Intense GCo7-Far Cry 2-coverage

 The Games Convention 2oo7 in Leipzig, Germany has already started days ago but I myself haven't been able to watch all the downloaded trailers and read all the articles just until yesterday, where I happened to read a bit about the upcoming First-Person-Shooter for the PC, Far Cry 2. Well, it was a bit more than just 'a bit', five interviews exactly, plus a video interview. Although sometimes repeating themselves they all have very nice things to cover about this piece of high-end-entertainment. Read (and watch) them all here if you're interested.

This is certainly not the last thing you'll see from this game. And probably I'll put more stuff from the GCo7 in here. [...]
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Interview
Far Cry 2
21-Aug-2007 If you thought Far Cry was good, wait till you hear what Ubisoft has to say about Far Cry 2

Three years. It's been three whole years since a then at-the-time little known German developer called Crytek amazed the PC first-person shooter world with its debut game Far Cry. It came out of nowhere, and proceeded to blow everyone away.

But despite its critical and commercial success, the game's publisher Ubisoft then decided to focus its efforts on console development where the franchise was concerned, and it was only last month that it finally announced the long-awaited return of Far Cry to the platform where it all began. Hello, Far Cry 2.

Due to the success and quality of Crytek's game, expectations for the sequel are massive, but Ubisoft is confident it can deliver a sequel that surpasses the original Jack Carver adventure.

CVG spoke with Louis-Pierre Pharand, Far Cry 2's producer and Clint Hocking, the game's creative director, to discover why that confidence is well-founded...

It's been just over three years since the original Far Cry game launched. Why has it taken this long for Ubisoft to announce a new venture in the series for PC?

Louis-Pierre Pharand: We were given a large mandate, to re-invent and rejuvenate the Far Cry series and re-establish Ubisoft as a top-tier PC developer, and naturally it took some time to achieve this goal.

Far Cry was an impressive FPS and there are those that argued that it was actually better than Half-Life 2. Expectations are going to be extremely high for the sequel - what can you say to reassure us that Far Cry 2 will be even better than its predecessor?

Pharand: We know that the expectations on Far Cry 2 are extremely high. We have been working really hard for the last two years to have a better game than the original. Ubisoft is aiming for a high-quality title.

In order to support our goal, we are developing a completely new dedicated engine for Far Cry 2.

This custom built engine allows us to create a truly open world of 50sq/km, and also features a new animation system called LivePosture. There will be dynamic environments, which means that our vegetation is destructible and reactive to elements, and that we have a dynamic weather system (dynamic time of day, rain, storm, procedural cloud system...).

We also implemented a new fire technology to enable real fire propagation. Every element that looks flammable can burn.

All of these elements are here to provide a realistic and believable gaming experience.

We're expecting everyone to compare the sequel to Crytek's Crysis - will that be a blessing or a curse?

Pharand: We don't feel there are many comparisons to be made. From what we know, both games are really different. We are offering a different gaming experience - which is great. PC gamers can expect to have two incredible titles to play instead of only one.

So what's the storyline and setting for Far Cry 2, and are we reprising our role as reluctant hero Jack Carver?

Pharand: You don't play Jack Carver in Far Cry 2. None of the other main characters return from the original Far Cry or from any of the console versions.

Far Cry 2 drops the player in the middle of a failed African state, still in chaos after a recent conflict. The player has been sent here to track down and eliminate an elusive weapons dealer responsible for arming both sides of the conflict. Tracking this target down requires the player to make deals with corrupt warlords and the opportunistic "consultants" that serve them.

As the player gets dragged deeper into the muck, he starts to understand the real horror of this place, and is forced to question many things about his assignment and about himself.

[ Woody's Checkpoint: # top # ]

Guns... tell us about the guns! And the vehicles...

Pharand: Far Cry 2 features more than 30 weapons such as machine guns, flamethrower, mortar or rocket launcher. In order to take weapon management to another level, your weapons wear out over time depending on how you use them. Be nice to your guns.

As Far Cry 2 is an open world game, vehicles are extremely important. We have 14 different vehicles with over 40 variants. It ranges from dune buggies, 4X4, jeeps, ATV, multiple water vehicles and of course the glider!

