Far Cry Vengeance(Wii)
The title was released to critical acclaim and strong sales, setting the stage for three Ubisoft-developed sequels for the Xbox and Xbox 360. These titles, while not as awe-inspiring as the original, were solid third-party efforts that featured an innovative map-editor, a rare inclusion in console titles. The latest addition to Ubisoft's Far Cry lineup, and hopefully the final rehash to the original game before the release of Far Cry 2 (sadly not under the helm of Crytek), Far Cry Vengeance is a bitter disappointment to the quality expected from the Far Cry label.
It seems that no aspect of the game was left unadulterated, all for the worse. Graphically primitive, the game's blocky visuals are inferior to all previous releases of the game, even managing to look less impressive than the original PC title on low graphical settings. It seems the Wii hardware would certainly be capable of a superior effort than what is displayed here, with blocky, drab foes and low-polygon weapon models that seem to be inferior to anything we've seen on the Wii thus far. Aliasing is heavily prominent in the foliage (as well as being readily apparent in every other graphical element) and numerous pixel-shader effects are absent from the final product. To compound these issues, an unwilling framerate chugs along, dipping into the single digits during intense firefights. This is wholly inexcusable, given the lackluster visuals. Ubisoft has shown complete disregard if not open contempt for optimization as of late, given their recent PC ports.
Of course, unattractive visuals are certainly forgivable, particularly for a title that is several weeks removed from a console's launch. The unimpressive gameplay of the title is the primary factor that dooms Far Cry Vengeance to the colossal heap of shovelware that seems to be endemic to gaming. The tactical acumen of the mercenary foes in the original game has been diluted if not wholly lobotomized, leaving in its place dull, uninteresting enemies that will act in a predictable and generally unintelligent manner. Any semblance of squad tactics that was present in the original has been excised. The enemies do not seem aware of their comrades, and will cast a blind eye upon their deaths. Multiplayer is similarly lacking, featuring only two-player split-screen support and a dearth of play modes as a result. The omission of online play and the map editor, two of the Xbox version's most prominent positive aspects, is even more disappointing. It seems as if multiplayer was a half-hearted effort that was rapidly slapped together in a pathetic attempt to raise replay value.
The game seems to lack any improvements over its forebears and shows no indication of being a next-gen title. Why release such a graphically primitive, handicapped product at all, if for no other reason than to amass sales under the strength of the brand name?