Ferris and friends, based in Canberra Australia flag, blog about the cars and games that inspire them most.

Friday, October 24, 2008

Far Cry 2: Malaria and Mike's Bar


I've just bought a copy of Far Cry 2 and have played it for perhaps an hour.  First impressions?  Graphics are incredible: everything looks extremely realistic, and it's nice to see details like bushes and grass moving in the wind, and accurate shadows everywhere.  The framerate is high, with no noticeable slowdown yet.  Controls are pretty good... not quite up to Call of Duty 4 standard, but perfectly adequate.  Negatives?  Well, one so far- getting stuck very early on in the game where I needed to get to Mike's Bar to obtain pills to keep my malaria in check.  A cut scene tells you to proceed to the bar quickly to get the pills... fair enough I thought, drop everything and let's go. But to my frustration halfway to the bar I would have a malarial attack, pass out, and be returned to sit through the entire cut scene again.  Each time I would set out and try a different route, visit a safe house first etc, but nothing made any difference and I would pass out each time.  After cursing the game for half an hour I thought "stuff Mike's Bar and my malaria - I'm just going to go and look for some hidden diamonds".  Lo and behold once I'd found some diamonds my way was clear to drive to Mike's Bar... I got there with no problems at all.  It all seemed a bit illogical to me, and contrary to my expectation of Far Cry 2 being a non-linear game.  I suppose this was all part of the structured 'training' section of the game, but all it has managed to do is make me think this whole Far Cry 2 "malaria" thing might ruin what looks to be a great game...

28 comments:

Unknown said...

your still in training mode fool, as soon as you have got the pills from the main town you finish training mode and do what the hell you want. stop moaning

Ferris GTI said...

Well all I can say is that it's a pretty poor training mode... instructing you to go do something which is impossible. Kind of stupid really. Aside from that bit I'm enjoying the rest of the game.

Anonymous said...

you are right! malaria stops me from proceeding in the game. thanks for the solution.

Ferris GTI said...

Glad to be able to help!

Anonymous said...

Another anonymous here thanking you for the solution on how to get past that part.

AmstradHero said...

He who does not know the difference between "your" and "you're" should not call other people fools, I believe.

Explicitly instructing you to do something that is impossible does seem pretty ridiculous... guess someone missed it during testing. ;)

Anonymous said...

I managed to get to mikes bar...but no one was there or in the gun sellers shack....it kept telling me to come back later....so went to bed in the safe house for half a day...returned to mikes bar...guess what still no one there...have done this several times no and getting pissed off

Anonymous said...

try buying a gun from the computer in the gun shop.

Anonymous said...

this is more of a "user error" problem then anything or "stupidity of user" then a problem with the game.

This game is pretty damn good as far as immersion but the developers were worried without a little early "how to" for the game then we might not get it, it should be optional but thats an extremely small complaint.

Ferris GTI said...

anonymous- I don't agree with you about the user being stupid... after all, I've had hundreds of visitors to this page who searched google for something like 'Far Cry 2 Malaria'. So I'm not alone. However I do agree with you that it's just a small problem. I'm really getting into Far Cry 2 and haven't encountered anything similar, and the malaria hasn't been an ongoing problem at all. It's a truly awesome game actually- very impressive.

tremor said...

the problem this is a non-linear game that is still trying to steer the player at certain point,so they can't just slap us in the face wit ha sign saying "go here",they have to subtly hint what we should do...its more a problem of people used to the usual fps play waiting for an obvious sign,i know i spent 10 minutes trying to get into Mike's bar,not realising i had to actually buy a gun even though i'd used the computer...other then this the game is very immersive,possibly the best realisation of open-ended gameplay i've played.

Ferris GTI said...

Tremor- I totally agree with your comments. I think they were a bit too subtle in the beginning, and since the world is so open it wasn't obvious what the game wanted me to do. Once past the tutorial bit everything is much better though. I'm loving the game, and all the small touches and details. Oh, and I'm loving the large number of safe houses to save your game. You never seem to have to travel too far in order to save, unlike, say GTAIV...

