The developers of Crysis 3 believe they have found "a solid middle ground" between Crysis 1 and 2, according to the game's producer, Michael Read.

Speaking to Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Read said that where the original Crysis was set on an open island and Crysis 2 constrained players in a city, Crysis 3 will strike a balance between the two.

"Crysis 1 and 2 were different extremes and each their own merits and faults," he said. "I still believe that some of the 'linear' comments we get regarding Crysis 2 have to do more with the visuals that people were presented with in the game using a closed-off space like NYC's urban grid. The freedom element was still there to some extent, but presented in a different way."

Read says that in Crysis 3, the environment will be a "solid middle ground between the two games that allows the player to approach challenges in dynamic ways while still keeping them focused on the endgame goals."

He says the development team was able to achieve this by changing the environment and having a mix of urban environments, lush rainforsts and more open spaces.

Crysis 3 is due for release sometime in February 2013.