Far Cry

Sam gets hands-on with this just-gold FPS, out later this month...

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Again I must go back to the graphics. The lighting is highly evocative and in conjunction with the physics engine it provides for some really suspenseful moments. One section forces you to slyly advance your way through a long warehouse, using thermal imaging in an attempt to spot the similarly equipped soldiers before they open up on you. Until that purple frame comes round a crate you have no idea they are there. Unless you have the 5.1 cranked all the way up and listen for their footfalls, that is, wink. Right near the start there was a suspended overhead light which I jumped up and knocked with my head. It started to randomly swing and bounce about on its chains, casting chaotic shadows all down the corridor. The physics engine also not only provides plenty of laughs with its ragdoll effects but it also allows you to approach some sections in a more cerebral manner. Rather than opening fire on some chatting guards I got behind this big cylindrical tank and gave it a shove. Off it went rolling down the slope quickly crushing the two very surprised guards. It would be nice if there was a way to roll your grenades and a melee function would go down pretty well too, but otherwise you are very much free to interact with what you see around you. Different materials also have different properties - I thoroughly enjoyed spraying a bamboo hut with heavy calibre machine gun fire from the back of a humvee, knowing from experience that all the baddies inside were dancing a hot lead polka. Far Cry offers the player lots of ways to achieve their ultimate goal, so some imagination will often lead to pleasing rewards.

My time with the game was all too short. I think the preview contained about a quarter of the full game. It took me a good few hours to get as far as I was allowed, close to the time it takes to complete Max Payne 2. So it's looking likely that Far Cry will be damn good value for money. The level designing software that will ship with the game is reputed to be incredibly powerful, and even if Far Cry itself somehow turns out to be a dud in the final reckoning, the engine alone is worth a reasonable asking price when you imagine what the mod makers will be able to do with it. There was no multiplayer in the preview, but judging from some of the single player levels I've seen it looks like we could be in for a real treat here as well. There are lots of vehicles to commandeer, and I can report that doing so is much fun. They all behave in a believable manner, and the joy of tearing around on a golden beach trying to outgun another buggy while bullets crack into the windscreen and mortars thump into the ground around you is something I am going to relive once I've finished writing this preview.

My experiences with Far Cry have led me to believe that we are all in for a treat when it comes out at the end of this month (March 26th to be precise). It's a shooter through and through, with high body counts and much destruction being the order of the day. Sometimes you will have to sneak about as the odds are just stacked too deeply against you but the enemies are such a thrilling challenge to take on that I always wanted to open up on them as soon as I felt safe enough. Combine this enjoyment with some of the best graphics and physics that we will see for the next year or so and Crytek really look to have a winner on their hands.

By Sam Gibson