LOS ANGELES--Crysis could very well be the best-looking game at E3, on any system. The next first-person shooter from Germany's CryTek and publisher EA looks like it will define what next-generation visuals really means, thanks to its incredible graphics. And the good news for PC gamers is that Crysis is a Windows exclusive, which means that it's only for the PC.

Executive producer Rob Letts gave us a tour of two levels on display, both showing real gameplay. We got another chance to see the incredible battle against an alien Hunter, a huge, mechanical walking tank that's seen at the end of some of the Crysis trailers. Be careful--don't read further if you don't want spoilers to the plot.

Just as impressive as the graphics, though, is the dynamic gameplay that the designers are gunning for. Crysis just won't be another pretty, mindless shooter. Far Cry showed that CryTek could make excellent gameplay, and Crysis looks to elevate that higher. You will have a true option to go with stealth or action to get through a level. It's possible to sneak around or battle your way through. Meanwhile, you'll constantly be making tactical decisions thanks to your character's special nano suit. The idea is that you can divert the suit's power to different systems to give you more strength or more speed. If you're battling the Hunter, you may want to drop the heavy Hurricane chaingun and dump power into speed, and that way you'll move a lot faster, letting you dodge the Hunter's freeze ray. If you're caught in the ray, you can divert power to strength to let you break out of the ice faster. You'll pretty much be able to tailor the game to your playing style, which sounds cool.

Crysis looks incredible, and you'll be hard-pressed to find a better-looking game at E3. The game is scheduled to ship this winter, and that may be 2006 or 2007. It just depends on when CryTek can finish the game to its high standards.