GDC08: Far Cry 2 gives you malaria, deal with it

by James Ransom-Wiley { Feb 22nd 2008 at 2:25PM }

During a lecture on narrative design today, Ubisoft Montreal's Patrick Redding revealed that Far Cry 2's health system is tied to infection. Upon arriving in the game's fictitious African country, the player's character -- the strong, silent type -- is immediately stricken with malaria. Ubisoft's Patrick Redding called this device the "ultimate mechanical drawback." The disease creates a dependence on medicine ('health packs'), but the pills aren't scattered throughout the plains or hidden inside crates. Instead, medicine can only be obtained from civilians. The developers use this device as one of the game's few "push" designs; otherwise, players control the order and scope of Far Cry 2.

The reality of malaria and its debilitating symptoms (ultimately death -- if untreated) forces the player to interact with non-threatening characters, in turn, exploiting the urge to anthropomorphize the AI. Human conditions are recreated through these interactions. A few doses might be exchanged for, say, travel papers. The civilians don't simply operate as the game's 'store,' but function as "micronarrative" elements who bring life to the gameworld -- like, the desperation inherent in a war-torn country. But Ubisoft Montreal doesn't "presume to know what's in the player's heart." Whether you obtain the papers simply to quell the fevers and convulsions, or instead come to sympathize with the civilian's helpless condition, the developers provide the space for freedom of experience. You've got malaria. Deal with it.

Tags: breakingnews, far-cry-2, gdc08, ubisoft

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

DangerMouse @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:30PM

"I'M GONNA SHOOT YOU IN THE FACE"

"BITE MY ASS"

Doesn't sound like we're going to hear those classic one-liners this time around.

fernarndo @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:02PM

FERNANDO IS A RACIST, HATE MONGER-ER!

Chris @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:31PM

Hm... this probably means I can't go and slaughter/incinerate every character in the game wilily-nilly. Hm.

BigD145 @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:36PM

Why not? They must have that medicine on them somewhere.

Red Viking @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:33PM

The developers *DO* realize that many players will simply mow civilians down with bullets and take the treatments by force, right?

Trev @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:43PM

I'm sure they do. If they're smart about it, there will be pros and cons to both methods. If they're dumb, you'll just get a pile of fetch quests to keep your health bar full and an unnecessarily long, tedious game.

Psaakyrn @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:46PM

And how many civilians would actually have said medicine and NOT have protection? Such medicine is more likely to be in the black market (hence the travel papers exchange).

Ben @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:18PM

I guess no one read how the game was going to work when it was posted the first time... like 2 months ago. There are factions in the game. If you go around killing people for the medicine (if that's even possible, I don't think they carry the medicine on them, I think I remember reading they get it from places outside the playable area) you're not going to make it very far. If you do make it out of the village/town/whatever, you'll never be welcome back and decrease your chances of getting more medicine.

Jerk Face @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:32PM

That is actually really, really awesome. I am more intrigued by this game than I was before, reading this.

Gehodra @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:55PM

You're happy that this poor soul was stricken with malaria? You monster.

Martez @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:32PM

Cool idea. I hope it plays out well.

OMGOMG @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:33PM

Between this and Dead Space, I'm really intrigued by the way developers are trying to re-work the interaction you have in the game. This is just more proof that the true innovating is occurring in the west in gaming, something that seemed impossible 5 years ago.

Edog Lost @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:48PM

I agree.
I also think innovations in story telling techniques like those in "Assassin's Creed" are improving. The concept of hiding the wires,(if you will) although sketchy and a little off putting right now, do a lot to innovate how we play the game while maintaining the illusion of the experience.

I look forward to seeing the integration of the phone in GTA IV

FOXHOUND @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:41PM

Thanks to the previous Wii game and now the film soon to be released, I have no interest in FAR CRY. :(

Kamall @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:04PM

Whats the deal with giving so many franchises to other developers/producers who ruin the franchise?

Far Cry 2 will have none of the spirit of the original, no Trigens, no mercanies with hilarious combat taunts, no Jack Carver with his awesome wisecracks, you have to have fucking Jack Carver in this game damn it! The film is a total fuckup.

Fallout 3 will probably lack the sprit of the first two games, the Fallout game on Xbox and PS2 was a POS.

Devil May Cry 2 sucked as it was made by another developer.

I loved the first two Soldier of Fortunes and Payback is complete garbage.

