Far Cry 2

[jmood88]

Re: Far Cry 2

I haven't played this in 4 months but I started playing again a couple days ago and I'm having fun with it.

[Guffers]

Re: Far Cry 2

Yeah this game is only as repetitive as you make it. Yes the mission types are largely similar but you have complete freedom in how you want to tackle them.

The penny really dropped for me on my second playthrough when I started exploring different angles of approach. I've completed missions where I haven't fired a single shot or harmed a single person.

Those that say stealth doesn't work in this game are simply wrong becuase it does, its just very unforgiving. To stay hidden you need to use the twilight or the night and do your best not to open fire (even if you have a silenced weapon) because guards are alerted by bodies very quickly. Move slowly and don't move at all if you think you may be seen. It turns the game into an incredibly tense and exciting experience.

I had an assassination mission a few weeks ago that was absolutely brilliant. My target was hidden in a mansion in the middle of the bush. So I drove off road to the outer perimeter of the area and then snuck in on foot. I moved through the brush as slowly as I could and observed the guards and their patrols. You also get to hear some great conversations this way! Later in the game your character becomes very feared and they talk of you all the time.

Anyway back to the mission, I didn't fire my weapon at all. I noticed there was one guard who was patrolling past the door to the mansion so I waited until his back was turned and slowly followed him and ducked into the doorway without alerting anyone. I sat in the corner and listened to them chat some more to assure myself I hadn't been discovered. Then I quickly ducked upstairs and assassinated my target with a single silenced pistol round. I waited another few seconds to double check I was still hidden and then slowly made my way down to the ground floor. I hid in the shadows and waited for the guard to make his patrol past the door, and then slowly crept outside and made my last dash to the security of the scrub. I made my way back to my jeep and drove off into the twilight with none of the guards being any the wiser.

I've also had other missions that involve stealing an item that I've played in a similar fashion. Its entirely possible to sneak into guard camps at night without alerting them and you can find them asleep on beds and answering the call of nature, amongst other things.

If you have no choice but to fight then you can make your escape with a little inventive improvisation. A grenade into an ammo pile, followed by a molotov or two into the bush provides a very effective distraction. You steal away whilst the guards are panicking over the rapidly spreading fire and the bullets that are firing into all directions!

I would encourage all people that love sandbox games to try this title because its gotten a very bad rap and I don't think its deserved. Yes the respawning checkpoints are annoying but if you play smart then you can totally avoid them. Once you lose yourself in the world and realise the possibilities on offer then it becomes quite intoxicating.

[ChaseB]

Re: Far Cry 2

Yeah I think you bring up some good points. I think the main thing is that the game actually naturally weeds out players who don't want to give in to a certain type of experience. Usually it's not something you see in a FPS because they are very guided most of the time, yet Far Cry goes more towards other genres that do that type of thing a good amount of the time.

While in a way that weeds out some potential players, it actually helps the game in the long run, assuming you give in to what the game is trying to do with you, the player.

[Guffers]

Re: Far Cry 2

Yeah thats totally correct. When I first played it I tried to approach like GTA. eg. Get mission, drive shortest route to target, open fire and try to escape. I was bored quickly and frustrated with the repetition.

As soon as I started to mix it up then the game came alive. Now I hardly ever use roads as they are just patrol magnets. I drive cross country, use the river system and even hike long distances. Its brilliant approaching a target, examining your map, figuring out the best angle of approach and forumulating a plan of attack. I love creating huge distractions eg. massive explosions of ammo piles and fuel tanks. When you do this you can slip past guards unnoticed and do what you please quite easily.

Just before I've decided to start up a new playthrough on hardcore difficulty and its even better still. You really need to use cover and make sure you don't let yourself get caught in open, if you do your toast.

I also totally agree with you regarding the weeding out of a certain type of player. If you approach this like Call Of Duty then you'll hate it. I have a feeling this will be a game that garners a very strong core following who will still be playing it in a few years. I'm sure I probably will be.

