Part six: Guard posts

Weird indeed. I snoop around carefully but can't find anyone at all. I'm suspicious, they might be just hiding somewhere to ambush me when I get careless, so I still keep my eyes open while looting the place of supplies and leaving it behind. I decide to stop by a nearby arms dealer. While I'm heading there, I notice the cabin where Gullen is waiting for me is nearby. Well, it wasn't my original plan but since it's along my way anyways I decide to hear what she has to say.

Turn out she has information about the special forces I'm after. There apparently is an infromant working for them in a nearby villa, and I should be able to make the man give the troops wrong instructions and send them to an ambush set up by APR. I think about it for a while. In the end it does sound like a good plan and would make my job easier, so why not.

Before heading to the villa I stop by the nearby arms dealer and get myself a scoped rifle. Now where talking. After upgrading it I grab my newfangled rifle. On my way I come accross a vehicle and hijack it. It turns out the previously abandoned guard post is now fully manned and I fight my way through it. Soon I come accross another guard post between me and the villa. I carefully examine the situation from and form a battle plan.

Part five: a buddy in a need

It turns out there is one more enemy in the bushes to defeat. I do just that, make sure with a couple bursts that there surely is noone left anymore and go loot the bodies of ammunition. Then I continue towards the special forces' landing site.

I come across a cabin I figure would be a good place to rest. I have to clear the surrounding of a few hostiles first but manage to secure the cabin in the end. I resupply and start headin back to the main road. On my way there some crazy gunman strats shooting at me with a shotgun. I don't see them but instead run for cover in opposite direction. I circle around a bit behind the trees, but the shotgun man does manage to find me still. I'm able to nail him, though, but while I'm looting his body I discover he has a buddy. After exchanging some shots and me being a bit too much on the receiving end of bullets I finally manage to finish this buddy. I collect his ammunition carefully, not knowing how many others there are out there.

On my way to my vehicle I can hear the sound of a car driving around, but I never see anything. Tey probably didn't even notice me and drove away, so I hop on my ride and drive away. Before I even know it I get to a suspicious crossroad and hop off again. I get hiding behind a rock just in time to avoid being seen by a patrol driving by. Then I get stupid.

They probably wouldn't even notice me, but I, being the idiot I am, open fire at them thinking I can take them on. You know, only two of them , me having the element of surprise and all that. Well yeah. I do manage to nail them both. But then the next patrol comes along. I figure it is better to let them just drive by if possible, but I'm not that lucky. They spot something is going on and get on foot. At first I think I might be able to deal with them, but they manage to get to a surprising angle and then I notice I don't have enough bullets left to finish them. That's my last thought before they pour me full of bullets and I lose my consciousness.

I seem to be lucky today, however. My buddy Marty gets to me and fedns off the hostiles while providing me just enough aid that I can fix myself to fighting condition again. Whew. That was a close call. I hunch behind cover looking for enemies while Alencar runs around finishing off the ones remaining. What a hotshot. It does seem he managed to defeat every single one of them. Well, less bullets wasted for me.

I start continuing my journey when I discover a radio tower of some sort. Hmmm. I examine it for a bit but don't really figure out anything to do with it. So I keep going, on foot, when I come across a guard post. I close down on it carefully, but don't see anyone. I get suspicious and shoot a couple warning shots to make the hostiles come out of their holes, but noone seems to be around. Weird. What happened to the guards?

Part four: Medication

I return to Mike's joint and meet again the girl I rescued. She tells her name is Flora Gullen and points out a dude who can get me my medicine. The dude turns out to be a reporter, Reuben Oluwagembi. He sends me on an errand, letting me understand that a priest in Pala church will provide me with medication if I deliver them this tape the man hands me. I really need that medicine so I take the tape. Before I leave I exchange some words with Marty Alencar who assures me he can provide with anything I need.

I head back to Pala and on my way to the church sneak around to get my hands on some diamonds my GPS points out to me. I have to be careful, though, I don't think the guys guarding the diamond cases appreciate my intentions. I get to the church and hand over the tape to get my medication. After malaria has been dealt with for now I decide to find this Gakumba dude I heard about, he might have some job for me and maybe I can get closer to The Jackal by infiltrating these fighting factions he is supplying with weapons.

