Far Cry Review

Let me guess. All of you FPS fans have most likely been sitting around playing old games waiting for the big two (HL2 or Doom3) to be released for what seems like a very long time. If this describes you, and you haven’t looked into Far Cry yet, it’s about time. I can honestly say that I haven’t played a FPS as good as Far Cry for quite a long time, possibly even back to the days of Half-Life. Crytek really slapped ID and Valve software in the face by delivering a great FPS at a time when gamers are so frustrated with overwhelming anticipation for the release of Half-Life 2 and Doom 3.

In Far Cry you take on the role of Jack Carver. One day, while trying to escort a journalist named Valerie Cortez to the Island of Cabatu, you are ambushed by an unknown source and become separated from her. While trying to find her, your tropical paradise becomes tropical hell as you encounter a small military force.

The first thing you notice when you begin to play the game is how beautiful everything looks. From plants, to water, to the weapon and character models, it’s really a step up from any other game currently on the market. There is a large variety of plant life that is very thick throughout the game giving a very tropical jungle feel. Little details such as bugs, birds, and fish are dispersed throughout most of the maps also adding to the realism. Another thing that really makes Far Cry so realistic is the physics system in the “CryEngine.” You can move many objects around in the game, and you are able to shoot enemies off cliffs or bridges and so on. Many new games are using similar physics engines and it’s really great to see games getting so much better.

Getting past the visuals, the sound is also incredible. In the outdoor areas it adds an atmospheric feeling and surrounding. All sorts of noises resonating from birds and bugs are the other part of the equation which made this game so realistic and fun. The music, which you’ll hear once in a while during cut scenes, the menu screen, and in various points in the game are also well done. Everything in the game sounds very realistic, and it definitely gives Far Cry an extra something.

The multiplayer portion of the game can be fun but the real strongpoint of the game is single player. There are three modes available in multiplayer: Assault, Free For All (deathmatch), and Team Death Match. The reasons the multiplayer isn’t as great as the SP is mainly because of the weapons and the size of the maps. Some of the maps are very large and it can be easy to pick other players off with the sniper rifle. In other words, it isn’t very balanced, and some of the maps can be a paradise for “campers.” It isn’t that bad however, and can be quite fun. If you can get on a server with some friends or set up a LAN game it really adds to the enjoyment of multiplayer.

The vehicles are also a factor which makes Far Cry a very fun game. There are a couple of boats to choose from, and the places you can go with them is somewhat open-ended. This isn’t the case, however, with the humvee or the military style buggy. You can drive a lot of places with them but I would have liked there to have been a little more room to roam. Many times you are quickly blocked by obstacles like rocks and trees. The other mode of transportation, something that I couldn’t believe when I first saw it, was the hang gliders! What a fabulous idea to come up with, and it is just one of the many great features of this game.

Far Cry is very fun and challenging to play, especially towards the end of the game. You can go about getting to the various checkpoints in different ways; there isn’t a real definite set path that you have to follow. The controls operate just like any FPS and feel comfortable. The only thing that bugged me about this game, which is something very small, was the acting. The enemies would say things like “I’m gonna shoot you in the face!” or “your ass is grass!” Not that it really matters much, but it is the only thing I can really say that I didn’t like about Far Cry. Everything else makes up for the acting though. Don’t let this small detail prevent you from buying the game.

Overall I was very impressed with this Game. It offers incredible graphics, a decent story line, great sound, and it's challenging. I really had a great time with this game, and as I mentioned earlier it really beat HL2 and Doom 3 to the punch. Be sure to note the minimum requirements of a 1GHz processor, 256MB of RAM and a DirectX 9 compatible graphics card. I would recommend at least a 2GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, and a fairly new graphics card to really get the full effect of this wonderful game.

On a side note, I was one of the many people who tried out the Far Cry demos and there were definitely some glitches in them. The full game looks and runs perfectly. If you experienced problems with the demos don’t let them be the deciding factor if you are considering purchasing this game.


The Good
-Great Graphics
-Great Sound
-Good Story Line
-Good Variety of Weapons and Vehicles

The Bad
-Acting is a little corny