Anonymous said...

For the mike's bar part. Read the objectives you lazy people. You buy a gun from the computer, then go to the armory next door and pick it from the wall. Then mike's bar. (I think.) then you go to get your pillz and the REAL GAME BEGINS. *Insert Open Land*

Anonymous said...

I bought a gun on the computer, went next door to pick it up, and I still can't get into Mike's bar. The objective is a yellow circle in Mike's bar, but there's no way to get in it.

Anonymous said...

The entrance is round the back - I've got in but can't seem to get the pills from the man.

Anonymous said...

Go to mikes bar. If you can make it without passing out then stop sprinting!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go buy a gun with some of your diamonds, pick it up, and walk around back of the bar to the entrance. Walk up to each person a few times and press Y(xbox) whenever possible. You have to be patient because the talking is done realistically without you magically pressing the START button on your hand to skip your boss' nagging. Just take your time and enjoy it.

Anonymous said...

hi ive just got far cry 2 for the pc and well 1st impressions AMAZING but i cant go 5 minuts with out passing out i have only just startd the game and im at the 1st saf house i cant even make it to the nxt location without passing out how do i solve this????
thanks

Anonymous said...

you have to stay within the green area of the map, as soon as you venture into the red area, you start passing out

Anonymous said...

You know, if you press start and look at your journal.. the game tells you EXACTLY how to complete an objective.

When you enter the Arms shop it says "buy a gun from the computer"

How hard can it be?

Also, I never had problems with Malaria that early on, but I was instructed to go to the CHURCH first to get malaria medicine, THEN make my way to the gun shop and Mike's bar.

Anonymous said...

how the hell do you get into mikes bar??? there are no people there and i cant get in through the door... ive even tried ramming the building down with a jeep and that didnt work... HELP!!!!

Anonymous said...

OMGLOL NEWBS EW NEEDZ TEW RETRIEV TE CEIS WIT DIMONDS FROME PLZE WIT GUY LOL AND U BUY GUNZ WID COMPUTER IN GUNZ STOREZ LOLNEWOBS IF EW NOT RETRIV DIMONDS EW WILL HAV MALARIA OLOLOLOLOLOOL xd

Unknown said...

No, no just sappin a sentry... P.S you enter mikes bar on the back.

Expertek said...

Of course, keyboard shortcuts rock too - quick save with 'F5'

Great game. I've run into a glitch in the patched PC version that when I walk/drive into certain areas of the desert, (not the outer fringe maps) things get blurry, and I fall down.

When I 'wake' back up, I'm (out of the vehicle, which continued to roll on and) now facing the opposite direction, several yards back from where I started. it's weird - like alien possession/'beam-me-back-over-there-Scotty' or something.

and If I turn a 180 and start walking back the original direction, it kicks my ass again, the same exact way.

It won't let up until I walk the direction it wants me to.

Bad map? Bug? Intentional non-mapped/detailed area?

Any ideas?

neilhome@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

can you stop the malaria?

Anonymous said...

he said to find some diamonds that his dumb shit friend left around the camp, then u go buy the medicine

A 11 year old that can do it, meaning you fail... said...

YOU GUYS JUST CAN'T TAKE THE FACT THAT YOU CAN'T FIGHT WITH A BAD PROBELM!
I'm 11 and did it...

Ferris GTI said...

Hehe, can't argue with that :)

Graul said...

ILL HELP U, people who cant find anybody on the GUN SHOP, or cant access MIKEs BAR!, first u go to the gun shop, go to the computer and buy a gun, any gun, it could be the makarov, then u go to the warehouse next to the gun shop, and GET THE GUN, with that done, u get the mission finished, and u can access mikes bar!!!!! if ur not gonna help just SHUT UP!