Far Cry 2

Preview from Jae, Jae and Jae - Saturday, 18 October 2008 @ 9:55am

It's always exciting times when you get to attend an industry event with your peers. Except they're not my peers. I don't compare to the men and woman that check out games at publisher events. I think it's because I don't fit the stereotype for a videogame journalist. I either need to gain more black clothing or have a really bad haircut. Either way Ubisoft sure know how to put on a show case of their 2008 Christmas lineup. We got taken into an art house cinema in the outskirts of central city Sydney, where we were shown a few games on a very big screen. I'm a sucker for size, because it does matter.

Enter Far Cry 2. To say this game is pretty is an understatement. The guys and gals up in Ubisoft Montreal can really push the latest generation graphics to high levels. Utilising the Dunia engine you can really see some great effects in water and fire terrain. With the ability to impact every part of the surroundings this game is sure to please the anal retentives that complain about how rocket launchers don’t destroy wooden fences. Louise-Pierre Pharand, producer for Far Cry 2, was on hand to take us few a good half hour of the game and boy did it look good. Just in case you’re not familiar with the IP, Far Cry 2 is a first person shooter based in the African environment. The rest of the story eludes me but it’s got something to do with killing some guy who’s done some bad stuff. With many obstacles in your way you get to use weapons, vehicles and the surroundings to beat the objectives.

Better than any gun or grenade, time.

The single player level shown was set in the desert location of Africa, you know the one you see on the Discovery channel with wild gazelle frolicking or lions humping the brains out of lionesses. Speaking of animals you can easily spot some endangered species in the distance of Far Cry 2. Animal AI teaches them to stay away from humans and draw close to watering holes. Sometimes I wonder whether anyone will make an animal hunting game set in Africa, where you get to set a trap by peeing a puddle on the ground attracting thirsty zebras. Call it P to the Z.

One thing Ubisoft push in this game is it’s open ended-ness. Think of a 25km² terrain to do as you will. Feel like throwing a few Molotov cocktails to start a bush fire? Why not. The idea behind being so open is the flexibility to do side missions or approach your main objective from a different angle. Going in head first into a mission can commonly be the hardest approach. Sneaking around the back and taking out snipers can give you the advantage. Nothing new in that department except maybe the journey you take to get there. Vehicles are good to drive but with the hills and bumpy ground I did notice the player getting stuck or having their car roll over. A nice but useless ability demonstrated was the skill to repair engines. So imagine hiding behind a jeep for cover when you realise the engine is smoking. Sure go ahead and open that bonnet and crank away at fixing it up but don’t forget you’re still being shot at! Nice feature but you’ll have to think about the best times to use it.

I like latte so much I gotta tattoo it

Your surroundings are divided into a north and south region with each region running smoothly with no load screens or pauses. Quite impressive seeing the amount of area you can cover. If you’re anticipating that you’ll invest months into the “planet that is a little big” then you must have some knack for creativity. Far Cry 2 will appeal to you here too with its map editor function. So much can be done here, as demonstrated at the preview. You’re basically given the tools of a developer to make your very own level. At first I wasn’t too impressed as many FPSes have this feature these days. That was until I saw what could be done. Within a matter of minutes you can turn a 5x5 grid into a lush jungle with rock mounds and deep ditches full of water. The effects are stunning and transition from level making, to jumping into the map, is all of 2 seconds. I will be keen to see the levels that players start to make in the few weeks after release. The rock effect that may sound time consuming is an erosion feature that is a simple tool to apply. The map editor is a generous tool with counters at the top of the screen to let you know how much memory you have left to complete your level. Creating pathways, changing time of day and weather effects all come in toe making this the best feature of the game.

The audio is no laughing matter, Ubisoft Montreal went to the effort of getting sound effects that match environments. Monkeys and birds chirping in jungle terrain can be quite fitting. I bet if you close your eyes and just listen you would get an idea of the kind of place you’re in. Features like this should be a staple in games made for the current gen systems except those that don’t have digital audio (I’m looking at you, yes you filthy white box with the constantly flashing blue light).

Before seeing this game in action I had little interest in it. After seeing what it can do with the map editor and the beauty of the settings I definitely want to check out the full game. I’m doubting its strength in story telling, puzzle solving and length of single player campaign. Without sitting down and playing the game it’s hard to gauge this. A playable demo for the PSN and Xbox Live would help sway me into a purchase. What do ya say Ubi? Getting a release in about a week, Far Cry 2 is due to hit the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on 23rd October. Look out for a collector's edition that features a making of DVD, t-shirt and if you’re lucky the actual game.