One of Crytek's greatest achievements with Far Cry was the AI created for the mercenary enemies. In what ways are you taking AI a step beyond this in the sequel?

Pharand: The AI lives in our 50sq/km world, nothing is scripted. Too many games try to have you believe that it's driven by AI... when it's not. They are affected by time (we have a 24 hour day-night cycle), by the weather systems, and of course on how you will decide to encounter them.

Our AI is reacting and behaving to all of the player's actions. We are giving the player the liberty to attack in his own way - stealth, full blast, or invasion and escape. The AI will be ready for you.

One thing we decided to incorporate that we feel is truly remarkable is that the AI will hop in vehicles to either chase you or to get to you if you've been spotted. It adds a completely different level to the AI.

In what other areas would you say you're pushing FPS genre boundaries in Far Cry 2? Our spies have told us something about dynamic story elements, for example...?

Clint Hocking: The game's story is non-linear, dynamic, and procedurally assembled using a simple drama-management engine to populate the story with key characters, and facilitate the convergence of the story toward major climactic events.

The player's overarching goal is to hunt down and kill a man who is allegedly responsible for selling arms to both sides of a conflict in a failed African state. He is not only free to go where he wants in order to achieve this mission, but is also free to take missions for either of the game's principle factions who promise to facilitate him in his mission.

The player can work for either or both of these factions, playing both sides against the middle to keep them handicapped, and leveraging his reputation and infamy to maximize his gain while simultaneously working with autonomous AI 'buddies' - themselves procedurally called into the story by the drama-engine to suit the needs of the narrative.

Ultimately, while several major climaxes will take place for all players, the characters involved in those events, the locations where those events occur, how those events resolve, and ultimately what they mean is up to the player.

Simply stated, neither the world, nor the story, could be called 'linear' in any imaginable sense. The experience of the game is entirely driven by the player, with the game evaluating the player's actions and choices and serving content that puts the player's actions into a context that resonates with the themes of the game.

Are you keeping Far Cry's 'open world' aspect in place, or enhancing that?

Pharand: As I said previously, we are creating for Far Cry 2 a true open world of 50 sq/km.

And what's there to get excited about with the game engine and how that's impacting the gameplay experience?

Pharand: It's a lot of things. What comes to mind... Immersion! It allows us to have features that make the environments, characters, AI, animations, etc... realistic and believable. We have dynamic vegetation, 24 day-night cycle (meaning a kick ass dynamic lighting system), fire technology complete with propagation, a new animation system, 650 meter distance views... We have more coming.

Far Cry's multiplayer didn't really take off. What are you doing in this area for the sequel?

Pharand: I can't talk too much about it right now, but for the sequel, we have high ambitions for our multiplayer. We have a dedicated multiplayer team as well as a dedicated network programming team who are rebuilding the online engine code to support their intentions.

What's the last first-person shooter to leave you impressed, and why?

Pharand: Recently I haven't been immersed in an FPS in a way that Half-Life 2 did for me. If they are not too old - Half-Life 2, Far Cr, Battlefield 2.

In what areas does the first-person shooter need to improve, in your opinion?

Pharand: For me it's all about immersion. A game doesn't have to duplicate reality to achieve that. It just needs to make sure to not end up in a mish-mash of incoherent features just to have bullet points on the box!

Finally, we were a bit surprised that Far Cry 2's only been announced for PC. What's happening with the franchise on console?

Pharand: As I said the mandate we have is to make a PC sequel to Far Cry. For now, there is no plan to see the franchise on consoles.
Stuart Bishop
>> # top # | Q: Computer and VideoGames.com

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GC 2007: Far Cry 2 First Look
We feast our eyes on the new jungle setting.
by Erik Brudvig

August 22, 2007 - Ubisoft gave eager attendees of the 2007 Leipzig Games Convention their first look at the sequel to the acclaimed 2004 PC shooter. Technology has come a long way in these past three years. While the original Far Cry was no slouch, its follow-up does things that make my PC cry out for an upgrade. IGN sat in on a thirty-minute demo given by Clint Hocking, the Creative Director for Far Cry 2 from Ubisoft Montreal. Even in the pre-Alpha stage, he still had quite a bit to show off that left us anxious for more.

