Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Far Cry hit the PC Market last year with a bang. Combining revolutionary graphics with cunning stealth/guerilla tactical fighting, Far Cry was easily one of the most enjoyable and memorable PC gaming experiences ever. So how did it translate on the XBox?
As Jack Carver, you take an undercover reporter to secluded Jacutan Island, where a number of mysterious incidents have occurred for the past 2 or 3 decades. When your boat is blown apart by a helicopter attack, you find yourself stranded on this tropical island, fending for your life and trying to find out just what exactly is happening here on Jacutan. Along the way you'll encounter a literal army's worth of enemies and a few horrifying surprises.
The premise is simple enough and the story, though a bit weak, keeps you moving through the lushly detailed tropical island. Undoubtedly one of the best looking games on the X-Box, Far Cry features beautiful water effects, swaying trees and lush tropical growth. Gorgeous waterfalls and rivers dot the landscape, as well as enormous mountain ranges and dense jungle trails. When you're not caught up looking at the landscape however, you'll be up to your eyeballs in bullets.
The gameplay is somewhat different than most FPS games, in that it is no where near as claustrophobic. The areas are wide open and allow for precise sneak attacks and guerilla hit and run tactics. Enemy AI is impressive, though can also be quite dumb at times. The dense tropical growth allows for many hiding spots, as well as deadly traps to set up against your enemies, such as branch whips and claymore mines. When the game calls for all-out action, there is a big enough arsenal for you to just let loose on your foes with reckless abandon. However, most 'stand and fight' gun battles are usually a fatal encounter for the player.
There are only a handful of enemy types in the game, ranging from your standard mercenary fare to well-equipped tactical ops, as well as gun-toting, suicide bombing zombies and tremendous monsters that look to be a cross between the Incredible Hulk and John Carpenter's 'The Thing'. While the Mercenaries are easy enough, the zombies tend to take alot of damage and the special ops are extremely deadly. There is a huge arsenal of weapons to choose from, and an equally large selection of vehicles.
Vehicle control is a bit simplistic, and at times can lead to confusing tumbles around the map. While some felt the vehicle controls in Halo were too much, I find the vehicle control in Far Cry to be a bit more difficult to get the hang of, if only because i've mastered Halo driving and found the simplistic controls of Far Cry to be less fluid. Nevertheless, there are plenty of vehicles to experience.
The game's best all around feature is undoubtedly its Map Editor mode. Something that is not often included in console games, the map editor is VERY simple to use, and should take even the average editor a mere hour or two to completely get the hang of. Unfortunately, the map editor is VERY limited, and much of the game's content, such as mounted gun emplacements, lava hazards, certain buildings and environmental decorations, are noticeably missing. I almost felt cheated that so much was lacking, but at the same time the map editor has so much going for it that I found myself fiddling around with the editor almost more than I was playing the actual game.
The editor alone is worth the price of admission, and is something I would like to see alot more of in console games of any type.
All is not perfect in this game however. First off, the game is ridiculously easy for the first 3/4 of gameplay. Once you get your mutation powers, the game becomes even easier. However, once you hit the final 1/4 of the game, it takes a sharp turn from being ridiculously easy to unbeleivably difficult. Perhaps the game's worst aspect is lack of in-game save, as you must rely on check points. Furthermore, the gameplay itself is laughably unrealistic...enemies seem to just shrug off half a clip of machine gun fire pumped into their chest, but a punch to the face sends them flying 2 miles in the opposite direction. Weapon power is grossly misinterpreted...you can take a gunshot to the face at point blank range and suffer about 20 points of damage, and yet a melee attack from any enemy takes off a minimum of about 70-90 points! Ridiculously unbalanced damage, but that changes once you hit the endgame scenario, where enemies seem to always get one shot, instant kills on you no matter how much health or body armor you are wearing, making the endgame portion one of the most frustrating FPS experiences in a long time. The load times between new levels are also dreadfully long.
There is one more, outstanding and trying thing that brings this game down an entire star: The fact that there is a 4 minute, annoying 'Coming Soon' type trailer for Far Cry that CANNOT be skipped. You have to see it every time you load the game up, every time you go back to the main menu, everytime you quit the game...it absolutely cannot be skipped, and more than once I have been in the mood to fire up a quick game of Far Cry, but got so frustrated that I couldn't skip that trailer that I just turned it off before it even finished.
To wrap this review up, let me recap by providing list a series of Pro's and Con's with a short explanation:
PROs:
Best feature - Map Editor: Easily one of the most captivating parts of the game, the Map Editor allows you to express your creative side. Though lacking some of the game's most interesting items and objects, it is an excellent tool nonetheless.
-Outstanding Graphics - though nowhere near as nice as its PC counterpart, a beautiful game nonetheless.
-'Feral Senses' provide a unique and exciting aspect to gameplay
-A truly cinematic feel to the game
-Lushly detailed and gorgeous landscapes
-Huge arsenal and vehicle list
-exciting guerilla tactics and combat
-creative use of superhuman abilities in game progression
CONs:
Worst Feature: Lack of in-game save makes for one of the most incredibly frustrating trial-and-error gameplay segments ever, and checkpoints become fewer as you progress
-Unskippable 4+ minute trailer for the game everytime you go back to the main menu really makes you NOT want to play
-DREADFUL load times
-Laughably unrealistic weapon damage on enemies (emptying an entire handgun clip into their chest at point blank range is...minorly annoying?)
-Severe misrepresentation of player damage (getting shot doesn't hurt that much, but getting punched is fatal?)
-Enemies become far too powerful as you progress, often getting one-shot kills
-Enemies can see you no matter how well covered you are
-Enemies can see at great distances, where the clipping completely prevents player from seeing them (I guess shotguns are equipped with sniper scopes nowadays?)
-Grenades utterly useless...enemies know your location immediately when you prepare grenade for throwing and scatter before it even leaves your hand
Overall, its a great game that has a few flaws. The overall experience, however, is well worth the price. Between the beautiful landscapes and geniusly implemented map editor as well as the rich gameplay experience, Far Cry is definitely worth adding to your collection.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Far Cry Instincts
adapt evolve survive, Your Jack Carver. This ain't your lucky day. Your trapped on a Tropical Island. Hunted by ruthless Mercenaries
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