Far Cry
Description official descriptions
You play Jack Carver, a charter-boat businessman in Micronesia, on a job to escort Valerie Cortez, an ambitious journalist, to the island of Cabatu. The next thing you know someone's blown up your boat (and with that, everything you owned in the world), kidnapped Valerie, and left you for dead. Your job now is to rescue Valerie and get back at the soldiers who destroyed everything you had.
Proprietary Polybump mapping, advanced environment physics, destructible terrain, dynamic lighting, motion-captured animation, surround sound and the ability to render an entire kilometer of actual terrain in real time all showcase CryTek's new CryENGINE.
Advanced A.I. means enemy soldiers make realistic decisions based on observations of the current state of the world. These highly trained mercenaries are designed to utilize environmental features, attack in groups, divide and conquer, respond to player actions, and call in reinforcements from air, land, or sea.
Far Cry ships with a Sand Box Editor, allowing you to create and edit your own maps with an easy drag and drop interface.
Spellings
- 孤岛惊魂 - Simplified Chinese spelling
- 極地戰嚎 - Traditional Chinese spelling
Groups +
- 3D Engine: CryEngine 1
- Anti-Cheat Technology: PunkBuster
- BPjS / BPjM indexed games
- Covermount: Fullgames
- Far Cry series
- Gameplay feature: Drowning
- Games made into movies
- Green Pepper releases
- PC Gamer Presents games
- Scripting language: Lua
- Setting: Tropical Island / Deserted Island
- Software Pyramide releases
- Sound engine: FMOD
- Technology: amBX
- Ubisoft eXclusive releases
- Weapon: OICW
- Weapon: Pancor Jackhammer
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Credits (Windows version)
428 People (351 developers, 77 thanks) · View all
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CEO and President | |
COO/CFO & Executive Vice President | |
CMO & Executive Vice President | |
Creative & Technical Director | |
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Producers | |
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Lead Programmer | |
AI Lead | |
Multiplayer Lead Programmer | |
AI & Game Programming | |
3D Engine Lead | |
Physics Lead | |
Sandbox Lead | |
Renderer Lead | |
Animation & 64bit Programming | |
CryEngine Optimisations | |
Optimisations & Dot-3 Lightmaps | |
Multiplayer Programming | |
[ full credits ] |
Reviews
Critics
Average score: 87% (based on 50 ratings)
Players
Average score: 3.9 out of 5 (based on 205 ratings with 13 reviews)
Rough around the edges but an under-rated, ground breaking achievement.
The Good
I've played Far Cry solidly for several months. Finishing the game on multiple difficulty levels and also playing quite a bit of multi-player. With Half-life 2's release a few days ago (a game that I have just finished) and Doom 3 a couple of months ago, I can say that Far Cry is definitely the most innovative of these three games. Far Cry pushes the FPS genre much like the original Half-life did years ago. And here's why...
Far Cry (for the uninitiated) takes place on an island somewhere out to sea. You play Jack Carver who has been stranded on the island with a bunch of terrorists. You must escape using a combination of stealth and firepower and while doing so uncover a rapidly thickening plot!
Far Cry is powered by the Cry-Engine, Crytek's new graphics engine which is capable of rendering huge outdoor environments in great detail, but also adept and rendering closed interior environments. It's fully integrated with a great physics engine and all in all the world that you inhabit is completely believable. The graphics speak for themselves, and basically, if you can see it, you can go there. This game (like the GTA series) is all about freedom. Every mission is non-linear, and each scenario generally has two or more ways of approaching it.
The story while being linear is not linear within each mission (and missions are very long). While certain objectives must be achieved, the way to complete them is not set and I can guarantee that your second trip through Far Cry will be completely different to your first. This is a sharp contrast to a game like "Half-life 2" where every section is clearly mapped out from A to B to C. In Half-life you are asking yourself "what does the game want me to do next?", in Far Cry you are asking yourself "how can I approach this objective the best?".
For example you might opt for stealth, you might create a diversion, you might find a secret path or tunnel, you might find a boat or car, or just run in with guns blazing. The possibilities are pretty much the same as you'd have in real life - and that's the hook.
The game engine also incorporates some pretty special AI. Playing on the easiest difficulty doesn't allow you to truly appreciate how good the AI is. On harder difficulties the enemies operate in teams much like a real group of terrorists, yelling out to each other - "FLANK LEFT!" or "I'LL GO GET HELP!". They really make an effort to surround and distract you. A pair of them might divert your attention from one direction, while another pair might circle around from two directions to come at you from behind. Or if outnumbered they might jump into an available jeep to drive to get reinforcements. It's great because they don't communicate telepathically - it's REAL.
A final thing worth a mention, and a feature I wish could be implemented in more games, is Far Cry's music system. This system picks up on events in the game and dynamically mixes a custom musical score. The effect is seamless and you only notice it if you focus on it, which is exactly the effect that music should have. Far Cry isn't the first game to have a feature like this, but it's without any doubt the best implementation I've ever heard. It really is that good!
