Rating: 
Summary: Playable Demo is Available
Review: A playable demo of FarCry is now available for download - see www.farcry-thegame.com. Check it out for yourself!!! It is big (500 megs), but well worth the effort.The touted AI, while not perfect, is better than any other game on the market. You will feel the pressure as a horde of mercenaries chase you down. Maybe even panic a little, because they will intelligently cut off your escape routes. The Rambo approach doesn't work well here. You need to be smarter. The graphics is also top-notch. The lush island is filled with tropical vegetation, calm water, and blue blue sky. If it weren't for the mercenaries trying to kill me, I'd explore the island to enjoy its Hawaiian sceneries. You simply have to see it!!! Back to the AI (artificial intelligence) of the game, it makes the game non-linear so you can replay the demo with different approaches. The possibility is almost endless. FarCry's AI captures this aspect of 'realism', which greatly extends the game's re-playability. I wish the final game will come with "cooperative" mode, so my friends and I could play the game plot together.
Rating:
Summary: FAR CRY - muscling in on the Action Genre
Review: My preview is based on articles and interviews I have read along with a viewing of the tech demo. Even so, it's worth a 5 for whetting my appetite with what it promises to offer. There are many first person shooters, but Far Cry from German developer CryTek strives to add gameplay elements which make it worth serious consideration. Voted Best Game at ECTS 2003, Far Cry has managed to draw interest and create lasting impressions despite going up against heavyweight contenders such as Half Life 2 and Doom 3. >>The Game Engine CryTek have designed their own engine for running the game. The engine is known as CryEngine and is capable of rendering vast draw distances of up to 2 kilometers without fogging. It also makes use of polybump technology, enabling an object comprised of 250,000 polygons to be condensed into only 1,500 without virtually any loss of quality. This alone frees up cpu time and makes FAR CRY more accessible to lower ended systems. Added to this is the ability to create real world physics. In the game you might decide to push some barrels in order to watch them roll down a hill onto the enemy. The barrels will roll the way they should depending on the angle used to push them and the shape of the ground they connect with. Push them again from a different angle, or using different force, and the barrels will roll in a different way. This realism is also applied to the in-game characters which have been modelled with a great deal of attention paid to their skeletal structure. The character will react and/or fall according to where on the body a shot impacts - an event referred to in computer games as rag doll physics. And lastly, the terrain is deformable. Use a rocket launcher and the shell's impact will leave a crater in the ground. >>Game Premise You play Jack Carver who is forced out of his sun-drenched semi-retirement to help out a female journalist in unravelling a mystery. There are homicidal mercenaries out to stop you. >>Game Setting The action takes place on the main island of Micronesia, although there are other smaller islands which you can sail or swim to. Environments will range from jungles, caves, lagoons, ancient temples, and include facilities such as bunkers, underground laboratories and other claustrophobic indoor areas. >>Player Freedom The decision to set the game on a lush tropical island means that the game is not linear as in most shooters. You have complete freedom to move about and carry out your missions any way you deem fit. The player is in control, rather than being forced to complete missions in a set way. You are free to use your discretion and imagination to undertake missions using stealth tactics, all out assault, or a combination of the two depending on the circumstances you find yourself in. >>Non-Scripted Artificial Intelligence This, for me, will be the heart of the gameplay. Because of the non-linearity of the game (even though there is a progressive story line), the AI units are NOT scripted. The AI of the game was designed to "understand", and react to the environment. The enemy interacts with the environment just like you, and will use it for cover and to try take you down using tactics such as suppressive fire, outflanking etc. They will call for reinforcements - even from other islands - for backup. Each enemy unit will react not only to your input, but also with the surrounding terrain in unique ways. In other words, the enemy knows as much as you about the arena you play in. Each AI unit will have the ability to recognize objects within the environment such as rocks, water, trees, vehicles, as well as being able to recognize other agents in the game including dead AI units, and they will respond individually to the situation through their internal driven AI. The beauty of this is that every time you play a section of the game the AI will respond in different ways so you never play out a scenario in exactly the same way. One example of AI attacking strategy in FAR CRY is that rather than keep shooting at the last location they 'saw' or 'heard' you, the AI will attempt to 'guess' where you might be moving to and in which direction, and will continue to hunt you down. This will make for very tense close combat and keep the adrenaline level pumped up for the player. >>Weapons and Vehicles At present, weapons range from a P90 SMG, OICW, AG36, M4, Desert Eagle, down to a machete. Vehicles can be driven in 1st or 3rd person view with the ability to fire weapons while driving. Jeeps, boats, and HMMVs can be used by the player, and the AI will use vehicles to pursue you. And did I mention you also get to fly hang-gliders? : ) >>The Sandbox Editor My excitement was further increased with news of the Sandbox Editor which will be shipped with the game and is billed as the What You See is What You Play Editor. According to an interview with the developers, it took only 3 days (!) for one of their new multiplayer developers to learn how to use the editor. You can build and edit terrain, drop in some AI units, then play test your scenario all with a few mouse clicks. Switching from the game to the editor will be easy (much like in Operation Flashpoint).
