So what is far cry 2? It is not just appealing vast open landscape now, is it? It isn’t anything striking, adaptive storyline something with extraordinary visuals. Its not even one of those volatile camps filled boxes and crates with unlimited ammo- like Gordon Freeman’s buggy and rocket crates. Are there even lots adrenalised situations where in moment you switch from sniper to a machine gun while weapons are fired by enemies randomly?
Actually it’s appealing before any of those situations during the game play. Typically one checks ammo, you reload and wait with great anxiety. As usual with other games, it’s always calm before the storm. It’s a game that will surprise, excite and enthral you while you stand still and waiting to strike hard. This game belongs to a genre which firmly concentrates on blowing stuff up and getting multiple headshots with a sniper rifle. But Far cry-2 in my opinion is smart in a weird sort of way. It feels scripted but its not- either that or it’s a side effect of mine that I have played tonnes of FPS and FPS moods out there. As I mention it on my preview of far cry 2 ages ago- It’s an open world first person shooter set in Africa where you fulfil a life of tracking, killing an armed dealer named The Jackal. For a moment you (especially critic writers who say FC2 is a mediocre game) will expect it to be carefully “orchestrated†jungle and invisible corridors through a sandy desert- a desert with enemies randomly shooting you and you as in many typical games run for cover (either that or the video does it for you). Well- that’s where the unknown excitement begins. It’s free roaming- though it doesn’t have Jack Carter its still have a major essence of the original far cry.
Around an hour’s time after doing the needed tutorials and introductions- after that it’s just a goal which is a cliché- Kill Jackal. How you do it? Its upto to you. Many games have promised that but the only exciting game we see is either ghosts coming in your face out of nowhere, secret passages with lots of stash or a vampire with a baseball bat whacking you across the head and talking to you about his past life while your on the ground. Many promise- but in reality, did it deliver? We played series of FPS- from quake to the current crysis. It differs from person to person- one will feel excited because they “feel†the change all thanks to special effects and sounds- some don’t, considering effects and sounds nothing more than a marketing gimmick to sell a game for a good profit.
Farcry 2 does really break new grounds- it’s something that we see it in MMORPG but in a very vague manner. Even though there is a story and a mission- who lives, who dies, who is the last man OR woman standing- is your call. What I am going to mentioned from the second page to the second last is a spoiler though there are small bits and pieces I will hide for the interest of the readers. Also a part of these upcoming pages will show my direct and indirect comparison with other games as well. If one wishes, one can read the first and the last page which pretty much explains my reviews in a good way- or else the whole thing. Like the game- the choice is yours.
[BREAK=The narrative plot (Spoiler Warning)]
You wake up in a slaughterhouse where you meet a guy called Warren who seems to be an American. The guy is kind enough to give you a weapon and gives you a good idea about a group called united front for liberation and labour that are holding foreign mercenaries as hostages in the south. He says that you need to go and save them. So you do and rescue Nasreen Davar and is grateful for her rescue just like in all “damsel in distress is rescued†sort of way. She doesn’t give you a hug or anything more- like another weapon to be specific. Instead- she will promise to help you out when you need it. Whether that happens or not is something I won’t say. This was the experience that I had in far cry 2 when I was playing in my friend’s system that has a legit copy (got it as an import from his bro in a pre order).
Again I sleep and wake up and this time its Andre the Haitian. Just like in previous scenario I rescue someone- this time its Quabani Singh who’s being held by another faction- Alliance for popular resistance. Just like the girl- he makes the promise. Whether he lives upto it or not- I might say or I might not. Why now readers might be flabbergasted on why the heck I said it’s smart. It sound more like situations and characters are swapped- something that we see in many games every now and then. So basically these situations are- stories. However what makes this storytelling game cool is that you get to play this game lots of time and see different things and situations spark up- like a déjàvu experience gone bad. It’s a game that reacts in a chemical “locha†according to your successes, failures and (pardon my French) **** ups.
It’s as simple as this- you don’t like what a guy is telling you to do it- don’t do it and don’t regret later. You’re having another déjàvu experience this time with another game- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.? Nah. It’s like the good old fashioned office politics (school- college- house). You like a person you stick with him- or her. When situations forces you to take decisions what you don’t like- there you go that what separates from FC2 from Stalker. FC2 makes a good effort in banking on our anticipation, reluctance and other things that we use it in the real world- but for games it goes out of the window.