Far Cry 2 ditches the tropical island setting of the first game, but it doesn't stray far from the lush jungles it became famous for. This go around, the action takes place in Africa in a region where competing warlords have left the citizens in less than ideal conditions. These run-down towns, along with the jungles and fields around them, set the stage for the action.

Our demo of the game began with the main character holding a knife, sneaking through some dense foliage towards a village. It seemed innocuous enough, but the knife is much more than a simple weapon. Far Cry 2 has no health meter or med packs. If you get injured enough, you'll have to patch yourself up on the battlefield. That means jabbing a big bowie knife into the wound and prying the bullet out. Or it could mean digging a bullet out of your boot or patting out flames that have lit too close to home. It's rather grotesque but also cool at the same time. If things go from bad to worse too quickly, you can still die…unless you have a buddy around. More on that in a bit.

The beginning few minutes of the demo showed some classic Far Cry gameplay. After sneaking up to a rock cropping overlooking the village, a sniper rifle was used to clean out a few soldiers. After that, it was a mad rush for a jeep to peel out of there and hightail it to safety. Running, incidentally, gives a slight shaky cam and blur effect to heighten the sense of speed. A car chase came next as we watched the jeep roll over brush that kicked up bits of branches, as well as the odd decrepit wall here or there, before the fight spilled over into an adjacent run-down town. Here we saw our first big gun fight. The guns have a serious kick in the game, making a lot of what we saw a spray and pray tactic. There was still a fair amount of tactical fighting as enemies came in to flank our hero, walls were shot out to create doors, weapons jammed, and all hell broke loose. A few times pulling a bullet or two out later and the fight was over.

[ Woody's Checkpoint: # top # ]

Burn baby, burn.

With a moment to rest, we got a look at the technique for finding your way around; a good old map and compass. The compass displayed just a small portion of the area up for exploration in Far Cry 2, which is promised to come in at 50 square kilometers. You can do more than just move around spatially, though. Far Cry 2 also makes use of time shifts to change the way the game acts. By using a quick-wait feature, you can instantly shift the time from day to night. NPCs will be going about different tasks at night and the darkness will always help a lone soldier, making the game a whole different beast.

Speaking of NPCs, not all of them are bad. During the demo, we were introduced to Marty. This is one of a several "buddies" that can be found in Far Cry 2. These guys will go about their business as you play the game, occasionally crossing paths to team up. The more you're around them, the more likely they are to help you. It's what friends do. They not only fight with you, they'll also save you in a pinch. During the demo we saw the player die once, only to have Marty rush in and drag him off the ground. This was done with a bloody filter on as the player only caught a glimpse of the saving moments before being revived in a safe place, sans weapons. No buddies and you'll flat out die. It's good to make friends.

Towards the end of the demo, Ubisoft went through a bit of the impressive technology being tossed into Far Cry 2. First we looked at the weather and lighting. All of the clouds in the sky are procedurally created. We watched as the clouds naturally gathered and formed more ominous puffs of water vapor while a storm gathered. This cut off a lot of the light that looked so attractive while it filtered through tree branches. The oncoming storm also brought wind with it, which showcased some of the coolest environmental effects shown.

As the wind built up, we watched it begin to blow the brown grass that covered the savannah. A little more wind and the branches on trees began to sway. At this point, a few bullets into the trees hacked off a few branches, which then tumbled away due to the wind. More wind yet and the branches began to get torn straight off of the trees (The trees can be ripped apart from as far as the eye can see, as a few well placed rockets showed us a bit later in the demo). Storms like these won't be scripted in the game. Rather, they come over time naturally or can move in drastically according to how dramatic the current situation in the game is. A thrilling victory might be met with a ray of sunshine whereas a large fight might gather a storm. This is the kind of stuff that people with fantastic PCs will use to show off their rigs.

A storm is a brewin'.

Next we were shown a grass fire. We watched as it spread slowly across the land and engulfed trees which then warped and charred. Those toasted trees can still be torn apart with incoming fire, if you happen to point your gun that way. This part looks very cool, but it can also affect gameplay. Ringing in enemies with fire, torching grass near an oil tank to cause a delayed explosion, or burning down trees to expose enemies all seem like possibilities provided you have a flamethrower on hand.

