In this looming season of major video game releases it won’t just be the big video games that impress people but also some details. It’s a lock, for example, that gamers will be impressed with the menu screens of EA horror game “Dead Space” (trust me). Will you be wowed by “Far Cry 2“’s in-game map?
The screenshot above (click it to enlarge) barely does justice to the map in Ubisoft’s fall open-world first-person shooter. The map manifests itself as a first-person-viewed piece of parchment, as you can see. A compass appears as well. But what you can’t see from this still shot are two key features:
1) The map, which isn’t a static image, dynamically displays points of interest.
2) When the player starts running while they have the map out, their character lowers the map a few inches so that only the top half is showing. Think about it like having a driver having a map unfolded across a steering wheel, with the view out of the windshield unobstructed.
Point #2 is key for any of us who have been reduced to staring at the corner of their TV or PC while navigating a game, ignoring the rest of the game’s visuals because our eyes are fixed on a mini-map. In “Far Cry 2,” players who like playing with a map handy will be able to watch the center of the game’s action — and just glance slightly down from there to check their location. Far less of the scenery will be missed by players who like using a map.
It’s a small thing. It may make a big difference.
***
Related Posts
‘Far Cry 2′ Designer: Easy Mode Of Our Game Should Be Playable One-Handed
An Evolution In Exploding Barrels, As Shown To Me By ‘Far Cry 2′ Designer Clint Hocking