I hope the sequel builds on what is already there and takes into account some fan feedback, without dumbing it down too much. Personally I would love some more melee possibilities beyond the machete, even silent melee kills. It would further enhance the stealth aspect.

[ChaseB]

Re: Far Cry 2

Also, for some interesting reading when it comes to Far Cry 2 and going with the one-death game over. A few people have decided to go this route and document the process -- really quite fun to read.

http://drgamelove.blogspot.com/2009/06/permanent-death-episode-1-inasupicious.html

http://bigapple3am.com/2009/06/permanent-death---far-cry-2-part-1.html

http://www.above49.ca/2009/06/far-cr...bandwagon.htmlhttp://www.above49.ca/2009/06/far-cr...bandwagon.html

[Cebby]

Re: Far Cry 2

Yeah this game is only as repetitive as you make it. Yes the mission types are largely similar but you have complete freedom in how you want to tackle them.

The game is only as repetitive as the developers made it.

It's annoying because there's a fantastic game somewhere in Far Cry 2, but the game itself isn't good.

To me, the repetition wasn't just that every mission was the exact same thing, but nothing I did mattered. Blow up a parking lot, gas pipeline, or communication network (I believe those were some of the missions)? Logically, there should be fewer cars or less communication (I believe that was the point of sending me to the farthest extreme of the map), but there isn't. Absolutely nothing happened as a result of anything I did. With a few small changes, the game could have been a classic, but as it is, it's an average game.

[Guffers]

Re: Far Cry 2

Fair enough, your entitled to your opinion Cebby. I'm still enjoying it though. I just love the feeling that any mission can play out anyway you see fit. It just feels really refreshing to me after years of Call of Duty etc.

I agree with you in that the player needs to have more impact on the world. But I'm sure persistent damage is probably quite tough to program. (I'm no expert though)

And developing the faction system further would of made it a far greater game. The excuse that the soldiers don't know who you are and will shoot you on sight is quite a weak one. There is another world of tension and atmosphere that could of been mined with this aspect of the game and its quite a let down. It hints at this early on with soldiers trading verbal barbs in the streets but never follows through. Maybe for Far Cry 3.

[Guffers]

Re: Far Cry 2

Also, for some interesting reading when it comes to Far Cry 2 and going with the one-death game over. A few people have decided to go this route and document the process -- really quite fun to read.

http://drgamelove.blogspot.com/2009/06/permanent-death-episode-1-inasupicious.html

http://bigapple3am.com/2009/06/permanent-death---far-cry-2-part-1.html

http://www.above49.ca/2009/06/far-cry-2-on-permanent-death-bandwagon.htmlhttp://www.above49.ca/2009/06/far-cr...bandwagon.html

Thanks Chase, thats some fascinating stuff.

[Who Dey15]

Re: Far Cry 2

Is this game worth 23$?

[Flawless]

Re: Far Cry 2

Far Cry 3 looking "pretty exciting"

Far Cry 3 is in development and looking "pretty exciting", an Ubisoft scriptwriter has told Official PlayStation Magazine.

Speaking at a recent Avatar junket, OPM asked Ubisoft scribe Kevin Shortt if he was working on a third Far Cry title and instead of the usual "no comment", the mag received a refreshing response...

"No I'm not," he replied honestly. "But I know the team are and what I've seen looks pretty exciting." Far Cry 3 confirmed then, just like that.

Other than that blatant response, it's mostly guess work so far on what we should expect from Far Cry 3. Last year though narrative designer Patrick Redding did mention that a sequel would likely retain an African setting, though he also mentioned Antarctica as a possibility.

It's also probable the third game will be based around an improved version of the Dunia engine, OPM points out, which was specifically built to handle complex real-world physics within a sandbox environment.

[jmood88]

Re: Far Cry 2

Hopefully they do like the Assassin's Creed 2 team did and make it less repetitive and annoying.