Fast development time for scenarios coupled with a low learning curve using the editor will ensure a formidable amount of Multiplayer maps will be developed soon after the game ships. *An example of the Editor can be seen in the "tech demo" - see end of this preview for details.
>>For Programmers For programmmers who want to write their own scripted routines, the game uses the Lua programming language which allows you to write and embed your own routines into the game without having to touch the game's original C++ code. >>For the Mod Community For modders, the news is also optimistic. The developers have stressed that everything in the game has been designed with the mod community in mind, and therefore can be modded quite easily. They have mentioned releasing development tools for the mod community either with, or shortly after, the game's release. >>Summary With huge terrains, vast draw distances of up to 2 kilometers, rag doll and real world physics, polybump technology, deformable terrain, an editor which appears to be simplicity itself, and an unscripted AI, next year looks promising for anyone willing - and daring enough - to take a relaxing (?) break in the lagoons, caves, and lush jungles of Far Cry's Micronesian Islands. >>Additional Information FAR CRY is presently scheduled for release in February 2004. Two excellent interviews with CryTek's developers can be viewed at Game Zone and Avault. * For an impressive demo of the game go to Gamer's Hell and download the 32Mb "tech demo". I'm sure you'll be excited at what you see.
Rating: 
Summary: not fair to review an item before it comes out...
Review: but i feel this deserves a little more on the page besides the title. its a first person shooter founded on technology from a company called crytek. it belongs on the list with doom 3 and half-life 2 in terms of quality and enjoyment/gameplay. the things that make it stand out from the other two games though, are the AI, level structure, and definitely plot. This game boasts AI from the start. theres mutliple ways to go through a level, so the AI was made to be smarter right from the start. even if you dont see them, theyre working, they get bored. they chat to each other. the levels are massive. the game mostly takes place on a certain island. but if you see another island in the distance, you can swim to it. there is no linearity to the design. and the plot is not your standard, aliens/demons are taking over (although doom 3 is at the top of my list). i definitely think this game deserves a look at.
Rating: 
Summary: Wow!!
Review: I've been into RPG's for a while, so this is the first pure FPS I've played in several months. I'm impressed! I mean really impressed! The graphics and huge maps for each level are mind boggling. I haven't been this taken by a game's design since Tron. Farcry is a linear shooter without the ridiculuous puzzles and other garbage. It's something like a version of Soldier of Fortune that's finally been put together correctly. You can shoot from any position (even leaning), go prone, crouch, crawl through beautifully rendered jungle and other terrain. All the vehicles except helicopters are usable and well thought-out. The number of weapons and inventory you can carry is limited (good). And the AI ranges from good to incredible. On two occasions, the NPC's acted exactly like I would expect from a live opponent online. The only glitch, and it's a big one (loss of a star), is the checkpoint gamesave system. This is arbitrary and often frustrating. One some levels you seem to go for a very long time through difficult encounters with no save-game. On others, the going is relatively easy and there are several, almost unnecessary save-games. This has caused me a lot of frustration and curses yelled at the screen. They could have a least put in a quicksave feature. (I know there's a way to do it through the console, but it's not the same). I have actually had to dial the difficulty back from challenging to medium because of this. You also need a pretty decent system to run Farcry properly. I have a 3.0 GHz P4 with 1024 MB RAM and a 9800XT. It has run flawlessly at high detail. I'm only about 2/3 finished with the single player game and I haven't tried the multiplayer. I understand there were initial issues, but a patch (27 MB) has been issued which is supposed to fix most of the problems. If you like straight FPS games, this one is a must have.
Rating:
Summary: FPS Heaven
Review: I bought Far Cry after reading positive reviews for it, thinking it was going to be a decent FPS game. Well, after countless hours I spent beating the game (the game is very long for an FPS game) I would have to say that Far Cry is much more than decent, it's spectacular. First and foremost, the graphics; wow. I actually died a couple of times just because I was admiring the scenery. The new CryEngine that Far Cry utilizes is stunning to say the least. It creates majestic scenery, dark interior environments, realistic character models, and packs a physics engine that rivals anything I have ever seen. The "rag doll" physics are fantastic. Now, Far Cry's gameplay. Honestly it handles better than almost every FPS game i've ever played. They try to make it realistic, but not too realistic to where it limits the amount of fun you can have with it. The levels are very non-linear making the single player campaign a blast. Of course I have my gripes about the game. The lack of a save anywhere feature was a little ridiculous at times, but it didnt really bother me as much as some of the other reviewers here. It makes the games a little more challenging but no less fun IMO. The multiplayer also lacks in some areas. Those are my only two complaints about this game. IN SUMMATION, FAR CRY IS ONE OF THE BEST FIRST PERSON SHOOTERS EVER MADE. BUY THIS GAME, DOWNLOAD THE PATCH, AND MARVEL IN ITS GLORY. The fact is this game is just plain pure, and simple fun. Cant wait for Doom 3 now!