Gakumba indeed has something for me, I'm supposed to sabotage some special forces who are here on a mission interfering with Gakumba's plans. Whatever, as long as I get paid. I take off and start heading towards the site I was pointed. Suddenly I get a call from Gullen, she wants to meet me, urgently. I have a job to do, though. I grab a vehicle and start driving. On my way I come across I guard post and decide to approach it carefully on foot. I don't get too close before I'm spotted. I manage to take one hostile down before they open fire, but then I reload at a wrong time and have to run. I panic and sprint across the open road and they get several free shots at me. I curse and again think that this is it. Somehow I do manage to get away for now, to the other side of the guard post. I turn around and start approaching again. Where are the enemies, I don't see anyone? I get closer and realize they are apparently still looking for me in the bushes. Why is that? They must have seen me sprinting this way, since they even shot at me! Well, I'm not one to check the gift horse's mouth. I hide behind the guard post structures and open fire at one unsuspecting enemy. Did I get him? Did he die or just fall on the ground to roll in pain?

Part three: Calm before storm

It does indeed seem that I cleared up the area and no hostiles are around. I rescue the hostage, some chick who offers to get me some medication for malaria if I met up with her in someplace called Mike's. Better do that, then. But first I want to get paid from the job I did. I get back to the slaughterhouse my employer is waiting in, on my way there I keep my eyes open - I take it especially carefully with some buildings I encounter. Constructed structures often mean people are nearby, and people might be hostile and after my life. I don't encounter a soul, however.

Once I reach the slaughterhouse I get paid in diamonds I need to find myself, and get again adviced to visit Mike's. I really want to check that place out, everyone seem to be talking about it. So I start making my way there and have to abandon my car when I get to Pala. After some wandering around I find the road that leads to Mike's and realize I maybe should have gotten a vehicle. It would be faster to get around with one, but on the other hand it's much harder to spot hostiles from inside a such device.

I don't feel comfortable on the open road so I start traveling on rougher terrain to get some cover. I finally reach my destination, Mike's Bar, but the haunt is empty. Noone is there. I really want that hostage girl to get me that medicine, I hope she comes here later. While waiting I decide to check out the nearby arms dealer. The shopkeeper is not around but I help myself and purchase some new hardware via the computer they have set up at the shop. The weaponry is similar I already have but brand new and has lesser chance of jamming. I have to use all my funds on these guns but it might save my life later on to not have my weaponry getting jammed in the middle of a firefight. After upgrading my hardware I step out to the sunshine and decide to check Mike's again, maybe someone got in there while I was shopping.

Part two: Getting my hands dirty

I jump out of the car early enough so my next victims won't get alarmed and also to have a better vision and ability to spot them before they spot me. I get off road on foot and try to spot any enemies around the house I was ordered to clean up with my scope. I count two, and one of them is wandering a bit further. A take that as an opportunity to get closer. When I get there I notice the one guard closer to the building is alone and has his back turned on me. I can't resist and attempt to sneak behind him to nail the guy before his friend gets back. Just before I shoot I notice the other guard is much closer than I thought and almost panic. I'm so close I decide not to waste an opportunity and finish the first guard cleanly with two shots and then run like a headless chicken behind the building. Once I'm there I curse I didn't pay more attention to the second guard and have no accurate info on his position. I decide to go around the building, and once I'm again in front trying to locate the survivor I hear he is behind me. I turn around hastily thinking this is it and remind myself to be more careful in next life, but instead the guy just runs past me and lets me run after him and finish him after turning to shoot back a bit for show.

After sleeping for a few hours in the house I secured I get another errand and get my car and start heading towards it. I sneak around the guard post I was told to seek out and do some scouting up from a cliff. I get a call from my new boss and am told about a hostage in the building front of me. Great. This is not going to turn into a babysitting job, is this?

I spot a group of enemies gathered together down amongst the buildings, and decide to sneak closer, my lead idea being a grenade taking them all out at once. They will probably spread out before I get close enough, but I figure they will gather in the same spot again if I just wait a while. So I cross the road and go around the facilities, but before I find a spot to hide someone somewhere else apparently sees me and opnes fire. I don't know who or from where, but I start running wildly to what I think is the opposite direction. They get a shot or two at my back while I run, but I manage to get behing a big rock and catch my breath. After I come out of hiding I notice only one hostile followed. I nail him and go back to the same cliff to gather some intel and find out what I exactly I have against me. Some son of a gun spots me though and opens fire. Cursing I back out again, and start searching for another way in. My map shows the routes to get around in this country are stupidly narrow, so I have to bite the bullet and get in from the direction they are expectin me from. I don't see anyone around so I feel safe enough to get a bit closer in completely open, even if I do think even while I'm doing it that it's maybe not the smartest approach.

I spot an unsuspicious looking guard in the distance and get an idea. I open fire from afar, trying to get them to come to the open. I'm not sure if I'm able to finish the unlucky victim, he either falls on the ground dead or just wanders off my field of vision. I do get some goons running at me and am able to open fire at them before they get close enough to start shooting themselves. Like sitting ducks, I chuckle to myself. One of them manages to get quite close though, close enough to get a bullet under my skin. I almost panic thinking I was too careless again, but am able to solve the situation and finish rest of the guards coming out of their hiding places. At one point I celebrate a bit too early and start counting my loot too soon before all hostiles in the vicinity are dead, but fortunately I spot movement in bushes soon enough to back out before it's too late. I finish the remaining enemy, collect any ammunition from my victims and start carefully advancing towards the building containing the hostage.

