Far Cry 2 was the highlight of Ubidays, game publisher Ubisoft's recent product event, but Beyond Good and Evil 2, shown in teaser trailer form, may be more important in the long run. The original was the very definition of cult classic but the strong characters and creator Michel Ancel's mainstream nous suggest the sequel could be one of those rare hardcore/casual crossover titles. BGE2 is definitely one to watch for 2009. Far Cry 2 though is one to watch now. Set in Africa, clearly the game setting of the moment, Far Cry 2 looked gorgeous. Think dusty browns, swaying trees, lots of grass. I played the console versions - both appeared identical - but the PC demo, complete with amBX support was sexiest version. A wide open world and an organic environment - trees that get blown up grow back - suggest this could be more than just a straight forward shooter.
Elsewhere the Tom Clancy marketing push was in full swing, with Endwar and Hawx both on show. I've already blogged about the former - it's the voice-controlled RTS that actually works. Seeing it again didn't change my mind even if the visuals won't win any awards. Online persistence - the whole battlefield concept in particular - will be key in making this game succeed. Hawx was less impressive, although that could be me. I've always had a problem with any flight combat game set in the modern day. WW1 classic Knights of the Sky and most of the WW2 games at least felt like you were actually fighting something physical. Modern day sims just seem to be a case of firing missiles at dots. Hawx was no different, with the relatively unimpressive city graphics not helping either. But hey, the sky looked good. Again online could be key here, with the 4-player co-op sounding very impressive.
Less exciting was Brothers in Arms: Hells Highway. I'm still keen on WW2 games but this just felt a little flat to me. Militarily accurate I guess but after playing Call of Duty and the like it all felt a bit too clinical. The AI was dubious too. One demo I watched saw a German soldier seemingly oblivious to the gunfire around him as he faced the wall in the corner. Perhaps he had been told off? Like Far Cry 2 the 360 and PS3 looked identical. Hopefully the promise of a darker edge - the trailer showed flashbacks and hand-to-hand combat - will be realised come release.
Perhaps the biggest surprise was Shaun White's Snowboarding. Shaun White? No, me neither but the game - a fun mix of Tony Hawks and SSX - deserves some attention. Freedom is key with players able to make their own way down the four sizeable mountains. The view was impressive, with distant specks soon turning into trees. Multiplayer sounds promising, with 16 players able to share the same slopes. And the pose factor comes in. with players gaining better gear as they win events. The Wii version looked weaker than the rest - as you'd expect - but does use the balance board.
So what else? Prince of Persia was briefly shown. The short teaser trailer did its job, suggesting co-op combat and tactics - more please. Soul Calibur IV was playable though. The hook is the inclusion of Darth Vader and Yoda. And sure, it looks pretty enough but honestly, does anyone aged over 15 actually play beat-em-ups anymore? Rayman Raving Rabbids was the obligatory party game. Two events were shown, one a skiing game controlled by sitting on board and steering by adjusting your, er, cheeks accordingly. The other was a dancing game that saw lots of Saturday Night Fever style posing.
And then there was the casual stuff - aka Games for Everyone - with a stack of titles aiming straight for the Nintendo mainstream. In amongst the secret diaries, weight management titles, pets simulators and games that assume all pre-teen girls want to be teachers was Allen Carr's Easyway To Stop Smoking - yup, come back generic space marines, all is forgiven. This "game" sees you setting up your profile and gaining quit advice and tips. More entertaining are the mini games based around the book. The demo I watched saw the player trying prevent nicotine from dragging their character from the social haven of the bar - cue lots of DS stylus action. Niche then, but this could find a cult following.
Looking at it overall Far Cry 2 was by far the most impressive thing on show, though Shaun White's snowboarding looked a promising dark horse. But no Splinter Cell Conviction - shown at last year's event but now seemingly in development limbo - and a disappointing looking Brothers in Arms game took some of the shine off. Assassins Creed and Haze - two of Ubisoft's biggest recent releases - failed to live up to the hype, but initial impressions suggest Far Cry 2 at least may buck this trend.
