# What is the most realistic, bleeding edge GPU, CPU intensive PC game available today? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 21, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176 "2008-03-21T02:15:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/1 "2008-03-21T02:15:25Z")
Just curious what the top of the mark is regarding realistic environment style PC games right now. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/2 "2008-03-21T02:18:44Z")
Probably Crysis: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdPrB\_lcpBc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdPrB_lcpBc) Of course, youtube makes everythign looks worse. Look around for some HD video for a better look. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/3 "2008-03-21T03:46:04Z")
[QUOTE=Kinthalis] Probably Crysis: [/quote] Agreed. That game can bring even power rigs to their proverbial knees. > [@](#): > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdPrB\_lcpBc](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdPrB_lcpBc) > > Of course, youtube makes everythign looks worse. Look around for some HD video for a better look. Here is an HD trailer: [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28988.html](http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28988.html) (several more at that site too) ---
**Author:** ![MeanJoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanjoe/32/5693_2.png) [@MeanJoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanJoe)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/4 "2008-03-21T17:50:44Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] Agreed. That game can bring even power rigs to their proverbial knees. Here is an HD trailer: [http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28988.html](http://www.gametrailers.com/player/28988.html) (several more at that site too) [/QUOTE] I got nothing to add to the OP. After watching that HD trailer I just wanted to say… Holy. Crap. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/5 "2008-03-21T21:00:42Z")
[QUOTE=Kinthalis] Of course, youtube makes everythign looks worse. [/QUOTE] I’ve never seen [this](http://lifehacker.com/362922/get-higher+resolution-youtube-videos-with-a-url-hack) actually work, but it’s worth a mention. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/6 "2008-03-21T23:04:37Z")
The gameplay of Crysis sucks. Specifically the suit control malarkey. I’ve only played the demo, but it was enough to put me off buying the main game. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/7 "2008-03-21T23:14:30Z")
[QUOTE=Troy McClure SF] I’ve never seen [this](http://lifehacker.com/362922/get-higher+resolution-youtube-videos-with-a-url-hack) actually work, but it’s worth a mention. [/QUOTE] I’ve been seeing something with youtube like this, and I wondered what was going on. Instead of getting a video that lasts the full red bar, the video itself only lasts a part of it, so i’m assuming the rest is loading the higher resolution. If that’s actually this, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/8 "2008-03-21T23:19:13Z")
I’ve heard Crysis is, but of the games I’ve played I’d have to go with BioShock at max settings or COD4 at max settings…they are the only games that can bring my own system down anyway. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/9 "2008-03-22T00:03:21Z")
Yeah Bioshock and COD 4 would have been next on my list as well. As for Crysis’s game play, its dull if you approach it as a standard shooter. As a sandbox game though it just rocks. You have a mind boggling set of options to tackle all obstacles thanks to the well built AI and the huge amount of world interaction you are allowed. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/10 "2008-03-22T02:05:15Z")
[QUOTE=xtisme] I’ve heard Crysis is, but of the games I’ve played I’d have to go with BioShock at max settings or COD4 at max settings…they are the only games that can bring my own system down anyway. -XT [/QUOTE] I haven’t played COD4 but I agree BioShock looks amazing. While Crysis is technically more advanced engine wise (what you do not see in the trailer is you can actually blow up trees and bushes among other things) for outright art direction BioShock is far more interesting and beautiful IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/11 "2008-03-22T02:25:28Z")
Hmm…just ran across [this video for GRID](http://www.gametrailers.com/player/32013.html) (racing game) and it is about as realistic looking game graphics as I can recall ever seeing. No idea how hard it is on the computer but I am guessing maxed out it will push things. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-realistic-bleeding-edge-gpu-cpu-intensive-pc-game-available-today/442176/12 "2008-03-24T19:39:13Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] Agreed. That game can bring even power rigs to their proverbial knees. [/QUOTE] Sigh… how sad is it that the _trailer_ alone brought my PC to its proverbial knees?