Far Cry

Rating:
Summary: OMG
Review: I've been waiting for another "half-life" experience for years, and I've finally found it. While the story-line is not as deep, there is something about this beauty that just sucks you in. The graphics and sound are unprecedented. The physics is unprecedented. The dialog? Slightly corny. The gameplay? That's up to you. If you prefer a blitzkrieg style, you can do that, given powerful weapons and fast vehicles. Or, you can play a Sam Fisher-type of role, stealthy and slower paced (my preference). Either way, you won't be sorry with this game.

Rating:
Summary: "Far" and away the best shooter in years...
Review: "Far Cry" is easily the best shooter that's been released since "Halo" hit the Xbox in 2001, and it packs one of the most impressive engines ever to grace a first person shooter. Recalling both "Half-Life" and the aforementioned "Halo," "Far Cry" still manages to find a place all to itself.

The game casts you as Carver, an ex-military type who now spends his time in the tropics sailing people around on a rickety boat. As luck would have it, he's met by a freelance reporter named Valerie who wants to take pictures of a high tech island facility - but she's more than she seems to be, and the facility, apart from being guarded by an army of mercenaries, is the home of some genetic research that's gone terribly wrong. Carver gets hopelessly entangled in this business despite his (constant) protests, and has no choice but to fight his way off the island. Regrettably, despite the potential coolness of the storyline and characters, the plot is perhaps the weakest element of "Far Cry." The story only makes so much sense if you haven't familiarized yourself with the tidbits in the instruction manual, and there aren't any real surprises.

Despite this shortcoming, "Far Cry" plays like nothing else. The Crytek engine is nothing short of staggering - you can see miles around you in every direction with little to no visible scenery "pop in," and all of this at a surprisingly slick frame rate! Lush jungles, ancient ruins, and high tech bunkers are all rendered exceedingly well, and they're full of armed thugs and mutant monstrosities just itching to tear you a new one... and they will if you think you can just "run and gun." Enemy artificial intelligence is certainly imperfect, but sometimes utilizes very believable tactics to flush you out, flank you, or otherwise get the drop on you. The game's less human adversaries tend to take a more direct approach (because they can), but they're suitably menacing, and sometimes even downright scary.

Given that "Far Cry" is a shooter, it's worth noting that the actual shooting is intensely gratifying. Rag doll physics send your foes flipping and collapsing in mostly plausible ways, and your weapons selection is certainly a worthy one. You are limited in how many weapons you can actually carry around at any given time (think "Halo"), but this only adds to the game's strategic depth. You can also pilot vehicles in the game (again, think "Halo"), and they're not only helpful for getting you from point A to point B in record time - some of them have mounted guns that pack a wallop. These vehicles are well implemented (all except the wasted hand glider) and easy to master, and further add to the meat of this already remarkable game.

There are a few problems in paradise, though. Collision detection can be spotty sometimes - shoot a merc in the head and he may drop immediately, or he may keep coming until you shoot him several more times. Also, the boxed version of the game does not employ a quick save feature, and instead forces you to play by "checkpoints." A PC game should never limit you in this fashion, particularly when some of the game's checkpoints are unevenly spaced. Still, it's not a serious issue, and it should be fixed in an upcoming patch. The game's finale, which fails to rise to the occasion, is a harder problem to address, but it's not a deal breaker either. Finally, I would have liked to encounter more enemy types in the game - similar mercs and mutants await you at pretty much every turn, and midway through the game you'll have encountered pretty much all of them.

In the end, "Far Cry" is still an awesome game - the best one released in 2004, and an easy contender for "Game of the Year," or, at the very least, "Best FPS." The heavyweights such as "Doom III" and "Half-Life 2" have their work cut out for them, because "Far Cry" is not much of a slouch in any department. Good luck, guys.

