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It is not often that you see a big-time publisher back a completely new developer, game and game engine. Ubisoft did just that with Far Cry the first game from Crytek. I’m very thankful that they did because Far Cry is a beautiful, technical wonder full of great open-ended gameplay. The technical requirements are up there, but oh man, it is worth it.
In Far Cry, you play as Jack Carver who used to be a member of the “Ocean Patrol.” I guess he was tired of all the hardships because he moved to the transport business: transporting people and goods around the island. One day, his ship gets blown up for an unknown reason and obviously, you want to find out why. The plot is moved forward by details given to your mysterious ally. You won’t get much more than “Go Here” or “Do this” and you’ll need to discover for yourself what to do exactly. Apparently, a lot of the more casual players found this a bit frustrating.
Ubisoft describes Far Cry as a “tactical first person shooter” but it isn’t in the same genre as its Rainbow Six series. Instead, Far Cry uses real world physics and weapons. This means that you can’t take ninety bullets for finally falling.
As I stated above, a lot of the fun in Far Cry is discovering the best ways to accomplish a task. Because of this, you can expect to replay the same levels quite a few times. Sometimes, you think you’re doing great only to meet some very unhappy enemies in your course. You are able to scout ahead using the binoculars, a compass moves you in generally the right direction, and a stealth meter lets you know how close you are to being found. Nonetheless, expect to find some surprises along the way that will kill you. When you’re ready to give up, though, you find a completely new way to do things that allows you to beat the level fighting much fewer enemies. Remember, practice makes perfect.
To accomplish such an open-ended system, Crytek would need a very impressive AI system. And they deliver. The AI in Far Cry is very good. For the most part, they can spot you just as easily as you can spot them. If you are in an area unfavorable to you, it’s probably best to find another route. If you have the advantage, they’ll call for backup or even sound alarms. If you try to run away, they’ll come chase you with the numerous vehicles. All in all, it makes for a very exciting game.
When you beat the single-player campaign you’ll find more gameplay online. You’ll be able to play in Deathmath, Team Deathmatch and Assault. The first two are self-explanatory and in Assault you’re trying to accomplish tasks while another team has to stop you. The game also ships with a level editor. While hardly easy to use, it is a deep tool for those that want to dig into it.
Even with all of these positive aspects, Far Cry doesn’t do everything perfect. For example, riding vehicles is a hit or miss. Boats handle excellent but when it comes to land, you’re in for a bit of trouble. Of course, this is to be expected since you are in the jungle but camera issues also ruin some of the fun.
Many PC gamers have been complaining that Far Cry doesn’t let them save the game whenever they want. If you’re used to quick saves and quick loads, this will take some getting used to as Far Cry auto-saves on its own whenever you pass a set object. Personally, and I’m sure many console gamers will agree, it’s not that big of a deal and it is mostly a personal preference.
The visuals in Far Cry are incredible, as you already know if you downloaded the massive demo for the game. The jungle is lush and full of detail. The water acts believably and looks awesome, as well. Crytek’s handles all of the environmental features very well. The character models are quite detailed, also. Add to this excellent particle effects (like the flair), great physics and some neat ragdoll animations and you got yourself a great looking game. The style is also noteworthy because you’re in the middle of a pretty little island, unlike the dark corridors that dominate the first person genre. If Far Cry is putting too much of a load on your system, try installing the v1.1 patch available on the game’s official website.
The soundtrack is pretty good and fits the game well. The sound effects are immersive, as well. The voice acting, however, is a little on the funny side and not because it includes jokes. It doesn’t.
Far Cry is my new favorite shooter, which is saying something considering all of the notable additions lately. Striking visuals, high-quality AI and open-ended gameplay make for refreshing
FPS game.
Minimum System Requirements:
Windows 98/Me/2000/XP (only), 1000Mhz+ Processor (Athlon+, Pentium 3+), 256 MB RAM, Geforce 3/4/MX+ or Radeon 8500+), DirectX 9.0b-compatible sound card, DirectX 9.0b, 24X CD-ROM
Recommended System Requirements:
Windows 98/Me/2000/XP (only), 2Ghz+ Processor (Athlon XP+, Pentium 4+), 512 MB RAM, GeForce 4 Ti 4600+ or Radeon 9500 +), DirectX 9.0b-compatible sound card, DirectX 9.0b, 8X DVD-ROM recommended -- Jose Liz, PGNx Media
---- Apr 21, 2004
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