Another situation- you have limited bullets- you’re under constant fire and eventually- too late! Dead? No.
There comes Nasreen- she comes like a wingless angel with desert eagle. Lara croft lingo- no. Déjàvu experience when Alyx rescued Gordon Freeman from being beaten down by the combine and their taser rods- no. She puts you over her shoulders and takes you to safety- until a grenade comes near her feet and goes off. Now it’s your turn to be a knight in shining armour- and to make it even for the embarrassment that a girl carried you out like a kid. You don’t have med kits (in this game scenario- syrettes) - so what you do. Ditch her and find some medical supplies or leave her to die in pain. Or do her a favour and put a bullet in your head to take her out of the misery- your choice? Didn’t that throw away Alyx indirect mushy scenes out of your head- hell yes. But what happens to the game- no it doesn’t say game over. There are no outstanding personalities- like “mom†in crisis warhead. Two factions and their mission- key for dominating this game. The AFFP is more like a community and AFP is sound of Zebra skins. I choose AFFP- community power rules.
The after effects come later on when you play. What effects- I wont say it completely since its randomised so there no point in telling it. Moral choices rarely feel natural in games- even ethics as well. A part of it reminds me of Bioshock choices are based on your judgements. So is it Bioshock indirect wannabe? No. This world is corrupted where people want the war to be constant since it’s profitable for them. So FC2 does remove all the ethical baggage from the game. It simply promotes self interest. Two factions need a major or full chunk of power- where mercenaries need cash. During the game you build up your abilities whereas the jackal plays them off against each other. So how you make the decisions? Clue- medicines are vital.
[BREAK=Is that all? (Spoiler Content)]
Wait- where are the rocket launchers? FC2 is not about narration. A part but not a major chunk of the game. It has some really big explosions with some of the best crossfire gunplay I have seen so far. The enemy AI is intelligent enough to come forward and try to flank you, also giving access to expose them long enough to take them down.
A good part is that fights are varied as you want them to be- like the “kill the DJ†mission. What happens is something you need to see when you playing the game. One absorbs the gameplay in a unique manner. Once you get the essence of the game- I doubt people will leave to finish this game off- unless it’s forced.
So about the graphics- it’s extraordinarily beautiful. Hands down- and it’s not resource hungry as crysis- atleast on paper. Given the right hardware- its surprisingly good looking game. In quiet moments of the game when your riding a jeep, you will see gazelles running alongside- one of those scenarios that you feel “riding down the sunsetâ€. The good part is it succeeds in all factor as an FPS. There’s no barrier to break our concentration. In short- you feel like a lost foreign tourist stuck in the middle of nowhere and wished you spend some extra money on a map that a guy was selling the day before.
To heal- you need to do surgery of your own. Jab yourself with a syrette, relocate your bones to a proper place and seal up your wounds. Leaving some details aside- it rarely reminds that your playing a game since its well made. This game does simulate weather well. The Dawn is astonishing, sunsets acts like a catalyst to already stunning landscape. When you reach for the map, it doesn’t give you “you are here†tag and a compass on a new screen. You get a map- and a diamond locator. Why you need diamonds? To buy weapons.
[BREAK=Conclusion]
The game will hook you up from start to finish. All these changes don’t come up all of a sudden. The transition of emotions during this game is pretty slow that one barely notices. So it’s a perfect game? Did FC2 succeed where others failed? There are many situations which makes you to quick- save and attrite for a moment. There are more that I wanted to mention- but since I am writing this from a mental draft to here- I somehow get the feeling those imperfections also act as a catalyst to give this game a good look. This sentence is more of an opinion than as a review from a third person’s perspective.
Bottom line- not all will like this game. Do I like this game- I do but I would pick up this game for myself when I browse through shops and have some money to burn- but that’s my perspective. I didn’t like the massive ad system where roadside did have billboards with real- time products displayed on it. Some will feel frustrated that the AI bad people respawn after you just kill them- do you feel is something you need to see for your self. Another frustration is that every mission ends up killing lot of people. But these are certain things that I overlooked after playing some more missions.
