Far Cry 2

Developer: in-house
Format: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Genre: Shooter

We go into the wild with this state of the art shooter

The jewel in the Ubisoft crown is the first-person-shooter that is Far Cry 2. From the dense jungle and pristine military facilities of the first title to the wide open expanse of the wilds of Africa. Far Cry 2 certainly looks a breed apart from its predecessor. No more running down corridors, now there's 50 square kilometres of open ended gameplay (with no loading times) set within an African backdrop that can be explored in any direction your compass takes you.

Wild animals roam the savannahs, enemy camps loom large in the distance, rivers cut a path through the bush and the sun beats down in real time - causing dynamic shadows. This truly is sandbox gameplay.

Take to the skies in the trademark glider with full free roaming capabilities, then plan your attack using a wide array of weaponry including an awesome flamethrower that can lay havoc to anything in its path.

We've had a hands-on and can happily report that the game plays as good as it looks. There's more than a whiff of strategy about this sequel. Enemy camps and villages can be attacked from multiple angles and reconnaissance has to occur in order for the dynamic map to pinpoint strategic targets - it's not all just run and gun as planning is vital for success.

There's an on-line mode to boot - with full multiplayer support, although details weren't forthcoming at this stage. A release is scheduled for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC by the end of the year.

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