Heart of Darkness: Far Cry 2 Preview

Ubisoft heads back to Far Cry, but things are very different this time around. Clint Hocking and Dominic Guay give us a look at their procedural take on Africa.

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The key point that is hammered home during our time with the developers is how everything is created on the fly - whether you see it or not. If you're standing on one side of a hill, for instance, and fire a grenade over, the trees will be damaged and burning when you go over the hill to check.

Also modeled by the engine is the weather in the game, which ranges between bright and sunny and downright miserable, as winds rip through the trees and rain beats down on you.

Apart from the obvious effect, there's a more subtle purpose to the dynamic weather systems. There's no scripted story to speak of, so the team had to devise new ways to provide essential emotional cues.

"Because the story isn't a scripted, linear, narrative, we don't have complete control over the emotional tone of any given scene or moment," says Hocking.

He gives the example of a mission where you're working alongside a faction of enemies not entirely convinced of your sincerity. As the mission progresses and the faction starts to turn on you, driving you into a trap, the weather will become more inclement, dark rain clouds providing unspoken cues to what lies ahead.

"The weather becomes reflective of the mood in the game," Hocking says.

Enemies, too, are dynamic and reactive, behaving differently depending on your playing style. They will react realistically, taking cover and helping downed compatriots, something you can use to your advantage in a gunfight.

Also coming in useful is a character named Marty. There are no health packs in the game, so you'll have to perform first-aid on yourself. Marty is another character who is out on his own missions. He will sometimes help you when you're in trouble, healing you when you're injured, for instance.

If you're involved in a mission that is of interest to Marty, he'll show up. He'll help you when you're hurt, but you need to be careful when he's around, since you can harm him as well.

"If it wasn't for Marty," Hocking says, "you'd just be reloading the game."

For all the technology Ubisoft has been so keen to show off, there are still many open questions surrounding Far Cry 2. For one, how closely will the game follow on from the first game, or is this a sequel in name alone?

Answers to these and many other questions will be revealed in the coming months, as Far Cry 2 gets ever closer to its release on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 starting later this year.

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