Splashing out on a behemoth of a gaming PC is a bit like issuing a challenge to the deities of our fine hobby. Just try and push my rig to the limit, you might cry to an invisible man. Or, if you are a smug bastard like me, you may revel in the fact that you can max out everything without causing your PC to even bat an eyelid, were they to ever develop ocular features.

The last time a game’s system requirements slapped me in the face and made me swallow my tongue was with the tropical shooting romp, Crysis. The minimum requirements weren’t too outrageous, but to really make the game shine you needed to either be from the future or have more money than I ever have. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Crytek are at it again, this time with Crysis 3.

Here they are, in all their glory:

Minimum

• Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
• DirectX 11 graphics card with 1Gb Video RAM
• Dual core CPU
• 2GB Memory (3GB on Vista)
• Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
• Nvidia GTS 450
• Intel Core2 Duo 2.4 Ghz (E6600)
• Example 2 (AMD):
• AMD Radeon HD5770
• AMD Athlon64 X2 2.7 Ghz (5200+)

Recommended

• Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
• DirectX 11 graphics card with 1GB Video RAM
• Quad core GPU
• 4GB Memory
• Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
• Nvidia GTX 560
• Intel Core i5-750
• Example 2 (AMD):
• AMD Radeon HD5870
• AMD Phenom II X4 805

High Performance

• Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8
• Latest DirectX 11 graphics card
• Latest quad core CPU
• SLI / Crossfire configurations will run even better
• 8GB Memory
• Example 1 (Nvidia/Intel):
• NVidia GTX 680
• Intel Core i7-2600k
• Example 2 (AMD):
• AMD Radeon HD7970
• AMD Bulldozer FX4150

The minimum requirements aren’t too outrageous, though it notably requires a DirectX 11 graphics card. The recommended list clearly has a typo, as a “quad core GPU” makes no sense whatsoever, but again, most of the list is par for the course. When the fact that this is a multi-platform title is taken into consideration, however, these do seem a tad steep, with even the minimum requiring substantially more oomph than a console can provide.

Then we get to the high performance requirements, and that’s where it gets interesting. A GTX 680? Oh yeah, no problem, that will only set you back just shy of £500, around £480 on Overclockers.co.uk at a glance.  The CPU requirements aren’t to be scoffed at, either. My fairly new rig, which I built in July, should be able to just about scrape through on the absolute highest settings, though undoubtedly with a slightly diminished frame rate, so I feel somewhat prepared.

To see any game, let alone one that isn’t a PC exclusive, make such demands warms my cold, shrivelled, abused heart, it really does. One does not build a gaming PC for the good of one’s health, so it’s rather lovely to see a developer catering to what is, I’ll admit, a fairly small market. Of course, the game could also be appallingly optimised, but let’s not let cynicism rain on our parade.

That said, if the days of PC gamers getting the shaft are coming to an end, what will we do with our righteous indignation? Oh yes, Rockstar still haven’t released any information on the PC version of Grand Theft Auto V. I was getting worried for a moment.