Far Cry 2 was one of the most expected titles lately, largely due to the fact that it was the spiritual successor of one of the most popular shooters published by Ubisoft, Far Cry. The game isn't a true sequel, as the characters have changed – no more ex-marine dressed in a Hawaiian shirt – the setting has changed – no more tropical island – and even the development studio is a new one, as Crytek was replaced with Ubisoft Montreal.

So, have these changes helped the game deliver an even greater experience or have they lost the whole Far Cry feeling during the development process? Well if sales are to be considered, the game has become quite popular and has gained critical acclaim for the realism it portrays. From the fantastic fire to the intricate story, Far Cry 2 promises to deliver to players a game they won't forget for quite some time. Here's our one hour with the PC version of Far Cry 2.

15:00 The game starts up and already you can see that Ubisoft has really emphasized the importance of fire in this title as it is present in abundance in the opening cinematic.

15:10 After tweaking the settings, you can now see how the African country in which the game is set looks at maximum details.

15:15 Well here's something that might seem surprising, you can actually choose the character you will be playing in this game. All sorts of identities are available, from a Yugoslavian war veteran to an Irish mercenary. Our choice was a former Haitian paramilitary soldier, Andre Hyppolite.

15:25 After quite a lengthy scene in which my character is escorted through the fictional African country, the main goal of the game is introduced to me as my character is tasked with killing The Jackal, a weapon dealer who, single-handedly, fuels the war in this small country. But before I can make any progress, it seems my character is infected with malaria.

15:30 It wouldn't be much of a game if your character died before you could even fire a single bullet, would it? In my final moments, The Jackal confronts my character and delivers quite a philosophical monologue in which he addresses things that aren't typical of a weapon dealer. He leaves my character to die but it seems that Andre can still put up a fight, so I venture out into the streets of a small town.

15:40 It seems that a malaria infected character can't really fight in such conditions as he faints in the middle of the street. Good thing my new buddy helps me out, Paul Ferenc, a smooth-talking smuggler who asks me to do him a few favors in return for saving me.

15:50 After saving another mercenary from an African paramilitary group, Warren Clyde, he decides to repay me and promises to help me out whenever I am in trouble.

16:00 Quite an interesting hour, as my character already has two buddies who will help him when the time comes, but he is also infected with malaria, which is not such a pleasant experience. Ubisoft has done a pretty good job with this game and it does deserve all the praises it has received.

Look forward to our complete review at the beginning of next week.