The demo of Far Cry 2 didn't show a lot in terms of the story or mission structure, though Clint Hocking did elaborate on the subject a bit more in a video interview that will be published on IGN soon. In the demo, it looked like everything was freeform, but Clint Hocking assured us there is a hefty set of missions and clear paths to follow. Stay tuned for the juicy details on this very promising game due out early next year.
>> # top # | Q: PC IGN.com

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Previews: Far Cry 2
Ubisoft visits a new jungle in this PC exclusive sequel.
By Matt Leone 08/22/2007
It's pretty unusual for Ubisoft to announce a high profile game for a single platform -- even Rayman Raving Rabbids, a game made specifically for Wii, had PS2 and 360 versions -- so when we heard Far Cry 2 was only in development for PC, we were surprised. But after a bit of thought, it started to make sense. The Far Cry brand weakened when Ubisoft moved it to consoles with Far Cry Instincts, and by putting it back on PC, the company has a chance to grab the hardcore audience the series lost.

We checked out the game running live earlier today at Games Convention in Germany, and found a title that focuses heavily on technology and modern game design ideas. On the technology side, the world is huge and there are many things in it that are realistically simulated. Shoot a tree branch and you can see branches fly off. Drive a truck over tall grass and it'll flatten to the ground. Sit and watch the day turn to night and the shadows will adjust properly. No, it doesn't make sense that bullets would destroy big trees like this, but it's fun to watch.

The modern game design comes with elements like impressive A.I. and a lack of a HUD. For the A.I., you can actually choose to shoot and wound an enemy -- but not kill him -- then watch as one of his allies comes out from behind cover to help him, at which point you can kill them both. Or you can steal an enemy vehicle -- which can involve jumping directly from the turret to the driver's seat -- and watch as the enemies in the area get in a vehicle of their own and chase you.

The lack of a HUD factors in by showing your hands and a piece of paper on the screen when you bring up the map, and a unique health system where you heal yourself by treating wounds as they come up. In the demo we watched, this meant picking a bullet out of the player's foot when he got injured enough not to be able to continue. This latter aspect seems like it may be trying too hard to get away from a traditional health system, since it seems a bit goofy to pull out the first aid kit every time you take a few rounds of gunfire, but the developers clearly have their hearts in the right place.

Another defining feature of Far Cry 2 is its setting. The game takes place in Africa this time around, getting away from the tropical look and feel present in games like Crysis and Mercenaries 2, but retaining the trademark tall grass of the original.

A big question that's been going around is how Far Cry 2 will stack up with Crysis, EA's pseudo-sequel from the developers of the original Far Cry. It's hard to say for certain at this point, but it seems like Far Cry 2 will be more of the thinking man's jungle shooter, while Crysis will be the more summer blockbuster game. We'll have to see more of Far Cry 2 to see if that comparison holds up, but with Crysis due out in November and Far Cry 2 on the way early next year, we shouldn't have to wait too long.
>> # top # | Q: 1up.com

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Gamespot:

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GC '07: Far Cry 2 First Look
Ubisoft Montreal is going way, way beyond the typical sequel with this stunning follow-up to Crytek's lush tropical shooter.
By Brad Shoemaker, GameSpot
Posted Aug 23, 2007 10:26 am PT
LEIPZIG, Germany--Considering that Ubisoft acquired the rights to Crytek's Far Cry and subsequently pumped out a slew of middling console ports and quasi-sequels, we were inclined to write off the original island hop's first true sequel, Far Cry 2, as another quick cash-in. Boy, were we wrong. A core technology team at Ubi's acclaimed Montreal studio has been working on the game in secret for over two years now, and even though it's still weeks away from even entering alpha stage, the hands-off demo of this PC-only title that we saw today at Games Convention went so far beyond the design of the original Far Cry that we don't even know where to begin talking about it.

Far Cry's action moves to the African savannah--and there's a whole lot more to it this time around.

We'll start with the storyline, which doesn't seem to be connected to the first game at all. This time around, you'll choose one of around a dozen mercenaries and undertake a mission to assassinate an arms trafficker known only as the Jackal. This arrogant scumdog is supplying two African warlords with the weapons that are keeping their conflict raging--and tearing their beleaguered nation apart in the process. As the game opens, you'll awaken in your hotel room stricken with malaria, with the Jackal sitting across the room and saying words to the effect that you're so pathetically incapable, he won't even bother to shoot you. But he'll leave a pistol by your bedside before he leaves, just in case your sickness gets too bad. Your goal will be to use that gun--or any other destructive means you can employ--to take out the Jackal, and what you do between that opening scene and the eventual completion of your mission will be up to you.