But it’s still a great game. I didn’t feel like playing crysis warhead after coming from my friend’s place- which might conflict my next review for warhead as well. A part of me wanted to read spoiler for this game, but a part of me didn’t. I don’t how will I judge other FPS with this kind of experience. Before buying the game- give demo a chance. Word of advice- if you have any fps lying around idle- finish that for namesake before touching this. This game gets a worthy 4 ½ stars out of 5.
Thanks for reading.
Actually it’s appealing before any of those situations during the game play. Typically one checks ammo, you reload and wait with great anxiety. As usual with other games, it’s always calm before the storm. It’s a game that will surprise, excite and enthral you while you stand still and waiting to strike hard. This game belongs to a genre which firmly concentrates on blowing stuff up and getting multiple headshots with a sniper rifle. But Far cry-2 in my opinion is smart in a weird sort of way. It feels scripted but its not- either that or it’s a side effect of mine that I have played tonnes of FPS and FPS moods out there. As I mention it on my preview of far cry 2 ages ago- It’s an open world first person shooter set in Africa where you fulfil a life of tracking, killing an armed dealer named The Jackal. For a moment you (especially critic writers who say FC2 is a mediocre game) will expect it to be carefully “orchestrated†jungle and invisible corridors through a sandy desert- a desert with enemies randomly shooting you and you as in many typical games run for cover (either that or the video does it for you). Well- that’s where the unknown excitement begins. It’s free roaming- though it doesn’t have Jack Carter its still have a major essence of the original far cry.
Around an hour’s time after doing the needed tutorials and introductions- after that it’s just a goal which is a cliché- Kill Jackal. How you do it? Its upto to you. Many games have promised that but the only exciting game we see is either ghosts coming in your face out of nowhere, secret passages with lots of stash or a vampire with a baseball bat whacking you across the head and talking to you about his past life while your on the ground. Many promise- but in reality, did it deliver? We played series of FPS- from quake to the current crysis. It differs from person to person- one will feel excited because they “feel†the change all thanks to special effects and sounds- some don’t, considering effects and sounds nothing more than a marketing gimmick to sell a game for a good profit.
Farcry 2 does really break new grounds- it’s something that we see it in MMORPG but in a very vague manner. Even though there is a story and a mission- who lives, who dies, who is the last man OR woman standing- is your call. What I am going to mentioned from the second page to the second last is a spoiler though there are small bits and pieces I will hide for the interest of the readers. Also a part of these upcoming pages will show my direct and indirect comparison with other games as well. If one wishes, one can read the first and the last page which pretty much explains my reviews in a good way- or else the whole thing. Like the game- the choice is yours.
[BREAK=The narrative plot (Spoiler Warning)]
You wake up in a slaughterhouse where you meet a guy called Warren who seems to be an American. The guy is kind enough to give you a weapon and gives you a good idea about a group called united front for liberation and labour that are holding foreign mercenaries as hostages in the south. He says that you need to go and save them. So you do and rescue Nasreen Davar and is grateful for her rescue just like in all “damsel in distress is rescued†sort of way. She doesn’t give you a hug or anything more- like another weapon to be specific. Instead- she will promise to help you out when you need it. Whether that happens or not is something I won’t say. This was the experience that I had in far cry 2 when I was playing in my friend’s system that has a legit copy (got it as an import from his bro in a pre order).
Again I sleep and wake up and this time its Andre the Haitian. Just like in previous scenario I rescue someone- this time its Quabani Singh who’s being held by another faction- Alliance for popular resistance. Just like the girl- he makes the promise. Whether he lives upto it or not- I might say or I might not. Why now readers might be flabbergasted on why the heck I said it’s smart. It sound more like situations and characters are swapped- something that we see in many games every now and then. So basically these situations are- stories. However what makes this storytelling game cool is that you get to play this game lots of time and see different things and situations spark up- like a déjàvu experience gone bad. It’s a game that reacts in a chemical “locha†according to your successes, failures and (pardon my French) **** ups.