Final Score: A- (5 stars on a curve)

Rating:
Summary: not as good as demos, but worth the dough, for the outsides
Review: got full version on thursday (25th). played about 18 hours since then. on level 14 of 20. I LOVED the demos, played them for hours and hours. the full game has alot of linear indoor stuff as well though (just move down a tube). sometimes there may be 2 routes, but that is not nonlinear. it's still just shooting what ever pops up (attacks you). i hate that. and the monsters. nothing moves like that or ever will or should! i hate the monsters. i don't like panic (sure death mostly to 'learn' the combo) situations (makes me feel like a monkey). i like to be able to plan a strategy...gather intelligence, and employ a tactic i come up with (among several possibles) that is effective (or not). some of the maps allow this. though mostly (in middle of game) there's only 1 way possible tactic (shoot your way through)

also the AI 'alert' system needs some tweaking (eg alerting before i come through a door.."there he is!" the door's still closed and locked. they have a big shoot out without me (and die). other 'unrealistic' alerts as well.

some weapons (granade launcher) behaves differently at different points in game.

sometimes the game limits movement (aiming, squatting, leaning, for no apparent reason (ie not consistant))..you don't know when this will happen (needs to be consistant). there are a few collision points in empty air (can't go under desk, vehicle, between machinery rows).

a few times i've heard a voice (like it's near) and gotten killed while never seeing my attacker.

on training level, i ran into the chief merc on a helipad (after clearing most other mercs. i emptied clip after clip into his face, grenades, machete. not only did he not die, he didn't fight back, and he complained and called me names.

i had one message (critical cryengine error "accept") crash to desktop.

the outdoor levels provide more nonlinearity (enough), impressive graphics, remarkable AI (replay is key i think, they 'learned' to not allow me to use sniper spots over and over.)

my game runs fine at high-very high settings (p4 1.4, 1G rdram, 9700pro)

game is worth it, but not as good as the demo's throughout. for $39 bucks, it's worth it i guess.

perhaps, for the money it's too hard to produce a whole game like the demos, or perhaps they thought a mix of elements was appropriate (though it wasn't marketed that way, was it?)

still i like it. a good value, better than a max payne, but less than gta vice city. IMO

Cartoon Corpse

Rating:
Summary: Far Cry
Review: This is a pretty game. However, it is comparable to a Chopped sirloin on sourdough with sesame and pomme frites - in other words, a fancy version of a Happy Meal (hamburger and fries). It is an elegant effort but nothing new. The AI is standard. Any game that I must repeatedly re-play after each death until I have mastered the play sequence isn't interesting. It is repetitive. It is repetitive.it was advertised as groundbreaking or somthing. i disagree wholehartedly. it is playing the level untill you know where every single bad-guy is, and then taking them out with inaccurate wepons and constant reloading before they shoot you back. not fun at all. buy battlefield vietnam instead

Rating:
Summary: The Real Facts
Review: Well, even though I have not finished, I am past half way done, I wanted to let people know what they are really in store for if they are considering buying it.
First the graphics. Up to this point in time, my system, P4 2.26, 512 ram, Radeon 9800 pro 128mb, has been able to run every game out there with all the graphics settings cranked way up. So I am used to very detailed objects, and such. Not with this game. I have all the settings at medium, except for water quality which is set to very high. Those are the default settings. The outdoor levels, the island graphics, the water, the trees, basically everything outside looks amazing. Very good even with the graphic settings at medium. Totally cool. However, the indoor levels, is like playing something from five years ago. It still looks pretty good, but in order to really get the incredible detail with the lighting and everything else the hype is all about, you will need a ridiculous machine. The read me file suggests a 3 ghz processor, and at least 1024mb ram. Just to see what it was like, I cranked the settings all the way up, and the detail was incredible. However, with my system it was not very playable. So, although it still does look real good, if you don't have the system, your not truly going see what this new technology can really do.
As far as the story, its used. Nothing original. Its different in its own way, but nothing new.
The gameplay is excellent. The game is about as non linear as a FPS can get. The outdoor missions leave you multiple ways to get to your objective. You can drive, take a boat, take the high road, take the low road, take the long way, sneak through jungle, dive off a cliff and swim, it really is cool. The AI is no worse then any other recent FPS. The gunfights are a lot of fun. I would have to say it is as good as Halo. The indoor missions also pretty good. Although more linear then the outdoor missions, they aren't too bad.
I have to say, this game has me hooked so bad, I'm contimplating building a new machine with a 3.4 ghz, and 2gb ram. It is also pretty long. I have got to be at least fifteen hours into, and I don't think I'm too close to finishing. Altogether, an excellent game, if you got the machine, very excellent.

