During E3, a number of video interviews and trailers suggested that Crytek had dramatically changed the main storyline of their sci-fi first-person shooter, but the developer has now confirmed to the community that despite there being a number of small changes, they're not as dramatic as has been reported across the web.

The Updated Story

Global tensions have reached boiling point as the U.S. and North Korea square off in the South China Sea. At stake: a mysterious artifact uncovered by a team of U.S. archeologists.

The North Korean government quickly seizes the area, prompting the U.S. to dispatch an elite team of Special Forces operatives on a rescue mission. During the siege the true nature of the artifact quickly emerges, pointing to the existence of an alien presence on Earth, and ultimately the trigger for a massive-scale alien invasion.

The battle to save Earth begins as the aliens' flash freeze the tropics into a ghostly-white frozen landscape.

As gamers take up arms against the aliens, they will be outfitted with customizable weapons and a high tech Nanosuit, allowing them to adapt their tactics and abilities to a hostile, ever-changing environment and a mysterious enemy.

Crytek's Community Manager Alexander Marschal confirmed the reason why they've made these small changes:

We wanted to compress and intensify the mood of the gamers out there when playing Crysis. Due to the fact that we developed the game and the story parallel, some adjustments had to be made from time to time in order to stick to a great story telling epic gameplay experience.

By having this Alien ship kept inside this gigantic asteroid for a long time already, the whole story telling aspect is more like a mystery which needs to be revealed and that totally fits into the overall story and its enhancement.

I hope that clarifies the slight confusion and sheds some light on the mysterious Crysis story.