It’s as simple as this- you don’t like what a guy is telling you to do it- don’t do it and don’t regret later. You’re having another déjàvu experience this time with another game- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.? Nah. It’s like the good old fashioned office politics (school- college- house). You like a person you stick with him- or her. When situations forces you to take decisions what you don’t like- there you go that what separates from FC2 from Stalker. FC2 makes a good effort in banking on our anticipation, reluctance and other things that we use it in the real world- but for games it goes out of the window.
Another situation- you have limited bullets- you’re under constant fire and eventually- too late! Dead? No.
There comes Nasreen- she comes like a wingless angel with desert eagle. Lara croft lingo- no. Déjàvu experience when Alyx rescued Gordon Freeman from being beaten down by the combine and their taser rods- no. She puts you over her shoulders and takes you to safety- until a grenade comes near her feet and goes off. Now it’s your turn to be a knight in shining armour- and to make it even for the embarrassment that a girl carried you out like a kid. You don’t have med kits (in this game scenario- syrettes) - so what you do. Ditch her and find some medical supplies or leave her to die in pain. Or do her a favour and put a bullet in your head to take her out of the misery- your choice? Didn’t that throw away Alyx indirect mushy scenes out of your head- hell yes. But what happens to the game- no it doesn’t say game over. There are no outstanding personalities- like “mom†in crisis warhead. Two factions and their mission- key for dominating this game. The AFFP is more like a community and AFP is sound of Zebra skins. I choose AFFP- community power rules.
The after effects come later on when you play. What effects- I wont say it completely since its randomised so there no point in telling it. Moral choices rarely feel natural in games- even ethics as well. A part of it reminds me of Bioshock choices are based on your judgements. So is it Bioshock indirect wannabe? No. This world is corrupted where people want the war to be constant since it’s profitable for them. So FC2 does remove all the ethical baggage from the game. It simply promotes self interest. Two factions need a major or full chunk of power- where mercenaries need cash. During the game you build up your abilities whereas the jackal plays them off against each other. So how you make the decisions? Clue- medicines are vital.
[BREAK=Is that all? (Spoiler Content)]
Wait- where are the rocket launchers? FC2 is not about narration. A part but not a major chunk of the game. It has some really big explosions with some of the best crossfire gunplay I have seen so far. The enemy AI is intelligent enough to come forward and try to flank you, also giving access to expose them long enough to take them down.
A good part is that fights are varied as you want them to be- like the “kill the DJ†mission. What happens is something you need to see when you playing the game. One absorbs the gameplay in a unique manner. Once you get the essence of the game- I doubt people will leave to finish this game off- unless it’s forced.
To heal- you need to do surgery of your own. Jab yourself with a syrette, relocate your bones to a proper place and seal up your wounds. Leaving some details aside- it rarely reminds that your playing a game since its well made. This game does simulate weather well. The Dawn is astonishing, sunsets acts like a catalyst to already stunning landscape. When you reach for the map, it doesn’t give you “you are here†tag and a compass on a new screen. You get a map- and a diamond locator. Why you need diamonds? To buy weapons.
[BREAK=Conclusion]
The game will hook you up from start to finish. All these changes don’t come up all of a sudden. The transition of emotions during this game is pretty slow that one barely notices. So it’s a perfect game? Did FC2 succeed where others failed? There are many situations which makes you to quick- save and attrite for a moment. There are more that I wanted to mention- but since I am writing this from a mental draft to here- I somehow get the feeling those imperfections also act as a catalyst to give this game a good look. This sentence is more of an opinion than as a review from a third person’s perspective.
Bottom line- not all will like this game. Do I like this game- I do but I would pick up this game for myself when I browse through shops and have some money to burn- but that’s my perspective. I didn’t like the massive ad system where roadside did have billboards with real- time products displayed on it. Some will feel frustrated that the AI bad people respawn after you just kill them- do you feel is something you need to see for your self. Another frustration is that every mission ends up killing lot of people. But these are certain things that I overlooked after playing some more missions.
But it’s still a great game. I didn’t feel like playing crysis warhead after coming from my friend’s place- which might conflict my next review for warhead as well. A part of me wanted to read spoiler for this game, but a part of me didn’t. I don’t how will I judge other FPS with this kind of experience. Before buying the game- give demo a chance. Word of advice- if you have any fps lying around idle- finish that for namesake before touching this. This game gets a worthy 4 ½ stars out of 5.
Thanks for reading.