The Bad
There are a number of problems with the game however, that do it a dis-service. I've already mentioned how great the AI is, however it is a little buggy. At some points you may find a bad guy that is basically "asleep", i.e. he should be able to see you, but just stands there. Clearly this isn't meant to happen, but when it does, it ruins the whole illusion.
Also, this is a very difficult game by comparison to other shooters. As a rough benchmark, I finished Half-life 2 on medium difficulty only one day after its release. It took me a week to finish Far Cry on it's easiest setting. Far Cry's savepoint system is very good and doesn't frustrate, however it's difficulty problems come from a somewhat bumpy difficulty ramp, with some very hard parts in early parts of the game. I'm sure this has choked off many players, who would simply give up. The final missions are EXTREMELY hard, and can get very frustrating for players that rely on tactics over reflexes. I can't help but feel that Crytek dropped the ball at the end there. It's not terrible, but not strong either.
The only other thing is that the dialog and voice acting, while being tongue in cheek does feel a bit forced and corny even given it's tone in many places. The story development and direction in general is quite amateur compared with other games. It seems like the game isn't sure whether it wants to be Duke Nukem or System Shock, and finds an uncomfortable middle ground.
The Bottom Line
Not to be missed, worth the effort... this is the way forward.
Windows · by Tibes80 (1542) · 2004
A delicious, well-designed, well executed example of what a 3D shooter should be.
The Good
The graphics are stunning. There is an extremely long draw distance for every exterior environment, yet the coding (i'm assuming) is tight enough that the incredible graphics that characterize this game don't require a godly rig to enjoy. I play on a middling-range athlon XP with a 7200/8meg HD (this upgrade seemed to make a huge difference) yet I am able to enjoy it on 1024 with high graphic detail. Character models are cutting edge as are the shading and light effects. Explosions are decent. The physics engine is also top of the line and is far more realistic than other attempts at such an engine.
The sound in the game is overall quite good, though not as good as the graphics are. The gun sounds are particularly fitting. I'd argue they're the best gun sound effects I've heard. The music fits well both in the low-paced and "alert" modes. I had some minor technical issues with voice vs overall sound levels, as you can't control this in game, but it works well enough. The voice acting is good if at times the main character seems a bit canned. It's good enough. The conversations held by enemies are humorous and frequent.
The gameplay is superb. I know a great many people enjoyed the single player in Halo, but I feel that far cry is much more well implemented. The prone and crouch positions have expected effects on accuracy. You can also right-click to bring up the iron-sights of each weapon. Stealth is somewhat lacking in this game, but it's not that type of game. That said, it is very easy to disappear into the jungle and take people out somewhat surreptitously. There is a "stealth meter" on your HUD, and if you use the binoculars (most useful game binoculars in any game, ever) you actualy get little spots on your "radar" that indicate whether an enemy is on to you, looking for you, etc. Regardless of the lack of focus on stealth, the gameplay is still incredible. It's a 3-d shooter, so you get what you'd expect, but it never feels dull. The environments you find your character in are dynamic and interesting throughout.
The AI is great. Perhaps not as relentless as in Halo, but it's clear that the enemies are working together. They throw grenades and converge on your position in an intelligent manner as well. Overall, it's far above par and the comparison to halo is not accidental.
The story is reminiscent of Half-life. It's one of those stories that starts simple and gets more complex as you run through it. this is common in action games, but there are very few (half-life and the original deux ex are my reference group) games that take you on a ride as you play through. The story is compelling enough to keep one interested, but not so omnipresent to distract from the task at hand.
The Bad
My only complaints about this game are minor. the lack of detail on items found in the game. Ammo boxes, weapons, etc, are uniformly undecorated.
Another minor complaint is the, at times, flat voice acting.
Truly, the weakness are entirely eclipsed by the strengths.
The Bottom Line
For those who enjoy 3-d shooters, this is a must-play. I prefer it over any strictly-action 3-d shooter I've ever played, including Halo or the WW2 ilk.
Windows · by Marty Bonus (39) · 2004
The Good
+Graphic
+Physics
+Story
+AI
+Fun conversation between mercenaries
The Bad
-Very difficult even on the lowest difficulty
-Low amount of weapon arsenal
The Bottom Line
If you dont play this awesome game, you definitely must.
Windows · by JUMBO · 2023
Trivia
1001 Video Games
The PC version of Far Cry appears in the book 1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die by General Editor Tony Mott.
Development
The game actually started out as a tech demo made by Crytek, to demonstrate the capabilities of Nvidia's (then) new graphics chip, the GeForce 3. Much like what happened with Serious Sam: The First Encounter, it then got turned into the complete game it is now.
German version
The German government agencies for the protection of children are not to be trifled with – a lesson that publisher UbiSoft learned the hard way with Far Cry.
Due to realistic violence, especially with regard to the ragdoll model of the enemies, the full English version of Far Cry was banned in Germany by the federal agency BPjM on April 2nd 2004, meaning that any kind of advertisement for this version is forbidden, and it may only be sold on request to persons aged 18 or older.
