A Solution to Boredom

If you have ever met me you know that I am quite the gamer.  I love video games.  For the last several console generations I have owned each of the major consoles.  Currently I own the Xbox 360 and the Wii but not the infamous Playstation 3.  Lately I find that I have mostly been playing my 360 as the console, in my opinion,  has some of the best FPS games out there.  Speaking of which, let me delve into my most recent favorite game, Far Cry 2.

Although I never played the original Far Cry I decided to try out Far Cry 2 as the game sounded very interesting.  At the time I was playing Fallout 3 which in its own is a great game.  I saw Far Cry 2 while I was at Gamestop and decided to check it out when I got home.  The game’s trailer, see below,  had me interested as soon as I watched it.

As you see in the trailer, if you watched it, there are a lot of cool explosions which spawn lots of beautiful fire.  In the world of Far Cry 2, which like Fallout 3 is a huge world ready for you to explore, there are varying environments.  You go from damp jungle terrain to dry grasslands to desert.  In the dry grasslands you have the chance to create some rampant fires by blowing up vehicles, propane tanks, using Molotov cocktails, or even the flamethrower!  You cannot possibly understand just how well the game engine handles it unless you play but let me give you a good example of something so simple but so cool.

Jungle from Far Cry2. Linked from http://www.mad-dos.net63.net

Grassy plains from Far Cry 2. Linked from http://news.cnet.com

I was playing the game and for the mission I was on needed to destroy a tanker attached to a train.  My brilliant idea was to get up on a hillside and fire a rocket at the train from a safe distance.  So I get on a hill, line up my sites, and let the rocket fly.  As I sat watching an amazing explosion unfold ahead of me I started to get hurt by something.  Looking around I saw no gunfire and could not determine what was hurting me, that was until I turned around…  The backfire from the rocket launcher had caused the grassy hill to catch fire behind me and was toasting my backside.  Yes I know that is not that amazing but it is just one small example of the detail that Ubi put into the game.

Now I realize I have had nothing but praise for the game but there are a couple things the game lacks…  The game play consists of about four or so mission types strung together.  That means the missions can get a little boring. That being said, the AI of the NPCs is quite good so no mission plays out exactly like the last.  Another issue is that the AI is not very good at using their vehicles in combat.  It seems like if they are in a vehicle with a weapon the driver just drives up and stops while the gunner just pumps you full of lead.  A little driving around while doing so would be just a little more realistic.  Those criticisms aside, the change in terrain, the way the AI responds to combat, and the various weapons at your disposal has kept the game interesting through the fifty-some-percent of the game I have played.

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