When the original Far Cry hit the PC
several years ago, it stood out as one of the best FPS offerings in years, with
phenomenal AI, gorgeous graphics, and a huge environment to explore. The game
quickly became a sleeper hit and one of the best titles of 2004. Now, after a
few ports on home consoles, the series is finally arriving in fine form with a
proper sequel, Far Cry 2.
Truth be told, the game is a sequel
in name only, as it forgoes all of the characters and plot elements of the
original for a new roster of characters and a new African environment to
explore. However, the one thing that the game does keep from the original is the
high quality mark. Far Cry 2 is a fantastic shooter that will give you tons of
content, an even larger area to explore and several great and wholly unique
gameplay elements, making for a game that shooter fans won’t want to miss this
year.
Far Cry 2’s story doesn’t feature
the sci-fi elements from the first title, and instead opts for a more realistic
setting. Far Cry 2 puts you in a fictional African nation in the midst of a
civil war where two sides are fighting for power. A weapons dealer known as The
Jackal has been supplying arms to both sides, keeping the war going and getting
rich. You enter the scene, a mercenary tasked with finding and killing The
Jackal. Unfortunately, after getting injured and contracting malaria, you
quickly discover that your mission will not be easy on your own, requiring you
to forge relationships and gain allies in order to get to The Jackal.
When beginning your game, you’ll
choose from several different possible playable characters to be through the
game. You’ll only play as one specific character throughout your campaign, but
the other characters will pop up at certain points during the game and become
potential allies.
There are several characters
throughout the map that you’ll meet at different times that have the potential
of becoming your buddies. The game’s buddy system is a great touch, giving you
AI-controlled allies that will help you out as you progress through the game.
These characters will go beyond giving you alternate means of completing
missions, they’ll step in and bail you out if you get seriously wounded in
battle, fight alongside you in hairy situations, and adding new elements to the
game’s story. Your buddies can also die, which will end a particular story arc
(and side missions) for the entirety of your campaign, giving you cause to watch
their back.
Far Cry 2’s world is huge, covering
an area of 50 square kilometers (19.3 miles) of varied environments, from jungle
and river sections, as well as lightly brushed desert areas. The game gives you
a very open world to explore right from the beginning, as there are plenty of
side missions that you can embark on to gain favor with other important people
throughout the area. Load times aren’t an issue either, as they game moves
seamlessly as you move from one area to another.
The environment will also come into
play when it comes to the great fire mechanic. You’ll be able to start fires
(accidentally or on purpose) that will spread realistically, overtaking bushes
and trees and even buildings and encampments. This becomes a very important part
of your combat strategy, and can help you take out several foes at once without
taking too much damage yourself.
Another big element in the game is
the map editor. You’ll be able to create multiplayer maps using the very
intuitive map creation mode, and share them with other Xbox LIVE gamers to play.
While Far Cry 2 is a fantastic
example of what can be done in an open-world FPS, there are a few problems. The
huge environment is both a blessing and a curse, as there is an awful lot of
walking around in order to get where you need to be. While there are vehicles
that you can commandeer and take around, like boats, cars, jeeps, and eventually
a hang glider, most of these vehicles will draw a lot of attention from enemies,
making it difficult to sneak around and move fast at the same time. Considering
the size of the environment, the constant trekking from one point to another can
be very time-consuming and monotonous.
Additionally, there are some AI
issues throughout, as far as the enemies go. They’ll often do some great duck
and cover moves at one point, while running at you shooting at other moments.
The enemy AI is pretty inconsistent, and can take you out of the element. They
also require a lot of hits to go down, which is pretty frustrating.
Thankfully, the issues with the game
are pretty minor when you consider all that it has to offer. Graphically, the
game looks incredible, with a huge and gorgeous environment and well rendered
character models. The framerate moves great, with no slowdown even during some
intense battles.
The sound is also done very well, as
the music will dynamically shift when the action gets serious, the voice acting
sounds pretty decent, and the sound effects are accurate and very crisp.
Far Cry 2 gives you a great deal of
freedom to explore, and a huge world to check out. The game’s various missions
will give you upwards of 30 hours of gameplay, and is worth a look from shooter
fans everywhere.
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Gameplay: 9.0
Aside from the constant walking from place to place and the inconsistent AI,
Far Cry 2 is a prime example of what an open-world FPS should be, and will keep
you busy for a long time.
Graphics: 9.0
The character models look great, but the detailed and lush environments
really take the cake.
Sound: 8.5
The voice work is decent, and the weapon and explosion effects are crisp. The
music is great too, shifting dynamically when the action changes.
Difficulty: Medium
Concept: 9.0
It bares little more than a passing resemblance to its predecessor, but the
elements in Far Cry 2 are innovative and fantastically implemented.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The game modes are pretty standard fare, but the map editor is a nice and
intuitive feature.
Overall: 9.0
Far Cry 2 is a great open-world game, giving FPS fans a great sense of
freedom and tons of content to play through.
