PZ's FC4 comments

[PZ]

I was going to wait to get the game until I got a new gaming rig, but my son wants to get together and play co-op and he is on the console - playing with him is about the only reason I have FC4 for the console.  I became intrigued when he told me about something entirely novel, and off to the store I went.  Naturally, Ubi screwed up a potentially good thing and again I was disappointed.  If not for the stunning graphics, and overall more positive than negative experiences I'd likely not purchase Ubishit again.

I don't like suffering through the long introductory cut scenes - this would be an especially noxious bore if playing through a second time, but then again, I doubt that Ubi wants you play a second time.

I'm playing on easy as I always do in any game, and so far not too much bad has happened to me.  I haven't been attacked by an eagle yet, and using the arrows on the wolves was relatively easy.

I love the driving in the game - it is so much easier to have a single stick control all forward, rearward, and left/right movements - leaves hands and fingers to focus on other things.

The other great option with driving is pressing the L3 button to drive hands free so you can fire at baddies - you can even drive hands free so you don't need to worry about the road.

Auto-aim appears to w@&k really well, and your weapon follows your target as long as you remain relatively on target - this is essential for me on the console with it's normally difficult control mechanism.

Throwing bait toward bad guys is funny, especially when you are on a ledge.  3 mercs were below when I threw the dead meat - soon a bear appeared and mauled them all - the animations were great.  After they were all dead, I shot the bear, and harvested his skin, and then looted all the mercs.

After a reasonable experience so far, I just can't wait for a main mission

[Art Blade]

leaves hands and fingers to focus on other things

food?

[Binnatics]

 :-()

[PZ]

  You know me quite well!

[Art Blade]

 :-()

[PZ]

I'm just doing free roam right now, opening up towers.  Used a gyro and landed right on the platform of one - hopped out and stopped the propaganda.

Cool - the next one I did not move the gyro in far enough and it fell to the ground after I hopped out - still not too bad because I didn't have to climb the thing

Now to the third one - imagine my surprise when a Dragunov merc was on top, and his friends below - nearly shot me out of the air.  Had to go in standard that time, but got a sniper rifle as a prize.

I also did the M79 mission that nex posted a video on not too long ago - was fun, but a bit linear.  Still good though.

I have not done much of the story line - I am now at the point where I need to choose between the guy and the gal for my story line.

[mandru]

I'd noted the trick of using the mini-heli to avoid climbing towers.

But if this game's anything like FC3 aren't you missing possible treasure, ammo and (for this specific game) posters or other collectables by not making the exploratory climb?

[PZ]

I'd noted the trick of using the mini-heli to avoid climbing towers.

But if this game's anything like FC3 aren't you missing possible treasure, ammo and (for this specific game) posters or other collectables by not making the exploratory climb?

I don't think so, but am not positive it applies to all towers.  I've climbed a few, and did not find collectibles along the way, and the treasure chests are on the same floor as the device you inactivate so I collect them while I am there.

I'll tell you what though, there is plenty of money in the game - not infrequently my wallet is full.

I love the little gyro because I can easily and quickly explore the entire island - this for me is one of the best improvements in the game - to be able to quickly explore from high up so you can see very far.

Even if I didn't do a single main mission, this game has been worth it for me so far - I've purchased other dumb games that I have played far less, and with less satisfaction.

[mandru]

Even if I didn't do a single main mission, this game has been worth it for me so far - I've purchased other dumb games that I have played far less, and with less satisfaction.

Nice.  :-X

[PZ]

Indeed; it is nice to see what is around the next bend in the game.  I don't like the pesky eagles however, but someone (nexor?) said that they regularly killed eagles using the knife, and it worked for me - swung wildly, and a cloud of feathers later, a black eagle lay dead at my feet.  You don't actually skin them, but you do collect their feathers.

[nexor]

Yes, I found that works well PZ, but your timing must be right also, I keep the eagle in sight and as it's about to attack he pulls his wings in and then I either shoot him or swing the knife wildly as you say  :-D

[Art Blade]

just toss a pack of C-4 in the air and detonate it.. takes out the fattest eagles. :-D

[nexor]

Just one itsy bitsy teenie weenie problem with that, what goes up, must come down......  ::)
and if your timing is not perfect, you'll wear that c4 around your neck when it goes off   :o

[PZ]

 

[Dweller_Benthos]

The thing I don't like about eagles (and devil fish) is you can't fend them off with your knife like you could the sharks in FC3 (at least I think you could? I seem to remember being able to use melee attack while swimming, which you can't in FC4) but when an eagle attacks you, you just have to stand there and take it, at least with the other animals you get a mash key prompt to fend off the attack.

