC gaming forward."

So how long does Yerli think it will be before the PC catches up with next-gen consoles? "Actually I think that Crysis will show that [the PC] has not only caught up, but surpassed [consoles] already.

"PC gaming, Windows gaming actually, offers a superior experience to any of the other gaming platforms. We don't want to constrain ourselves now with certain platform restrictions... It's a more dynamic platform, and we can actually accommodate our gameplay design and vision to the platform easier."

Yerli isn't too worried about the future of PC gaming once the next-gen consoles arrive, either. "I think the PC market overall in total may decline, but I think the hardcore gamer base which we are targeting - the absolute fanbase of high-end gaming - will actually increase."

If Crysis plays as good as it looks, he might just be right. But for now, we'll just have to wait and wonder what the multi-functional combat suit, that zero gravity gameplay, the new multiplayer mode and those fancy technological tricks will bring to the mix. In the meantime - did we mention that it looks wicked?