Put simply, Far Cry 2 is the closest game we've seen yet to a true "open world," and that's not just because you can roam around the entire game without ever seeing a loading screen. The only plot and environmental elements that are set in stone--the story's "superstructure," as creative director Clint Hocking puts it--are those described in the previous paragraph. Everything else is mutable, based on your actions, allegiances, and chosen missions, and ultimately the cascading effects of all those choices you make. Both warlords have a command hierarchy of captains and lieutenants, and if you happen to kill one of those underlings, the guys below him will move up to fill the role. You can even take out one of those warlords, and his number-two guy will simply become the new warlord. But it will be up to you whether you take missions from or against those two factions, ally yourself with them, try to take them down, or play them both against the middle. The game will even populate its world with the other selectable characters you didn't choose, and they'll act as agents who are also working in Africa, whom you can befriend and count on in a tight spot. We'll give more info on that later.

The organic nature of Far Cry 2's world doesn't stop at its residents; practically everything we saw during the demo was dynamic and realistic, thanks to the new engine Ubi Montreal has built from the ground up for the game. The game simulates full weather patterns and air currents, so when you see clouds in the sky, they aren't there because an artist painted them on the skybox--they're there because the atmospheric conditions were right for clouds to form. The same goes for falling rain and howling wind, the latter of which will realistically blow tree branches, grass, smoke from fires, and dust from the ground in the same direction it's moving. Those trees can be broken apart, and that grass can be flattened by a passing jeep--and they can both catch fire from any incendiary source, by the way. Heck, we saw a grassy field catch fire from an exploded fuel canister, and the fire actually began to spread in a particular direction simply because the wind was blowing it that way. Hopefully this cyclical example gives an impression of the sorts of dynamic systems at work in Far Cry 2.

As for our demo itself, we saw a brief section of the game where the player had taken a mission requiring him to attack and destroy a fuel depot. This began in a dense, oppressive jungle like those from the original Far Cry, but Hocking commented that the demo began in this area only to show that there will be jungles like those of the first game. The player then moved out into the open to show us a vast, open savannah, the likes of which will apparently make up most of the game's world. That world will apparently be huge; the player raised a paper map (much like a treasure map) and a functional compass to his perspective, and we were told that map showed about one kilometer of terrain, and that this represents just under one percent of the gameworld's total size. Again, you'll be able to roam around that entire world while it streams from the hard drive, without ever seeing a loading screen.

When the player approached a mercenary camp and spied on it with the sniper rifle's scope, we saw a number of guards milling around. One was eating a meal in a hut, two were patrolling around the premises, and so on. Hocking commented that none of these actions are in any way prescripted. That guy won't always be eating in that hut--sometimes he'll be out on patrol, or he might be up in a guard tower, or any number of other actions. The bottom line is, if the game works as designed, you'll never find the exact same situation in the same place twice. In every mission, you'll have to hit the ground running and decide what to do on the fly.

The player engaged the mercs in a firefight after getting too close to their encampment, and jumped into one of their jeeps to make a quick getaway. But of course, the AI characters will know how to use all the equipment in the game too, and they piled into a truck (with a mounted machinegun in the back) to give chase. Again, Hocking said this behavior wasn't at all scripted; instead, the AI had identified the truck as the best means of pursuing and attacking the player, and their route wasn't at all set, either. The truck attempted to ram the player's jeep a couple of times and took some shots at it, but they were defeated when they happened to hit a bump the wrong way and flipped their vehicle. (Hocking seemed genuinely surprised this had happened.) Your vehicles in the game won't burst into cartoon-like explosions at the slightest provocation, but they can certainly be damaged, and will break down after too much abuse.

