Review: Far Cry 2

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Background

The original Far Cry was released as a PC exclusive, first person shooter, back in March of 2004. Needless to say, it was a hit, as 730,000 copies were sold in the first four months. Far Cry’s world, while more linearly defined, was expansive and compelling, featuring a number of different geographical locations. Without spoiling the overall story, the plot dealt with fears of creating bio weapons that could be used to genetically modify humans.

Under the hood, Crytek utilized a proprietary tech that they named CryENGINE. The engine’s selling point was that it upped the anty on rendering times, which led to fewer noticeable loading delays. There was also a great AI programmed into the game which allowed the enemy to be quite active in fighting back against attacks you send at them.

The Story

Other than sharing a name, Far Cry 2 bears little resemblance to its predecessor. Without the assistance of CryTek, Ubisoft Montreal designed the sequel. For the second go-around, you are dropped into the role of a neutral mercenary, caught in the middle an African civil war.

far_cry_2_cover_art Basically left to fend for yourself, the plot revolves around finding a man named “The Jackal,” who appears to be arming both sides with weapons. Your mission is to assassinate him, hopefully bringing an end to the conflict. These two waring factions, the United Front for Liberation and Labour(UFLL) and the Alliance for Popular Resistance (APR) are both publicly claiming to be interested in the people’s concerns, while behind closed doors they are ruthlessly attempting to take control of the country for themselves.

Being a mercenary, you get to choose which missions from each that you want to take, and the story continues from there. Secondary mission types include side missions that will introduce you to other people that are your “Buddies”, as well as underground missions that help you obtain drugs to combat your malaria infection.

The Good

Initially, I started playing this game on an older tube television in my living room because I liked using the surround sound there to play this game. However, once I purchased some Turtle Bay X1 headphones, I headed into my basement to play on my 22 inch Lenovo flat screen monitor. The difference was downright staggering. Every frame of the game is drop dead gorgeous. Even the most minute detail is crystal clear and the world is in focus at all times as you drive, run, swim, fly, or boat through it.

far-cry-2-20080528115200803 Some compare this game to a rural form of Grand Theft Auto, but I would argue that this takes it to another level. Choice is a key component to the gameplay. You choose the missions you want to take part in. It is left up to the player to decide how to accomplish those missions. If a vehicle comes along that you want, simply jump out of the current one and jump into the next. Despite the numerous decisions you can make, you should always be prepared for gun fights. Roving patrols will attack you, even if you are acting normally. Best of all, you get to choose which weapons you want to use, and as the story progresses you get more weapons to choose from.

Numerous save points allow you to not get to far behind in this game. Going along with this, expect to die often, or at least become injured badly. Fortunately, save points are well placed, usually in the form of safe houses that allow for healing, reloading ammunition, and even picking up vehicles. Oh, did I neglect to mention what type of vehicles appear in this game? There are assault trucks, the Jeep Liberty, the Jeep Wrangler, large flatbed trucks, flat bed fishing boats, larger boats, and my personal favorite, the potentially painful hang-glider.

The Bad

There are 33 official missions in this game, not counting the numerous other Underground, Buddy, and side missions that are clumped into this game. Though the variety is nice, they take forever! If you want a game that you can literally spend days playing, without any signs of ever finishing, this may be the game for you. It took almost 20 hours to reach 50% completion in this game. Granted, this involved seeking out side missions and safe houses, but each main mission generally takes about an hour.

far_cry_2_pics_46-1 Another bad thing about the game is that every time you drive past a guard post you are almost forced to defeat the guards manning the post, or else risk driving past the post and risk getting shot or blown up. Multiple times on the way to a mission, I would get blown up or killed by stopping to fight at a guard post that should have never been part of the mission. While it would make things too simple to completely get rid of the guards, it would be great if the game pulled the guards from the posts while the missions were active. This would at least allow for more time to play the game, rather than waste time fighting simple peons.

The Ugly

To put it bluntly, the story line is flat. Since the game takes so long to play through, you never get a clear idea of what you are fighting for. Plain and simple, it just feels like your a mercenary with nothing to fight for except diamonds and weapons. While some may find this enjoyable, it became less appealing after only a few hours. Also, the mission cycle was far to repetitive. Simply carry in the proper weapon, throw a few grenades to kill the enemies, and then shoot the target. Wash, rinse, repeat…

Just when you think that the game is wrapping up, you realize that there isn’t simply one map, but two! Basically, when you reach 50%, the size of the game doubles. Meaning that not only do you have a whole new set of missions, you also have to learn a whole new expansive map where the geography slows you down even more.

Finally, while I realize that malaria is a very real disease in the world, why does it have to be in this game? There is no point to it, except to add a kind hearted human aspect to the game, even when you are doing things only to get your meds. But basically, the game allows you to play as long as you need to get your meds, you pop one pill every couple of hours of game play and that’s the only way it effects you.

Conclusion

When Grundy said he wanted me to do the review for Far Cry 2, I was excited. Finally, my name would be on one of the many reviews we have posted here. This was not a bad game to start with either. I suggest taking time to play Far Cry 2. The game is really really long, but if your into weapons, explosions, and money, then this game may be for you. Just remember to have an uzi, machine gun, and a sniper rifle at your side. Take that on the road with you, and you will rock the African Savanna.