Far Cry 2 Review

The original Far Cry was one of my favorite FPS games of all time, so I have been very excited about the release of this game for quite some time. I was a little afraid that Far Cry 2 would simply be a marketing gimmick to real in fans from the previous game (especially since it has little in common with its predecessor besides open world gameplay), but it turns out that these fears were completely unfounded. I'll get straight to the details:

Gameplay
As I mentioned previously one of the only real similarities between Far Cry and Far Cry 2 is that they both make incredible use of an "open world" as opposed to a scripted, more linear game like Call of Duty 4. This game experience is absolutely refreshing and allows gamers to be (almost) completly free in how they go about completing missions.



The AI in the game is impressive, with many NPCs trying to hide, use cover, and even flank you and your squad. If you played Crysis, the AI is comparable, with Far Cry 2 coming out slightly on the upside. The gunplay is also very realistic, with each weapon is rated on not only their power, but condition. The game takes into account factors like rust on the weapon. If your gun is a rust bucket, you can expect frequent locks, requiring you to unjam it mid fire fight. The combat is very impressive overall with NPCs looking as if they are getting shot with realistic rag doll effects. Even when firing rockets into the air, they don't always follow the same trajectory. Also, thanks to the involvement of Havok you will see trees and material move and weave as the expulsion effects their real world physics. The damage model and physics in the game is top notch (much as it was in Crysis).

One thing to note about the difference between the console version and PC version are the save game points. In the console version you are allowed to save only at designated spots which are represented by blue wall mounted boxes. In the PC version you can save anywhere you wish, without limit. It is safe to say that PC gamers will be taking more risks than console players.

Graphics
The graphics in the game are absolutely stunning. It truly is incredible to see them (especially on a high end PC rig). The console version of the game suffers from a few rough edges (on weapons, vehicles, etc) and a few spots with some slow frame rates, but this can also be expected with a less than optimal video card on a PC. However, with a high end graphics card (260GTX or higher), with resolutions maxed out, I really don't think the graphics could get better at this point in time.



Sound
I found no problems with audio in the game. Gunfire effects and zings across metal surfaces are top notch. The ambient sound effects steal the show such as the grass noises under movement as well as the wildlife in the surround environment. The game also supports amBX which should impress the hardcore fans that have the functionality.



Value
Along with the awesome singleplayer gameplay, there is also support for multiplayer with Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch and Capture The Flag. The Devs have also included a territorial control mode as well as a progression system which lets you earn diamonds to get weapon upgrades. Ubisoft also included a multiplayer map editor (which seems to have a pretty steep learning curve) that should allow the community to create some pretty awesome maps and scenarios. The multiplayer functionality adds significant replay value to the game, as it seems that they did much better with its implementation than the Crysis team did with the original Crysis release. I was pleasantly surprised.



Overall, I would recommend you get this game! I just don't think you can avoid it if you enjoy FPS games. Its simply too good to pass up.