NEVER ENDING CRY...
Crazy how it may seem; I can dream dreams about certain good games that I have played when I am sleeping. On many occasions I've found myself in dark corridors waiting for an enemy or monster to jump out and try to snag me. These dreams have not been nightmares, on the contrary - these dreams have been recollections of times spent when my adrenaline was pumping and my love for adventure was going over the scale. But for each good game I've played, there have been 50 bad games. Games that couldn't make me care less just make me yawn and wish for a better day.
My definition of a good game is a game that has:
1. Interaction & storytelling
2. Feeling & characterisation
3. Imagination & plausibility
4. Craftsmanship & depth
5. Devotion, and finally:
6. Heart
I am sure you can name a few games that have really made your day, perhaps even changed your life. Those are the games we look after each time a new game rears it's beautiful head. It is beautiful in the beginning, but just like a rose, when you get closer you see all the details that make your skin crawl...
But, we should not compare games; it would be like comparing women with apples, water with wine or mothers with fathers; they are simple different beings, things that exist and should and are different.
Far Cry 2 is a game that makes my skin crawl; and I will tell you why and not compare it to another game. Lets start with the positive aspects of it.
This is my PCs hardware:
(if you are not interested in this, just skip these few
rows...)
Samsung SyncMaster 245B / 24' (1900x1200)
Intel Core 2 Due E6600/ 2.4Ghz
ASUS PB5 Deluxe DDR3
SoundBlaster X-Fi Extreme Music
Seagate Barracuda 7200 / 250Gb SATA2 X 2
Asus GeForce 8800 GTS 768Mb GDDR 3
Conclusion= My hardware is about two years old, and this game flows like a river on a summers day on the highest settings.
Thus:
+ Graphics are optimized for old computers...
+ Graphics support 1900x1200 60Mhz
+ Graphics are stunning on DirectX 9.0c
+ Sound is good and vibrant
If you are an avid gamer, you know that Far Cry & Far Cry 2 don't have anything in common. There are many out there that feel this game feels like it was directed by Uwe Boll; and frankly; they may have a point.
I will not go into the story of this game since it is quite a simple one; but rather look at the interaction and the character.
I love literature, movies and games. When I read, watch a film or play a game I want to be drawn into a story, not just look at pretty pictures that pop up in my brain; it would be like staring at a waterfall, not knowing what to do next. In Far Cry 2 this analogy is close to the truth.
Since your character is a silent man that walks or drives around in a "flat universe" - you are never compelled to find out more about him, there is not really anything to find out but to go from one point to another; that is the diversity, that there are low hills and high hills, that there can be day or there can be night. In any good story there is a problem to be solved, here, the problem is the game, not the character, he is just a white sheet of paper and you are controlling his world not knowing what this world is, and it is a darn shame...
Let's look at my list again -
Far Cry 2:
1. Interaction & storytelling
- Not much, go from here to there, "talk"?
- Just pretty landscapes...
2. Feeling & characterisation
- Nice graphics, but more work has been put into
the visuals than the story
- The character is "silent"
3. Imagination & plausibility
- Africa, a real country, although a bit "hollywoodized"
- Well, it could happen
4. Craftsmanship & depth
- Perfect controls, smooth, no crashes at all
- "Small" maps, enemies around every corner
5. Devotion
- The gamestudio began with a great vision, that ended up black
6. Heart
- Yes, and no. Yes, it was made for gamers who enjoy visuals, no - it was not made for gamers who want a "real" story
Negative aspects of the game:
- Animals, where are they?
No lions, snakes or rhinos that can kill you?
- Blinking objects, diamonds, weapons...
- The map, the "compass"...
- Non-existing story, it is like a click and point game...
- Lack of women characters...
So, how can I end this review with a positive twist? Well, you can visit africa from your home and not get malaria. There will be better games for sure; it was a good try, but I cannot recommend it...