For all the destruction we caused, our man isn't invincible. The shower of bullets rained down by our foes has caused several wounds that need care. Five bars at the bottom of the screen represent your health, a single bar refilling if you avoid damage. Administering first aid via the left bumper enables you to recover health whenever it dips down to your last one or two bars. A snap of the shoulder to relocate your arm or a flick of your knife to excavate a bullet does the trick. Regenerating your health in full requires shooting up with a syringe.

With all of the bandits cleared from the camp and health refilled, destroying the antenna is next on the list of things to do. A well-aimed blast from the rocket launcher does the trick. Thanks from Frank over the radio affirms the mission is complete; however, our problems aren't over. Frank is coming under heavy fire from angry rebels responding to a back up call from their now-deceased buddies. It's up to you whether you back down to the riverside shack using a glider to save Frank or let him fend for himself. For now, we set the controller down to wait until the game's release later this year.

Far Cry 2 has the makings of an innovative shooter, a title that will undoubtedly push the genre forward. That doesn't mean it isn't without flaw. There's no cover system at all, leaving you to fend for yourself in dangerous gun battles. You can hide behind objects and such, but there's no button for saddling up against a wall. Additionally, you're unable to lay prone, which would greatly help in stealthy situations or taking aim with a sniper rifle. We'd like to see these features added, but Hocking wouldn't comment. Even so, they're minor complaints amid a game that oozes potential.

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