Far Cry 2 throws the rulebook out the window and lets you tear apart Africa any way you see fit. That sense of freedom, along with non-stop action and decent multiplayer, make it a game worth checking out this holiday season.
In the game, you play a mercenary in Africa, rather than a tropical paradise. Right off the bat, you run into bad luck, ambushed by gun-toting guards and contracting malaria. When you come to, a criminal known as the Jackal, a local gunrunner, taunts you and declares himself invulnerable. Your mission in the game is simple. Find and kill the Jackal by any means necessary.
Similar to Grand Theft Auto IV, Far Cry 2 lets you accomplish goals at your leisure. There are numerous missions available, including main objectives, side tasks and alternative chores. How you complete them, however, is completely up to you. There's no pre-set order to follow, and you can go anywhere the African territory takes you. Steal a jeep and drive into the foothills, run rampant through a guard post or simply meander about and kill some wildlife. The sense of freedom is astounding, to the point that you won't play the same adventure twice.
When you finally reach your objectives (it's best to use a car), you also get to choose how to complete them. Whether you want to be sneaky, slice your target with a machete or go Rambo on an entire militia with a grenade launcher is, again, up to you. There are also supporters that lend a hand, including suppliers and buddies who watch your back after you rescue them. Just keep an eye on your health, as you'll constantly need to remove bullets and take malaria pills to avoid death.
Combat is mostly rewarding, and you'll enjoy coming up with new ways to kill bad guys. Case in point, we caused a three-car pile-up by mowing down a few soldiers with a mounted gun turret. Then we dropped a grenade on the whole thing and sent cars flying everywhere. Hang gliding also has a strange satisfaction, as you can swoop in and get a jump on an unsuspecting gunman.
Aside from the standard issue weapons, you can also upgrade to more powerful weapons, including a flamethrower. The only thing standing in the way is the stupid artificial intelligence, which has a nasty habit of repeatedly driving into trees or failing to notice its counterpart was shot.
In addition to the single player campaign, there's a multiplayer mode for up to 16 players through Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Typical modes such as capture the flag (in this case, capture the diamond), deathmatch and team deathmatch are available, as well as an Uprising mode. Here, your team guards a person as he or she attempts to capture checkpoints. There's also a map editor available, so you can pave your own African battleground.
Visually, Far Cry 2 looks amazing. Ubisoft Montreal has done a splendid job recreating Africa, complete with swaying trees, bright green leaves and muddy roads. Other things are also noticeable, such as the effect malaria has on your player (the screen turns yellow and wavy) and the unbelievably realistic fire effects. The frame rate stutters from time to time, due to the absurd amount of detail. The in-game map also hinders your view both when you're on-foot or driving, although it's a handy tool in case you get lost.
Sound isn't nearly as impressive, but it's still decent. The characters sound realistic, although some are too emotionless. Effects, particularly the speaker-rocking explosions and gunfire, work nicely. The music fits the African setting, effectively building as you get into more intense situations.
Far Cry 2 runs the risk of being lost in the holiday shuffle to more popular games, but we strongly suggest giving it a chance. Its huge sense of freedom, eye-popping destruction and intense action make it a first-person shooter worth your dollars. Just keep that malaria in check. It's nasty.
Reader Comments (3)
far cry 2 is a great game
lol...how do they mess up tht bad
uhh release date '99???