Great production values but some design issues
No problems on the production values -- the setting is unique and makes you sort of feel like you're in Africa. The sound, animations and the quality of the graphics are done well enough to give you sense of "being there". I like the small touches here and there: zebras running away as you drive your jeep up a dirt trail; brushfires spreading after fiery explosions; tree branches cut down after you mow through them with a heavy machine gun.
Some gameplay mechanics are really cool: The concept of in-game buddies who occasionally save you during firefight; The availability of a wide array of vehicles to get around a VAST map -- including gliders (my favorite), boats, barges, trucks and fitted out war jeeps; the availability of bus stations that allow you to travel quickly from one area to another.
Many good things going on indeed. But here's what I didn't like:
1) The map is TOO big and it's very tedious traveling, even with the bus stations. You spend a LOT of time traveling instead of shooting and I don't really get that.
2) You get to collect diamonds to improve your weapons but the upgrades don't really have any noticeable effect. This is a letdown considering it takes time to find weapons shops. What really irritates me is that for you to get new and better weapons, there are boring, repetitive missions to undertake; most of which involve chasing someone down in a moving vehicle and blowing it up for good measure.
3) The save points are few and far between. It gets easier later in the game when you've unlocked a lot of safehouses but considering the time it takes to travel around --- again, very tedious.
4) Subverting missions is a cool concept, but there doesn't really seem to be any real in-game reward for doing so. Even if you don't subvert missions, your buddies still save you, so what's the point? These just make the story drag on for no real reason.
5) Guarded checkpoints replenish almost immediately. Again, this adds to the chore of traveling... there's nothing more irritating than having to travel far to a mission site and dying at the last checkpoint along the way. On the way back, there are guards again... and these encounters really don't have anything to do with the story.
So overall, really mixed reactions on this one. I feel this could have been a great shooter, but I think the tedium is unforgivable. I don't get why it got an 8.5 here in gamespot -- but hey, maybe I'm the only one who doesn't like traveling unnecessarily and repeatedly in a SHOOTER.