Part one: The purple beginning

Five minutes in this country and it's clear - things are about to go very bad. The UFLL and the APR are gearing up for open fighting. My mission is simple - to kill 'The Jackal' - the bastard that armed both sides.

So I take a taxi from the airport to get to a hotel. Pleasant enough ride, the nice views and driver's stories fill me in on the country's general mood. Except that in the very end I pass out from malaria.

I wake up in what might or migth not be my room in the hotel. The Jackal, the gun dealer I was sent to assassinate, is going through my stuff. Hands off, you little desert rat! Don't touch...*cough* Bloody sickness renders me helpless. My mark starts ranting about life and death. Just be silent and give me a gun if you dare, and we see who decides if you die or live. If I just could stand from this sickness... Hey, what do you know, a wall blows up, I'm not too good but I better find the strength to walk out of here or I'll be toast... The Jackal's gone, for some reason he spared me my life. Even left me with some hardware. Said something about me not being a threat... Bah! I never leave job unfinished. If a job is unfinished after me, it means I'm dead. I take a pistol and a machete my target left and wobble out of the room.

I figure I should get out and get some distance between me and the firefight, and find a place to lick my wounds. I'm in no condition to fight right now. I grab an abandoned assault rifle and jump out of a window in the backside of the building. There's noone here, great. I start advancing towards the way out of the town, but find out that a grassfire is blocking my way. I really don't want to start wandering around or go to the front side of the building where I can hear gunshots coming from. I decide to wait until the fire dies out from between me and the shortest way to safety.

Seconds feel like minutes. I'm all the time expecting someone to come and shoot me in the face. When I'm finally able to advance, I spot one hostile I hastily manage to nail. I hesitate a bit should I shoot or take cover from a second one, but figure that he only has a shotgun, it's not gonna be a problem from this distance so it should be safe to peek around the corner... except now he has at least two buddies. Maybe even more, I don't stay to find out but start running away. I get a feeling I'm gonna pass out soon again and stop to wait for it... Seems to take a bit long, I even have time to turn around and start shooting at this fellow following me from the village. Eventually I do indeed pass out again.

I wake up again in somewhere a bit darker and meet this dude who claims I owe him some errands because he lost underlings in the firefight. Duh, what did I ever do to get them killed. However, I figure it would not be too wise to start making more enemies than I absolutely need to, so I grit my teeth and do as I'm told.. for now. I arm myself and after a moment of searching find a car the lazy bum inside telss me to repair and set off to a mission he gave me.

Far cry from Africa

The Internet seems to be crawling with bloggers documenting their attempts to finish Far Cry 2 without dying once. I often attempt such self-imposed challenges myself when playing various games, and it's a good way to earn the mastered-status for the game in my backloggery, so I decided to join the crowd and try the same thing myself. Some seem to be doing this as a kind of social exercise, to see how their actions in the game change when they know they can't reload a save after failing. I myself do this just to make the game more interesting. It's more entertaining to me this way, when I know all decisions I make and actions I take are permanent and I have tip-toe my way through the enemies in the game. The downside of course is the frustration of dying 15 hours in.

Once I get an idea in my head it is hard to get it out of there, so even if I fail now I will probably try it again some day, and keep doing it until I succeed. My original idea was to finish the game first and only then publish the blogs to avoid a situation where I'm blogging my fiftieth time of securing my first safe house, but I decided to change my mind. For no special reason, really, I just... changed my mind.

I have read the first entry of Ben Abraham attempting the same thing, but have otherwise not followed the other players imposing the same challenge on themselves. I haven't finished the game yet myself and I want my games unspoiled. My plan is to write in much, much shorter segments and publish a recorded gameplay video of each segment.

The rules of the game are as follows:

-PC platform

-Infamous difficulty (the hardest available)

-No DLCs installed

-Dying once means game over

-No reloading saved games to undo actions or change decisions or anything to that effect.

Please note that the gameplay videos are edited: I've cut out most segments where there is something else than actual gameplay footage, such as menus or help screens instructing me to jump/crawl/throw grenades or whatever. The purpose of this is to give more immersive watching experience, I guess. It can cause some anomalies, though, such as the background music skipping forward a lot between two frames. As a side effect it also makes the videos shorter and take less hard disk space, I'm running low on that. That was one factor that made me upload the videos now already and not after I'm finished: now I can upload the videos and then delete them from my hard disk as necessary.