Crysis 2 dazzles with BlackFire lighting mod

Crysis 1 had so many graphics that running it on the highest settings became the dream of every mid-late 2000s system builder.

Crysis 1 had so many graphics that running it on the highest settings became the dream of every mid-late 2000s system builder. Crysis 3 had moving ropes so advanced (read: poorly optimised) that it tested even the most powerful of modern GPUs. But middle-child Crysis 2 never set the world - or graphics hardware - alight with its texture work. Luckily, modders have been all too happy to dose it with steady injections of pure pixels and effects. BlackFire's mod is a Crysis 2 lighting overhaul, designed to remove the smoky atmosphere of the vanilla game for a clearer and brighter experience.

"Vivid colors, detailed shadows, along with a redesigned lighting, makes BlackFire's Mod 2 one experience that you will not believe that your machine is capable of," claims the ModDBpage. That's a bold statement - the creators have no idea what my machine is capable of. Near-crashing under the weight of all the page's comparison gifs, for one thing.

To really get the most of the mod, you'll want to install the excellent MaLDoHD texture pack, which the latest BlackFire update should now be 100% compatible with. There are two versions on offer, one that just features the BlackFire additions, and one that bundles in some extras - including the boastfully named Quality Mod, which adds Depth of Field, lens flair and other visual tweaks. Also there's a mod that adds a composite bow, thus bringing Crysis 2 in line with the Stealth Game Design Act of 2012 that mandated a bow and arrow in all games.

You can download BlackFire from ModDB.