I have found that they will squeal a bit, then you get another warning squeal, then they will hover a bit then attack. If you can get them in the hover, it's easy to take them out. Haven't tried with a knife yet but have done it with the bow.

[PZ]

Interesting, D_B  ????

I managed to take out 3 devil fish with my knife while swimming under water last night - all 3 right in a row.  Used the knife, and the game did present me with the mash button which varied from square to triangle.

I've also taken out eagles with the knife, but the best time is when they are swooping down on you with talons extended.  I also took one out last night with an M4.  When you kill eagles, you harvest black feathers, although what you do with them is beyond me.

I'm playing on easy so maybe that makes a difference

[Art Blade]

the buzzsaw is really nice against eagles.

Nexor, that comment about C-4 around one's neck made me chuckle :-D

[nexor]

 :-D

[fragger]

Sometimes you get the mash-key option when a wild animal attacks you. The wolf one is amusing - when you successfully mash, you fight him off, he backs away, comes back in and you punch him in the side of the head :-() Then you get a window of attack with a weapon.

I've had to mash off a honey badger, a couple of wolves and a tiger so far. Mashing off a badger is funny - you essentially hold him at arm's length and kind of slap him around before throwing him away :-() He'll come back at you but you get to shoot him then.

[nexor]

Those honey badgers are cocky little buggers, I've seen a wolf backing off from one   :-D

[mandru]

There's a vid on Youtube of a guy going on the mission to either eliminate and get the fur of a rampaging honey badger.

The guy had to go into the cave a couple times with different weaponry equipped.  On the first attempt that little sucker kicked the snot outta him in jig time.

Ah!

I found it. The honey badger segment of this starts at about the 6:00 minute mark and it's about 7:50 where he actually gets through dinking off and actually launches into the mission.  :D

I think I did this right this time

www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpN-rVbGqHE

The guy who made this while showing fair editing skills of his game capture footage is seriously twisted in what I found to be an amusing even if sometimes tedious way.  I have to admit I laughed my guts out at some of the boneheaded situations that arose from less than prudent decisions.  I found his play style to be an excellent primer for how to not play.  :-D

If I used facebook I still wouldn't like his vids because I really wouldn't want anyone who knows me (IRL) to know that something so stupid (even if planned to be so) could make me giggle.  8-X

[Dweller_Benthos]

I actually thought the special honey badger hunt was one of the easiest. Maybe I was lucky, as I approached the area, he was just outside the old temple and I shot him. Fairly short burst too, since you get the heavy machine gun, and it was done.

As far as that goes, all the special fashion hunts were pretty easy, I mean the demon fish one they give you the grenade launcher, right? The only problem I had with that one was an army patrol boat messed me up the first time, and somehow killed the fish before I could get to it? Strange. But as I recall, the special hunts in FC3 were a bit more difficult, having to use bows or shotguns, not fully automatic weapons or explosives that are used in FC4.

That guy in the video is obviously playing the game for the entertainment value of his videos, not anything else. Amusing though.

[PZ]

I was attacking an outpost last night and intended to go in completely silent, eliminate all mercs without sound, etc.  High on a ledge, I scoped everything out only to hear the growl of a honey badger coming my way - had to do him in with the knife!  Oh well, back to scouting the area when I heard another menacing growl - no, not another badger, a pack of 4 Tibetan wolves!  Managed to kill 3 of them before the last bugger got me.

Man, what bad luck.

[Art Blade]

 :-D

[PZ]

Played co-op with my son the other night and it was loads of fun!  He is far more experienced than I am - has most all skills maxed out, etc. so he was helping me along to more quickly advance my character.  I now carry a suppressed 700, compound bow, M79, and M4.  He was the pilot of the gyro and I was in the back seat working as a gunner of sorts.

It was really cool clearing out the outposts in co-op form - way better than those lame guns for hire that are crying and whining all the time, until the area is cleared of course.  :-()