Rating:
Summary: Overrated
Review: Horrible game, totally overrated, no challege at all absolutly nothing special about this game. Great graphics and some cool physics dont make an amazing game, all the "wow factor" goes away after only playing it a short while, plus it has a crapload of both audio and video glitches. I got sick of the game after only playing the demo, it's just boring, repetitive and pointless. The only thing different about the demo and the final version is that there are more places to go and just play the same missions wtih slightly different objectives over and over again. BUT LOOK AT THE SCENERY WOW THAT MAKES UP FOR THE REPETITIVE GAMEPLAY FOR SURE! IT'S A TROPICAL PARADISE! O yeah, I forgot about the hangliding and the demons in the game (which totally ruin this games attempts at being somewhat realisitc in any way, what;s the point of realistic physics with demons?) And what is with the plot, its almost as stupid as Once Upon a Time In Mexico. PRE-ORDER AND GET A FREE FAR CRY VACATION PLANNER CD! That should sum it up right there, this should have stayed a tech demo.

Rating:
Summary: A Far Cry ahead of the game until it cries in defeat
Review: I'm a fan. I'm a fan of games, especially in this day and age, whose developers pop out of no where and take the industry by storm. Essentially that is what Half-life did, and Far Cry to some extent.

I however can not give this game the same revolutionary credit that Half-life garnered (and sustained for years). The reasons I cannot do this is because Far Cry steals so many factors of Half-life's singleplayer game, and at this day and age doesn't come with adequate multiplayer support. But that is ok because the CryTech SANDBOX will easily put the islands and interiors at the hands of even the most incapable level designers to create vast maps.

The engine is a onestep up compared to everything on the market right now. I've played the DOOM 3 Beta and I'd say that this engine may be even more versatile. You can literally spy on people all the way across the island and be zoomed up right in their face listening and watching. The vehicles are just as well done as the vehicles in Unreal Tournament 2004. The storyline is cliched but it is just ridiculously fun. You really feel like you're in the middle of a jungle, stalking prey.

Cons - Cliched story, stolen elements from Half-life 2 and Doom 3 (could be a pro, really) some stupid looking creature models, poor multiplayer support, just adequate vehicle integration into level design.

Pros - Great graphics, superb looking human models, great weapons and balance, awesome level design, great vehicles, Sandbox will create a vast player mod base... it beat Half-life 2 and Doom 3 to the table out of the blue!

Rating:
Summary: An impressive game
Review: I got the demo of this game a few weeks back, and was amazed by the intelligent ai, awesome visuals and powerful weapons. More so, the game was a challenge. Even on easy, it took me a few tries before i could beat the demo. Once the game came out, i promptly went out and bought it. I haven't stopped playing since. The AI is probably the smartest AI in any game today. They will react to you, and for example, if you snipe one in a group, the others will begin to look for you, based on where the shot came from. They also have excellent dialoge, which adds to the games realism. Occasionally, though, they say things that don't make sense. In one part of the game, you blow a gaping hole in a wall. If you wait a few minutes, the guards will say "oh well, i guess it was just my imagination". Kinda amusing.
The story, which involves a mad scientist, a girl and some mercs is kinda cliched, but still amusing. Jack's sarcastic wit, along with Doyle's instructions keep the game intersting.