Rating:
Summary: Great Game
Review: This game really gets away from the mundane Doom-esque games that require no brainpower other than switching weapons. Although it is FPS (like doom) tactics are much more important (ie. dropping to the ground when an enemy hears your footsteps). With all the FPS on the market, this one is a diamond in the rough.
Rating:
Summary: not as fun toward the end
Review: In response to all of the difficulties of installing, I noticed that the retail box has a warning in yellow that reads: "Notice: This game contains technology intended to prevent copying that may conflict with some disc and virtual drives." To those who have CD-writers and/or DVD-writers, you may have problems installing. You can borrow a plain DVD/CD drive without write capability and install the game. After that, you can resume your use of your original drive. Don't try to reinstall Windows and do all that software things, it's not worth it. Just borrow a plain CD-drive from work or a friend.
On to the game. This game is visual candy. The weapons are cool and the enemies are tough! Even at the medium level, the damage level is very realistic. It's not recommended to do "Rambo" stunts because most likely you'll be out-numbered and a couple of hits will be enough to kill you. It's always important to be stealthy and be the FIRST to deliver the hit. There are around 20 levels with a variety of outdoor and indoor levels. For the outdoors, the sniper rifle and binoculus are your best friends. I had the most fun stalking around the trees and foilage with my trusty spiner rifle.
But my biggest problem is the indoor levels. It's not that they are bad, it's just that there are TOO many of them. Crytek made a name for itself with it's superb outdoor graphic engine, and I thought it would be better if they really embellish this and flaunt their muscles with more outdoor levels. This would really set them apart from typical Doom-type games.
The other problem is the save-game engine. This can be fix though, so don't ignore this game because of the lack of a flexible save game format. In my current system, I have patch 1.3. If you start the game with the -DEVMODE on (search the web for this), you can save the game anytime by doing the instructions below...
press tilde (~) to bring down the console.
then type \save_game [name] (exampe: \save_game [game1] )
then press ENTER
To load game1, press tilde again and type: \load_game [game1]
So far, I've found that this is 95% good. It does hiccup a little at certain areas, so beware.
My last problem with the game is that some people complain that the AI can see you even when you're laying down flat and motionless. My hypothesis points to some sort of graphical glitch and my suggestion is to reduce the texture size and graphics. The reason is because at low graphic level, there are much less vegetation (grass, brushes, etc), which doesn't hinder my field of sight. But when I turn the graphics up, I suddenly have a much harder time seeing enemies with all those grass around me, but the enemies have no problems seeing me through all those grass. Kinda unfair. Hence, when I drop the graphical setting, I end up having a much easier time, but at the cost of eye-candy.
Lastly, I felt like the game was getting a little dull near the end. The plot was decent in the beginning, but it felt rushed near the end. I don't want to go to spoilers, but I wasn't overly satisfied with the game near the end. But overall, this is a good game, and given the price, this is a great alternative to Doom 3/Half-life 2.
Rating:
Summary: Game won't install
Review: Far Cry might be a great game but I'm only giving it 1 star since I haven't been able to install it after several hours of trying. I've tried everything short of uninstalling Nero and XP SP2 (Which apparently worked for some). I even updated my Installshield drivers, uninstalled DVDClone, shut down all startup programs, tried safe-mode and every time I try to install the %$#@!&* game it installs all 5 cd's and then tells me that the wizard was interrupted before the installation completed. WTF? At least ID provides manual installation instructions for Doom 3 as a workaround for their buggy install software.
Rating:
Summary: This game is awesome in every aspect.
Review: This game has awesome graphics, sound, and enemy AI. The graphics are so detailed. Walking along, light hits your weapon through the trees, the foliage is thick, and the water looks real - very fluid. The colors are very vibrant in the jungle. The music and sound are very detailed. If a rocket explodes near you, your deaf for an instance (heart beat prominent) and then regain your hearing. The enemy talks to each other, when hunting you down. Speaking of enemy AI, the AI is good, sometimes to good. They will flank you, sneak up behind you, seek cover, flush you out with grenades, anything but come straight at you. They are always scouring the landscape. They are observant as well, too observant. They can spot you in the night, hiding in a forest with your belly to the ground from a distance of 500 feet! So assume if you cannot see them, they can see you! The save points are a pain, because if you die right before making it to the next save point, you have to do the whole scenario again. There will be some scenarios where you are up against 25 guys at a time, all working together to weed you out. Plus they call in helicopters if you alert them, these helicopters have chain guns! There are mutant creatures later on, that can leap all over the screen, some are semi invisible (like Predator). All in all an awesome game, some technical issues though with the game freezing and restarting and I had all the latest drivers. You need a powerful rig to play this game with high graphics settings. I have a Pentium 4 3.4Ghz with 1 GB of DDR2 PC3200 memory, and a nVidia GeForce 6600GT video card and I still do not set the graphics at the highest setting. You'll need your A game with an A+ class computer if you want to beat this game.
FYI: I've played Doom 3 and Half-Life 2. From a single player standpoint, I think Far Cry is better than both HL2 & D3!
Rating:
Summary: Great Game
Review: this game is the definition of a good game good graohics, gameplay,
control, everything this is a must play for all PC gamers
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