Far Cry 2

E3 2008 Preview

The first Far Cry for the PC was a surprise hit that literally caught everyone off guard. Presenting a huge open world to explore as well as extremely advanced AI, Far Cry was a fantastic PC shooter that did more than its share of taking the genre forward. Now, Ubisoft is hard at work developing the sequel, Far Cry 2. However, while the game’s setting and characters are vastly different from the original game, the quality and innovative features in the sequel keep in line with the original game’s fantastic pedigree.

Whereas the first Far Cry had you playing as former mercenary Jack Carver, taking place on a tropical island and featuring a storyline involving genetically-engineered mutants, Far Cry 2 is much more firmly rooted in the real world, namely Africa. You begin by choosing from one of nine different characters, each with their own personalities and story arcs. However, even though you’ll only be playing as one out of nine characters, the other eight will factor into your story, and may become your friend and help you out of a jam.

The game’s weapons are commonly divided into Loadouts, which are gunpacks that cater to different types of FPS fans. If you’re a sniper, there’s a pack for you, likewise if you’re more of a close combat person, you can have a Loadout with a automatic shotgun and a flamethrower.

The game’s buddy system is perhaps one of its most innovative features. As you go through the game, you’ll meet up with characters, and by talking to them and learning their history, they’ll be more inclined to fight alongside you. As you save their lives and they save yours, you’ll accumulate history together and have a nice ally and learn more story elements depending on who they are. If you get shot down in a firefight, your buddy will come and resurrect you and give you a sidearm to fight your way back to health.

The environment in the original Far Cry played a huge part in how you approached the game, and Far Cry 2 is no different. The map is huge, about 50 square km (yes, that’s bigger than Oblivion), and full of reactive and unscripted AI opponents, vehicles, and opportunities for chaos. One cool element is the fire effects in the game. Fire will spread realistically if you blow up a barrel or a gas can, and will change direction according to the wind. If left alone, fire has the potential to burn down houses and villages, which is a great touch.

Far Cry 2 is turning out to be every bit as revolutionary as its predecessor, offering unique new gameplay elements, great AI, and a huge world to explore. Check it out this fall.

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