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IN THE LAB^

REVIEWS OF THE LATEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

F

ift y square kilometers of African terrain.

That’s how much open space you have to

accomplish Far Cry 2’s primary objective:

Kill the weapons dealer known as the Jackal,

who has been supplying both sides of a bloody

civil war in the game’s fi ctional setting. If the

sheer size of the game world sounds daunting,

just consider the fact that it’s densely occupied

with dozens of towns, numerous encampments,

and a whole population of NPC characters

(potential allies and enemies alike). Far Cry 2’s

expansive environment is undoubtedly its most

notable asset, but what’s really impressive is

that the game is fi lled with enough compelling

action to actually make use of it.

As a stranger in unfamiliar territory, it’s

clear that you can’t just shoot your way across

the country to fi nd your target. Getting to

the Jackal requires you to form allegiances

with mercenaries and guerrilla factions to

earn enough prestige and currency (in the

form of diamonds) to work your way through

the loosely scripted story to the climatic

showdown. A buddy system helps you along

the way—you befriend a cast of NPCs that

become both your quest givers and sidekicks

in the inevitable shootouts. In fact, the game

is structured a lot like Grand Theft Auto, but

with GTA’s urban jungle swapped out for a

real one. This role-playing-lite experience was

defi nitely enjoyable and let us progress at our

own pace. Our only gripe is that the NPCs’

voice delivery sounded rushed at times.

Your tasks are varied enough to facilitate

diff erent gunplay styles. Though tasks typi-

cally fall into the “assault the enemy base” or

“retrieve a valuable package” categories, the

range of mission locations—walled fortress,

riverside swamp, oil pipeline, to name just

a few—gave us plenty of opportunities to

experiment with tactics. The guns-blazing

strategy indeed works, but we preferred the

more stealthy approach, especially since we

could complete any mission under the shroud

of the midnight sky.

In fact, many of the thrills come not from

the shootouts, which are pretty challeng-

ing given the smart enemy AI, but from the

planning we had to do before making our

assaults. Scouting out the mission area, plant-

ing explosive traps, and picking out easy

targets before executing a plan added tension

to each fi refi ght. The anticipation of carrying

through a well-thought-

out strategy—whether

everything goes accord-

ing to plan or not—is a

huge part of what makes

this game fun. And even

when nothing goes ac-

cording to plan, we were

given plenty of opportu-

nities in later missions to

try similar approaches

(the missions do get

somewhat repetitive by

the end).

And in between

missions, we loved being

able to drive around

and explore the country, looking for new safe

houses and scenic vistas that show just how

much eff ort was put into designing such an

amazing world. A functional river system with

motorboats, rickety bridges, and gorgeous

waterfalls makes the game world very believ-

able. But we also had to prepare ourselves for

a fair amount of walking if our vehicles were

destroyed aft er a battle.

Far Cry 2’s level of immersion goes

beyond what any fi rst-person shooter has

ever achieved. From the lack of a HUD to the

streaming level content (meaning no load

screens), we at times forgot that we were

playing a game. It also doesn’t hurt that this is

one of the best-looking games ever made—if

your system can support it. But with its fully

realized game world and the exciting combat

scenarios, Far Cry 2 is one of our favorite

shooters of the year. – N O R M A N C H A N

Far Cry 2

Go on an African safari to hunt the world’s deadliest prey: man

Outnumbered and outclassed? Sounds like the perfect time to bring up the rocket launcher.

Over time, wear and tear on your weapons will cause them to lock up and

jam. Talk about poor craftsmanship!

+ -

VERDICT

$50, http://www.farcry2.com, ESRB M

9

Massive detailed

environment, intense

combat missions,

open-ended play.

Some repetitive

tasks, high system

requirements, weak

vehicle combat.

SUNTAN

FAR CRY 2

HEATSTROKE