Physics Model and Sound
Not only are the graphics great, the physics are wonderful too. Far Cry is a testament to getting the physics of a game right. Crytek must have put some serious work into this and they’ve opened up gameplay opportunities that serve to enrich the game ten fold. Now, rather than just shoot the baddies from afar, why not shoot the bar of that cage holding those barrels, then watch with glee as the barrels roll down the hill and crush the baddies. These are not just set pieces which occur every now and then. This is the application of real world logic and physics into a game. It’s been long overdue and at last its here! How about NOT climbing that ladder and trying to sneak up on the bad guy, but instead shoot out the chains holing up that big girder and watch that take out the baddie and the three others who came to see what the noise was.
And speaking of noise, the use of sound is brilliant. Weapon sounds change according to whether you’re in the wide open or crawling along a tunnel. Voices and explosions echo of corridor and canyon walls alike. Sounds are faint far away, not just suddenly cutting in when you get near. The sound use impacts the gameplay as well, with your enemies listening for you. This allows you to distract them by throwing stones to draw them away from you. Be careful though, do it too often and they'll know something is up.