Next up, the player paid a visit to his pal Marty, a fellow mercenary who had established a small camp on top of a hill near the fuel depot we were seeking. We got the impression Marty may have been one of the other selectable players from the beginning of the game. In this case, he was simply a friendly merc who was only friendly, according to Hocking, because the player had saved his life in a previous mission, and that had flagged him as an ally. You could just as easily make an enemy out of Marty by making different choices, though, or you could shoot him dead right there on the spot. The game is really about giving you carte blanch to do whatever you want, whenever you want, and no plot point will depend on the life or death of a character as low on the totem as old Marty.

[ Woody's Checkpoint: # top # ]

Anyway, the player moved on down to the fuel depot and got ready to jump into combat with the enemies there. There are around 30 weapons in the game, and the player in this case had a modern American assault rifle and an RPG-7 at his disposal. Weapons will each have reliability ratings, and while that assault rifle is extremely accurate at range, for example, it's not reliable in the harsh conditions presented in Africa. An AK-47, by comparison, isn't very precise, but it will take a huge beating and keep on firing. Hocking wanted to further demonstrate the realism of Far Cry 2's weapons by showing off the RPG-7, the rockets of which don't engage until the projectile has already launch a few feet. So in the demo, the player pointed the weapon at the ground, fired, and literally bounced the grenade off the ground before it ignited in midair and went flying off at a weird angle.

Notice how we keep getting sidetracked? There was more to talk about in our 25-minute demo than we've seen in some entire games. The player finally moved on to assault the fuel depot, where he engaged a in frenetic fight with a number of guards there. After he took a few bullets, we got to find out more about the game's health system. Like most shooters these days, you'll regenerate from light damage after a short time, rather than relying on a finite health meter. But take too much damage and you'll have to apply first aid to yourself based on the nature of your injury. There will be a single first-aid hotkey that will contextually activate the right interaction, such as beating flames off of your sleeve or slapping a bandage on a large cut. We thought it was a little over-the-top when the player managed to dig a slug out of his thigh with a knife during the thick of a firefight, but the team is obviously still early in the design phase, so this is all subject to change.

Finally, the firefight heated up to a point that the player simply couldn't handle all the crossfire at once. But just before he died, we were stoked to see a familiar face--Marty appeared next to us and started hosing down the enemies with machine-gun fire. Once that was done, he helped the player up and bodily escorted him to safety, also assisting with the first aid. Like everything else in Far Cry 2, this wasn't programmed to happen. Instead, the player had "activated" Marty by speaking to him moments before attacking the fuel depot, which had put him on alert that the player was active in the area. According to Hocking, Marty was then attracted to the sound of battle and saw that the player was in dire straits and needed help. Obviously, it's going to be highly beneficial for you to make powerful friends in this game.

This is the closest thing to a living, breathing world that we've seen in a game so far.

So what kind of rig will you need to run this beast? The demo we saw was running on what was described as a high-end dual-core system with a GeForce 8800, which is admittedly a beefy PC, but also one that you can actually buy at retail right now. The final specs next spring, however, will be more modest; a fast single-core CPU and a high-end DirectX 9 card will purportedly do the job. The team is weighing the value of adding DirectX 10 features; it's likely those with DX10 support will enjoy a combination of improved performance and some slight visual upgrades. Far Cry 2 is definitely a beautiful game, what with the trees and grass individually swaying in the breeze, tons of particle effects accompanying the weather patterns, and shadows that even lay across that grass in a believable way. But it's not the graphics that has us most exited, but rather the internal stuff going on under the hood: weather, physics, and AI simulations. The demo was finally capped when the player jumped onto a hang glider after his rescue, soaring over the savannah and watching a herd of gazelles scatter below as he swooped low over them.

We try not to give ourselves over to hyperbole around here, so we'll just say that Clint Hocking is either a really skilled huckster, or he's working on a radically innovative first-person shooter that's going to set the PC world completely ablaze. For now, Ubi Montreal is focusing entirely on the PC version of the game, as Hocking says Ubi wants to reestablish itself as a premiere PC developer (though you can bet your sweet derrieres you'll see some version of this game on consoles eventually). We're trying to reserve unbridled excitement for the time being, until the game has gotten a lot closer to completion and we can vet the many ambitious mechanics for ourselves. But between the interesting gameplay Hocking told us about, and the extremely impressive demo we saw firsthand, we think Far Cry 2 is going to give other developers an awful lot to think about--and emulate--when it ships early next year.
-GameSpot
>> # top # | Q: Gamespot.com

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Far Cry 2 pc preview
Ubi Trade beaches for savannah

The original spurned countless imitators, proved that their was more to the FPS genre than dark chambers and those crates, and also made enough loose change for Ubisoft to persuade the publisher to commission a sequel, despite the loss of original developer Crytek (Crysis) to EA.