UbiSoft and developer Crytek had anticipated this, and created a special version of Far Cry for the German market – the usual procedure to abide by the strict German standards. In this version, ragdoll models were disabled. As expected, the modified version was rated “18+” by the USK, the official German rating board. Any game with a USK rating may only be sold to persons of the specified age group, but is protected from being banned. UbiSoft produced and shipped a large amount of copies of this German version, which hit stores on March 25th 2004.
At that time, the BPjM judgment on the English version was pending. The BPjM testers quickly found out what was already widely circulated in the Internet: Crytek had not physically removed the ragdoll model from the German Far Cry, they had just disabled it -- and every user could turn the feature back on with just a few simple modifications. This made the German version identical to the English one. Identical content is the one criterion that would allow the BPjM to ignore a USK rating and ban a game. That, however, had never happened.
Up to now. On April 2nd 2004, the BPjM banned the German version of Far Cry along with the English one, on accounts of identical content. From one day to the next, stores nationwide were no longer allowed to display the boxes of the most popular, extremely successful action game.
UbiSoft’s reaction was feverish, yet professional. As soon as word had spread that a ban was imminent, the company started the production of a new, non-modifiable German version to replace its now worthless predecessor. This second edition retained the USK rating “18+” and was distributed two weeks later, on April 15th. UbiSoft took back all copies of the previous version at its own cost.
The German second edition cover of Far Cry is easily recognizable by a big red box in the upper right corner containing the line “Deutsche Version” (German version). If you happen to own one of the banned first editions, you should probably hold on to it; over time, it may become a collector’s piece.
Graphics
The game allows you to set a way to render it, such as the bright "Paradise," the dim "Cold," or the cel-shaded "Cartoon."
Patch 1.3 of the game adds support for HDR lighting (high dynamic range lighting) on the new nVidia GeForce FX 6xxx line of graphics cards. Its inclusion makes Far Cry the first commercial game to support HDR lighting!
This feature increases visual quality in the game tremendously, improving the detail and dynamic range between light and dark, and simulating lens exposure effects between light and dark areas of the image.
The feature is not accessible from the game configuration screen, but must be enabled via the command line, console or config file. The feature is not available on ATI's competing generation of graphics cards due to the implementation/hardware limitations.
Mods
Far Cry fans have created an unofficial modification that adds a Capture the Flag multiplayer mode and comes with five new maps.
Far Cry seems to be on its way to become the most longevous game in history. Following the visual change that patch 1.3 meant by enabling HDR, two patches were released to bring the game up to the world of 64 bits. While they don't really take advantage of any 64-bit specific features, these patches do improve graphics even further, and they add a couple of new levels and some other stuff.
What, you didn't make the jump to 64-bit yet? Fret not. Most of those graphical enhancements are available for 32-bit users as well, via a little thing called the FC 64ecu to 32os conversion patch.
Movie
The game became a movie in 2008. The main character Jack Carver is played by Til Schweiger. Although it does not stick to the game's storyline, it cuts close with the setting and game elements. German investor Boll KG bought the rights to turn the game into a movie franchise in February 2004, a month before the game hit stores.
Patch 1.2
In July 2004, patch 1.2 was soon recalled after the release, due to unexpected behaviour on specific hardware configurations. There was no fix released afterwards. Users had to revert to 1.1 and then wait until October 2004 for a new patch (1.3).
Title
On May 28, 2002, developer Crytek changed the game’s name from X-Isle to Far Cry. The “X” was too allusive of Microsoft’s game console X-Box.
Awards
- 4Players
- 2004 – Biggest PC Surprise of the Year
- GameSpy
- 2004 – #9 PC Game of the Year
- 2004 – Special Achievement in Graphics Award (together with DOOM³)
- GameStar (Germany)
- February 2005 - Best German PC Game in 2004 (Readers' Vote)
- Golden Joystick Awards
- 2004 - Runner up to DOOM³ in the "PC Game of the Year" category
- PC Gamer
- April 2005 - #18 in the "50 Best Games of All Time" list
- PC Powerplay (Germany)
- issue 01/2005 - Best German Game in 2004
Information also contributed by -Chris, Dr. M. "Schadenfreude" Von Katze, MAT, piltdown man, Sciere, Tiebes80 and Zack Green
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Related Sites +
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FarCry
Official website -
FarCry Headquarters
English/German fansite -
IGCD Internet Game Cars Database
Game page on IGCD, a database that tries to archive vehicles found in video games. -
Planet FarCry
GameSpy's FarCry website with game info, forum, downloads etc. -
Wikipedia
The Far Cry article at Wikipedia
Identifiers +
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Cyberzed.
PlayStation 3 added by Sciere. Xbox 360 added by Kabushi.
Additional contributors: Unicorn Lynx, Jeanne, tarmo888, Sciere, Kabushi, PhoenixFire, Yearman, Patrick Bregger, Victor Vance, FatherJack, 一旁冷笑.
Game added March 24, 2004. Last modified March 7, 2024.