How to Evolve a Genre: Far Cry 2

Every year seems to be getting better and better in regards to the number of triple A game titles being released, 2008 is no exception. However, it seems like as the years go by, there are more and more redundant games being released, only to be met by mediocre press coverage and review scores. It seems like we are beginning to see the decline of various gaming genres because developers seem reluctant to take chances or spend the time and effort to polish their games. Japanese RPG's have been on the decline recently because westerners are getting tired of the same old cliche story elements and game mechanics. In the past year, there has only been a handful of exceptions like Persona 4 and.... well that's about it. The genre that has got me thinking this week is first person shooters. The industry is absolutely overrun with FPS's and 60-70% of them are trash. The number of mediocre shooters released in the last year is astounding. Developers continue to send shallow, short, and dull shooters down the pipeline and we stand here helpless as they spoon feed us this crap. I have spend a lot of time this week playing Far Cry 2 for the PS3 and while the game is not perfect, it does some really ambitious things that many developers could benefit from. I will try to save my overall impressions of the game for this week's podcast but there are some key things that I think Far Cry 2 has done that should be acknowledged.

Story presentation is an aspect of FPS's that has been handled rather poorly for the most part. Infinity Ward set the bar for telling a great story in an FPS but the length and the linearity of the game suffered because of it. The challenge is finding a way to tell a compelling story and still provide the players with hours of gaming. Ubisoft Montreal had an idea and ran with it and the game is better because of it. Rather than being totally convoluted with cut-scenes and linear event sequences, they chose to present players with a single, underlying mission statement that acts a constant motivation for every action taken throughout the game. This mission of course is to kill the "Jackal", a rogue arms dealer who is fueling a brutal civil war. While their various missions taken throughout the game, players are constantly reminded of their primary mission. This simplicity fits the games design and scope perfectly and proves that stories don't need to be complex or deep to be good.
I am fairly certain that many gamers would agree with me when I say that the FPS genre has become rather uninspired. Each game seems to be a rehash of the same point and shoot game play mechanic with little or no depth beyond that. Developers need to expand beyond basic shooting and give players more mechanics that support the basic game play. Far Cry 2 does this by providing a rewarding method of collecting money and purchasing new weapons and forces players to make key decisions on which aspects of each gun they desire to enhance. In addition to a vast arsenal of weapons to collect and upgrade, players must also maintain their Malaria fever by taking pills and physically address their worst wounds in the heat of battle by removing bullets or relocating a dislocated finger or arm. The team also implemented an intriguing buddy system that can get you out of tough situations but relies solely on decisions you make throughout the game. Basically, shooters should not rely on just one mechanic to sell copies when there is obvious room for improvement through innovation.

Last but not least, I'm sick and tired of shooters taking place in uninspired locales such as office buildings or alien battlefields. A great setting can make the difference between a good shooter and a forgettable 4 or 5 hour investment. thing that made Call of Duty 4 so good was its incredible set pieces. Despite the fact that I have never played Crysis, the main reason I want to play that game is to experience the lush and lively environment. On the other end of the spectrum is Call of Duty: World at War, a game that I know is fun but has not given me enough incentive to pick it up because of its rehashed setting. When Ubisoft Montreal chose to set the new Far Cry in an open world African environment, they were not only advancing the FPS genre but also revitalizing a dying franchise. I applaud that team for making some incredibly risky but rewarding decisions in the past few years.

While Far Cry 2 doesn't necessarily execute all of these ideas perfectly, it is definitely not a "one trick pony" like so many other shooters that have come before it. FPS is a genre that can be deeper than what it has become if the developer is willing to apply themselves. I hope this becomes a trend in the coming years and I hope that the team at Ubisoft is acknowledged for taking steps to further the genre.

(Expect details regarding all of these mechanics and my full impressions of Far Cry 2 on this week's podcast)

-Nick