I would highly recomend this game to anyone with a good PC who like FPS games. My system is a p4, 3.2 with a gig of ram, and a 9800XT. The game look spectacular. However, with a lower end system, it might not look as good. Be warned though, this game is hard. One hit on easy might take your health down half way, and the health packs are scarce. This game on easy makes halo on heroic look like a cake walk. Also, watch out when the Tridgens come. They hurt... a lot.
This game is not without it's downsides. In some missions, you must work with val, your ai counterpart. A word of warning, she is as dumb as a rock. She will get stuck behind things, forcing you to replay whole sequences, or she will shoot at an enemy for five minutes, and hit nothing but air. However smart the enemy ai is, val is the exact opposite. If it wasn't for her stupidity, and the stuff when you have to replay sequences because of her inability to pathfind, i would give this game five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Most enjyoable FPS in a while
Review: (This review is based on the final European DVD edition)

First, to get it out of the way: this game is gorgeous, if you've got the system to run it. You'll need a 2.5GHz / 2500+ processor, 1GB RAM, and a high-end DX9 card (R9800 Pro/XT) to get the best quality out of this game. Lower-end systems can still run this game, but you won't be able to appreciate the stunning visuals this game has to offer. If you've got anything less than a Radeon 9500 Pro/GeForce FX 5700, or 512MB of RAM, or a 1.6GHz/1600+ processor, you'll need to seriously consider upgrading.

The gameplay itself is quite enjoyable. The open-ended nature of the maps lends itself well to different styles of gameplay, whether it be stealthly assassination, long-range sniping, medium-range firefights, or stealing a vehicle and running over or gunning down your enemies at high speed. The AI, while far from perfect, is good, and has a few surprises. It seems to be largely sound-based, so some situations (sniping over very long distances, for example) caue the AI to react oddly. However, they also don't seem to have a magic sense of where you are if you don't give yourself away.

The game is fairly long, with 20-some 'levels' each divided up into a few checkpoints, and each is good for an hour or so of gameplay (possibly longer, depending on your skill). This, combined with the ability to take multiple paths through most maps, makes for a good value. Many people have complained about the checkpoint system, but I've personally grown to like it. It prevents over-cautious gameplay where you save before every corner, and forces you to plan ahead and develop your tactics, rather than just reloading time and time again until you get lucky. While initial load times are fairly long, you're loading a huge chunk of data good for at least 45 minutes of gameplay, and thankfully reloading if you get killed in-mission is fast.

The storyline, while a bit cliche (mad scientist, tropical island, evil monsters and mercenaries, you're alone and have to rescue the girl), does have a few interesting twists, and is certainly enough to keep you motivated. The dialogue's somewhat weak, but it's not particularly important, either.

The only bugs I've noticed are with the sound. EAX seems to play havoc with sounds, as some sound very distant when they shouldn't (your gunfire, for example) and some others don't play at all. Also, in some cutscenes the audio and graphics don't sync. This, along with some weirdness in the AI behavior, is what keeps it from getting five stars. However, I haven't run into any real gameplay/storyline bugs. I'd suggest you read the official message boards, however, to see if any have cropped up and how to avoid them.

While I haven't had much time to play around with multiplayer or the editor, both seem above average but not stunningly great.

Overall, a game well worth your time and money, and a fresh tropical breeze through the dark, cramped hallways of many FPSes.

Rating:
Summary: A Game Worh buying
Review: after playing this game im amazed beyond reasonable doubt that this is a game to buy. Nothing I could say really hasnt been said on the other reviews but i would like to give some advice to people reading these you should ignore any BAD review on this game they are nit picking on trivial crap. For One If you die so damn much why not change your tactics? Run N gun in this past Easy Difficulty is not for the faint at heart, My suggestion is to do Hit n Run tactics, Also you can avoid killing people if you are having so many problems, and as for problems with the AI, you playing on Easy or Balance AI difficulty on? those to can tend to mess with the AIs thought causing them to be stuck in certain things, also understand this is a Pre-Release Demo so therefore by the time it goes gold the Devs will be taking in Feedback to address problems. Ive played the 2 demos alot, and i must say this is good stuff not many games allow you this much freedom and has a world this true to life.