A behind closed doors briefing from the new game's in-house developer's at the Games Convention in Leipzig has now shone fresh light upon the long-awaited sequel, which has been in development for some two years (though remains at pre-alpha stage, the copy demonstrated to us). The demo we witnessed saw the player assuming the role of Dom, who reportedly is just one of twelve or so possible characters you'll be able to choose from at the start of the game.

Your character choice will then impact how the game pans-out, as you're thrown into the middle of an African battle between two rival gangs. Initially charged with an assassination job, you're hired by one of the game's factions. How the game then develops will depend on who becomes your ally and who you aid or hinder during play.

The game's makers say that this approach to plotting will ensure that the story of the game evolves and immerses the player, while at the same time making for unique experiences every time. Set in the African savannah and including humid and dark jungle, as well as open grasslands and plains, Ubisoft are taking a different approach to setting from the tropical beach idyll of the original Far Cry. Exotic the new setting remains however, and the visuals are, in places, stunning.

50 Square-kilometres of terrain is included in the game world, and the demo we saw, despite demonstrating vast and beautiful expanses at times, was apparently just 1% of the game world. What's more, Ubisoft inform us that there will be no loading screens and that the player will move seamlessly across the game world.

Describing how they hope to craft a world in which the action is never interrupted or broken, Ubisoft detail a system that features set-piece style action, instances that appear too well-conceived and produced to be natural, that are based entirely on the game's AI and extensive possibilities and choices. In one instance in the segment we were shown, the player ('Dom', in our preview) stole a jeep to avoid local militants, who immediately gave chase, leading to hectic dash across the savannah that appeared pre-scripted but was just one possible outcome. In line with this seamless ideal, players won't pick up health packs, instead performing self first-aid to remove bullets and the like. If in real danger, the player will also sometimes be assisted by a friend ('Marty' in our demo), who might wade in to save the day. That said, Marty is a 'real' NPC, and as such can get killed if you don't protect him.

Our guide explained that should a pal be hurt in combat you can run to assist, but that he may die in your arms prompting another dramatic but un-scripted moment, at which point storm clouds might gather and a storm break. Such instances will dynamically impact the atmosphere and sense of drama all in real-time.

Indeed, the weather is perhaps one of the most visual striking elements to Far Cry 2. Along with lashings of detail in the game world (trees on which every leaf and branch is modeled, grass that blows dynamically in the wind, shadows that move with the real 24-hour day cycle), there is also going to be real weather - that might change depending on in-game actions, successes and failings. If a mission is going badly, for example, a storm might kick-up, darkening the world with imposing clouds as gale force winds tear branches from trees and rustle the grasses.

During the demo, we were treated to the sight of the sun-setting over the savannah, as NPCs light campfires and gazelles move onto fresh grazing pastures. Ubisoft really are doing everything possible, from a visual and atmospheric perspective, to deliver a living, breathing, awe-inspiring world. Perhaps unsurprisingly there are no cinematic sequences, plot evolution instead playing out via in-game dialogue, overheard conversations and visual clues. The developers are working to cut down on menus too, offering a map the player's character holds' on-screen and minimal HUD.

As previously hinted, vehicles will play a major role, as with the original, and in addition to the Jeep we saw a buggy and a hand-glider - which afforded majestic views of the plains and wildlife. Such vehicles, like the weapons, leave a lasting impression on the game world, flattening grass and the like. Elsewhere and fires started will also spread, turning trees to ash before your eyes.

All in all we were afforded an impressive demonstration of what Far Cry 2 can achieve, though what remains unclear is whether the team can mould all these lofty ambitions into a game that is challenging and fun throughout. The plot will be key, as will how the title compares visually to tough competition from upcoming releases like Crysis, or indeed the just-released BioShock. We'll keep you posted on this.

Far Cry 2 is due out on the PC in spring 2008.
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