Stop whoring out franchises to other incompetent developers. : (

Tyler @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:49PM

Granted I don't know the exact state of this fictitious country in Africa, let alone the specifics of a real African country, but does it make a lot of sense to run around looking for random civilians to give you medicine after you've contracted a deadly disease? Personally I'd look for a hospital.

So assuming malaria medicine is readily available to civilians(and there are no medical facilities), don't they have it because they need it? Or are they given such quantities as to have a stash of extras they can give out to some random dude who carries out a simple task for them? It just doesn't make any sense to me given the context. Obviously I'll have to wait and see a bit more of the plot and reasoning behind all this, but it sounds retarded to me.

NATO_Duke @ Feb 22nd 2008 2:56PM

Having you just go to the hospital wouldn't do much to drive the storyline now would it?

Its a game - suspend reality for a moment and enjoy.

Tyler @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:37PM

Suspension of disbelief is expected in nearly any game, but to a point, and not at the expense of immersion. Nobody is going to believe that civilians in a third-world country are bursting at the seams with extra medicine. They might be more inclined to believe, for instance, that the civilians knows of some extra medicine in a local supply depot run by the local warlord. Again, I don't know jack shit about the logistics of this fictitious African country, but apparently it's a whole lot better than the real thing.

Shiro @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:42AM

I'd have to agree with Tyler here.
While I know there are some silly things in games sometimes, this is one of those series that has to be believable in a logical sense, because it's a fictional version of a REAL world.

Now, in Diddy Kong Racing, I am quite ready to believe that this go-kart mounted homing missile was in fact obtained by violently destroying two red balloons, but that's because they're not driving around in present-day Africa. Nor do they have Malaria. But that's not the point.

So, let's just hope that the story writers can find a way to give every civilian a few extra doses of meds, and we'll have no problem, eh?

Raikage (Ludwig Defense Force) @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:02PM

Interesting...

Worst Review Ever @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:09PM

The title for this post would have been slightly better if it were "Far Cry 2 gives you malaria, deal with it...pussy."

Kael @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:14PM

Hm. This is the wrong way to go. Instead of rewarding players for interacting with the civilian AI, they punish you if you don't. That's the wrong approach.

Marty @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:20PM

Aside from the extreme graphics (for the time), I came away from Far Cry very unimpressed. A very mediocre shooter exists under all the bling, and if Far Cry 2 is more of the same, you can expect a 'pass' from me.

zero @ Feb 22nd 2008 3:27PM

Great, just what I want from an FPS; even MORE of a reason to constantly be looking for health. DOOM 3 on the hardest setting was like this and it was annoying as hell to constantly be looking for health. I see where they're going with the mechanic though. Perhaps if there was some other dehabilitating factor, other than health, it could be alright.

Silly Sauce @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:09PM

THIS JUST IN:

Far Cry 2 renamed to "Oregon Trail 2: The Quest For A Cure"

Kassu @ Feb 22nd 2008 4:27PM

Making you do stupid shit like TALKING to people?

Come on, give me a shotgun and a sniper rifle, not fucking malaria.

This will suck.

Sleaze @ Feb 22nd 2008 5:16PM

I just hope they keep the side effects of the malaria medication in the game:

Paranoia, nightmares, seizures, depression, anxiety, damage your sense of balance, thoughts of suicide.

Now that sounds like a badass game!

Grimble Crumble @ Feb 22nd 2008 6:28PM

Diarrhea in 720P FTW?

Shiro @ Feb 23rd 2008 6:45AM

Holy shit, it does, actually.
Now let's find some extra, inexplicable symptoms, then have Dr. House star for the rest of the game trying to find a cure!

Ben @ Feb 22nd 2008 7:22PM

You don't get it from the average joe civilian. You get the medicine from people like doctors or drug runners... you know, people with access to medicine, not the bum on the corner or a little kid. Doctors are civilians too you know.
BTW, check out other posts with the Far Cry 2 tag, there was one that explained pretty much everything everyone's confused about and had nice gameplay video with commentary (which is where all the info comes from).

Pupnasty @ Feb 22nd 2008 10:24PM

ok, so...about this whole install thing, if thats next gen...then....we fell back multiples gens. I mean, every console i have played on hads had no need for an install (besides finalfantasy MMO and thats why i play consoles, no installing and worries of failed installs, which leads to m issing files and shit, so my point is, installs are useless, and pointless, you dont see that on the 360 or wii now do ya...i mean...you even have to install damn demos on the ps3!