Crysis Warhead is a standalone expansion that plays out as Psycho’s parallel campaign on the same island as the first game. The seven-mission run is shorter and more action-packed, chasing a stolen container of alien tech across a beach resort, harbour and airfield.
The stealth option still holds, with cloaking letting whole bases be bypassed rather than fought through. The open encounters reward slipping past, since most fights are avoidable entirely.
The visuals still impress at eighteen years old, with texture quality the only obvious giveaway up close. The suit tweaks are welcome, from armour that does not drain energy unless shot to automatic ammo pickup and an actively selected speed boost.
The story runs parallel to the first game and ends before it, covering the train chase and the airport showdown. The nano-suit KPA are toned down from the base game, removing the worst fights of the original.
The controller support works surprisingly well for an old PC game, with only quirks like the aiming-down-sights toggle and the held cloak button. The vehicle handling is awkward, with acceleration and braking mapped to the left stick in a way that takes getting used to.
The runtime is the running caveat, at around three and a half hours for a full run. The grenades are weak disruption tools, the shotgun-toting enemies carry a lot of health, and the ragdolls are excessive.
Overall, pacing, visuals and the stealth option make Crysis Warhead a very fun expansion. The short runtime and the awkward controls are the main caveats.