|
| |
|
|
For the last few days I have had some of the best and most challenging hours of my life.
That is what the five level sneak look of Far Cry by Crytek and Ubi Soft has been. Challenging and fun.
You play Jack Carver, red Hawaiian shirted boat captain with a past, you were hired by journalist Val Constantine to get her to a remote island somewhere in the tropics. Paradise however can be hell and when your boat is attacked and destroyed by a bunch of heavily armed mercenaries, now it is up to you to locate Val and escape from the island. Your only aid is the mysterious 'Dillon' who you meet face to vid-screen early on. Over time as you progress things start to become more clear and more deadly as the mercenaries are the least of the dangers that you face. All deadly.
The scope of Far Cry is immense, the visuals of the island and the environs nearby are lush with vegetation and birds wheeling in the sky overhead. Looking outwards there are other islands in the distance adding to the feeling of remoteness and distance at the same time an eerie feeling at times as you slog through the jungle dodging the various enemies that come after you through the five levels.
Far Cry when released will be a whopping twenty levels in length, so here is sneak peek of the five levels I played.
Training: It is a while after the ambush and you wake, as Jack, in a disused bunker complex, alone and weapon less. Slowly you move through, learning the various tricks to aid your survival. You pass through on out into the training area for the mercs, where you need to hi-jack a jeep to get to the next area.
Carrier: At the end of 'Training' you find yourself in the base of the abandoned carrier that the mercenaries are using as a base of some sort, once more you battle your way through, avoiding the helicopter gunship and making your escape.
Fort: As a distraction, Dillon suggests you blow up the communications dish that resides at the top of a small hill, guarded by more mercenaries. You need to sneak your way upwards and onwards.
Research: Jack has to make his way past the heavily guarded area and then through the research centre that should lead towards where Val has been held.
Archive: The last level and by far the most difficult as Jack finally is in sight of rescuing Val as he enters into the old Archive area, except he is not the only one who wishes to find her.
Also available to Jack throughout these levels are a nice array of vehicles, jeeps, boats and helicopters are all there as is the inclusion of what looks like a VTOL style aircraft, from which foes emerge. For some of the levels these vehicles are essential in order to move around the island and again increase the scope and size of the maps.
Stealth is a big part, this is no simple shoot them until they stop coming. You have to plan your actions and decide the best way to deal with the situations, whether is it brute force, sniping the critical guard or sending a grenade out to launch a group of people to a miserable death. Far Cry at times makes you think by presenting challenges that at times seem insuperable but with some thought can be overcome. The AI is crisp and the mercenaries follow tactics and will co-operate to provide a more formidable opponent than before.
For a preview Far Cry is looking good and I cannot wait to see what the final, fully polished product looks like, so stand by for a review, here at Silicon Fusion.
Chris Snook
|
|
| |
| |
Go Back To Main Page 
Go To Top Of Page