Is this as good as the first one? really enjoyed the open game play at the start.

Could be looking at getting this towards the end of the year if its any good.

Ahh and when you said you'd finished I thought you'd finished Agent!
Am taking all buddy missions atm... so is taking forever; which is good, cause I'm still loving it!

I do hear what some have said in critisism- similar missions and being constantly under attack.
But this is a hostile, warring area of Africa! If I was to bowl through a checkpoint in my Jeep, in a similar area that exists today in RL, I think the reaction would be the same: people trying to shoot me! Lots!
I just see it as a very hostile area and I've had the most fun so far by being stealthy and cautious about things and approaching it as one.

I'd like to make a defense about the missions too! They are not really the same at all! Indeed alot of them are assassinations and intimidations, moving troops etc, similar objectives yes- but it's the topograhy that makes every hit different! The environment is so lush and varied things always feel fresh (so far).
Staking out your kill... using a breeze to start a fire... trying a wildly different route each time... It's a pure playground of FPS fun! Remaining true to that OTT, action hero attitude the origional had.
And, praise god, this one's got no Trigens at the end! (has it?? :s)

Basically Flash, if you enjoyed the original you are in for a real treat. Just like Far Cry don't expect too much background or plot; just expect a massive, living, African playground where you can shoot, explode and immolate your foes in more ways than you can imagine!
If you're running TF2 nice and comfortably you can expect it to look pretty damn wonderous too!

There are faults, I know. All games have them, and I think FC2's are minor. After all Crysis was just running from laptop to laptop shooting the same alien again and again. Admittedly I didnt bother finishing it, but god I wish it had been written in the Dunia engine! (and I bet Crytek do! )

Going on how much I've enjoyed the first 12% of the game I'd almost say I agree with one of PC Gamer's Developer pleasing scores this time!
94%? So far.... for me.... Yeah, why not... Im having a ball!

(And no, I don't work for Ubisoft! *Goes to scrub the brown from his nose*)

Ok you convinced me, will have to put it on my next game to buy list.

Do prefer the more open style of play on the single player side of FPS, makes it alot more enjoyable.

you mean in the mature way that one goes about spelling the name of his clan out in bud? *wink*

My review on about 8% completion.

It started of strong, a nice backstory, got a nice look around at the surounding area and the destruction.

Then i got hit with malaria, This is one annoyance, while minor it's something that i just think "Why?"

The enemy, they are really dumb imo, but yet have excelent and precision aiming with a shotgun from a mile away, even when in thick undergrowth to the point i cound see nothing they could still somehow see me, The enemy also seem scripted to jump into the nearest car upon hearing you not nessecerily seeing you, and just drive at you, gunner or not they just drive at you and this happens every time. When you drive through a checkpoint at top speed you get shot but you get through easy enough, why? because they are too busy getting into a car and chase you and no matte rwhat you do, they always catch you up, ALWAYS. They then shoot your car a bit till the smoke starts then you have to stop and engauge them, Or they ram you to the point your hit something and have to get out. Eitheway you have to kill them or take your car offroad and hope they hit something giving chase.

Wildlife? None the odd goat and zebra every so often but otherthan that it's deserted. there is no Predators in the game yet.

Civilans, None at all, everyone wants you dead except when your in a safehouse or in a cease fire zone. but everyone carries a gun and upon sight you will be shot by everyone.

Missions, to samey, but the problem here is that each mission is always on the otherside of the mapm a good 20 min drive, with the jeep chase scenario, and checkpoint every mile or so.

The map, it's nice and lush, but it's not open there are a set number of roads and small streams and the occasional secret path, but aside from that i felt it to be a corridoor shooter with just more than one corridoor to choose from.

This is a country in the middle of a civil war, yet at no point do you see them fighting one another, not once, and the 2 sides? you cannot tell them apart because they are the same.

BUT!

After all is said and done, i'm starting to have fun. it took a while to get there but i got a sniper and a flamethrower, with the grenade launcher sometimes and it really is Quiet fun.

To me this game is.

GTA wannabe with a constant 6 star wanted level. but it can be fun

errr... -I did at least use the members section

I said drugs! innocent!

j/k -Khola hereby states he understands weed is classed as a drug, even though it is a humble plant. He does not however approve of ppl under 18 smoking it and all sorts of other sensible things like that...

Agree here... and with of the some car chase stuff. Like I said it does have flaws... it's just how much they affect your play style personally.

Like I found the same thing happening to me; being tailed all the time, and you are chased alot I agree. But that only made me wary of checkpoints- spotting them on the map first and getting out early to skirt round and steal a car.

The enemy driving AI leaves a little to be desired, granted. Especially on vehicles with no gunner.
But sometimes I've been pleasantly (or not so pleasantly) surprised by enemy flanking in firefights and other behaviour of mild intelligence. Although slightly predictable they're not exactly walking targets.

I thought the AI was actually ok myself for such a vast world. Compare it to Just Cause for example or maybe Stalker- (again nearly everyone wants to kill you). I find it closer to Stalker than GTA!

As for people popping you through the trees, I kinda got used to this too. You have to get used to shooting through undergrowth without a clear line of sight, which feels odd. Admittedly they will often see you first, especially if you waltz into a checkpoint without being wary. Then it's a case of aiming at the muzzle flash.
If you're stealthy though they do have the ability not to see you, honest!

I've got a couple of cool stealth kills with the knife already. One on an unsuspecting enemy with a rocket launcher, overlooking his camp. Dropping my Flamer quickly to fire a shot with this beast I find it's been loaded with a dud; it flies about like a mad firework, setting fires and hitting me square on the bonce in the process.
The enemy are very much alerted.

Lastly (*crowd cheers*) on weapons, I actually started with the flamethrower as my special weapon. When a mate came round to try it he got the grenade launcher.
Clever? Bold? Or pointless... you decide!

I love this game. You can do all kinds of retarded stuff.

But wait, just WAIT until you get the mortar. Jesus, that thing is AWESOME.

Very true bed.

I like getting triple kills with the awp.

Really got into this now, having ALOT of fun blowing shit up. Malaria is annoying as i have to get some more when i just wanna blow stuff up and set things on fire in the ceasefire zone :p

The only thing thats really bugging me though, i got a new favorite primary, The dart gun but the damn thing ages 10 years after the first 5 shots then blows up after the next 1, the repair manual helps a bit but i wish it was more durable

Anywho back to burning down the forests.