Platforms: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft

Proposing to offer a more expansive and open world experience than most other first-person shooters on the market, Far Cry 2 may be one of the most under hyped games of this Fall. Not content with simply picking up from the last Far Cry game, Ubisoft Montreal has crafted this sequel with a complete change of direction. Far Cry 2 passes up the lush tropical island environment and instead places the action on the harsh and dangerous plains of Africa. And no, Jack Carver isn’t here either folks. Instead players will be placed in the boots of a malaria stricken mercenary out for vengeance against a mysterious conflict causing figure known as “The Jackal.”

Far Cry 2 promises to offer the players an expanded amount of the freedom and fun than the original game contained. The first game was a somewhat linear sandbox experience. Far Cry 2 looks to be a much more complete sandbox though. There will be warring African militant factions in the game that the players will interact with, both good and bad. Players can either choose a side and fight against the other side or cause even more tension between both sides via setups and sabotage to escalate the conflict. You’ll have to learn the enemy and exploit their weaknesses in order to survive. While the first Far Cry had a large environment to traverse, it just pales in comparison to the map of Far Cry 2. And the fact that this game is more sandbox than linear means gamers should be ready for plenty of exploration.

A major upgrade in the technology seen in previous Crytek games like Crysis and Far Cry will be on display in Far Cry 2. Real-time weather changes, day and night cycles, tree re-growth, water effects, and – perhaps the most exciting – the fire effects are all set to raise the bar on how first person shooters should look…and play.

That’s because these effects and features aren’t just cosmetic. They actually affect the gameplay in many ways. AI behavior changes at various cycles in the day. Weather effects bring things into play such as how the wind may blow the scenery around. It also introduces elements such as lightning. And yes, lightning strikes may cause fires. How the weather effects and other environmental effects interact with each other is interesting as well. The fire spreads like a real fire would and even the weather can be a factor in how and where it spreads.

There are many other features in-game that the dedicated development staff at Ubisoft Montreal are hoping will redefine how players think of the genre. Weapons, vehicles, and artificial intelligence are the other part of this package. Weapons based on real-life counterparts are nothing new to first person shooters. One of the twists here is that like real life, weapons will degrade, malfunction, jam, etc after over time. So players should not expect to get too attached to that one gun they love for the whole game. Vehicles in Far Cry 2 are also not immune to malfunctioning as players will need to stop and pop the hood of jeeps and other vehicles to make repairs.

The enemy A.I. will be the thing that makes or breaks the game. So far enemy A.I. on display has shown that it cooperates with other A.I. Shoot a soldier in the foot from a sniping perch and watch him cry for help until another nearby soldier comes to try and carry him to safety. We can only hope that the A.I. reacts equally as realistic when it sees a spreading fire approaching.

Far Cry 2 seems set to be a must-have first-person shooter for fans of the genre. All of the previously mentioned features are a breath of fresh air for this genre. Add in online multiplayer and an extensive map editor (Far Cry’s map editor is still regarded as one of the best around) and Far Cry 2 is seemingly very worthy of the same hype and attention that games like Gears of War 2 and Fallout 3 are getting. It’s a jungle out there, and Ubisoft Montreal delivers that jungle on October 22nd.