Finally, the wait is over. After much wishing, hoping, praying and finally, the posting of a bounty, Canalzone beta 1 has arrived for community consumption. Thanks to VilePickle’s many hours of hard work, Canalzone has been updated with a new domination game mode and re-themed to fit into the world of Team Fortress 2. Now that the map is in beta, we hope players find the map as fast paced and exciting as we all did.

For fans of the original canalzon from QWTF, there have been a few notable changes. First, there are no flags to carry around, there are 8 CP’s. Secondly, the scores do not go toward team points like they used to. In TF2 that would result with lots of silly dinging. Each team has a meter counting towards 100% and is reflected in the score meter both in the user interface and in the middle of most CP’s. The team who reaches 100% first, by controlling the most points is awarded the score for that round and the teams switch sides. A team may also win the round by capturing all 8 CP’s. There is no command center.

New players, upon seeing this map for the first time may be a bit confused. There are many control points and they are all named and numbered. Please review this overhead view of the map to get your feel for the lay of the land. This map was created to reflect the quakeworld version of canalzon, but the basic architecture and point identification is the same. Of note, there are no more secrets and all paths have been opened up between the CP’s.

This map need some beta testing to shake out any bugs that may not be apparent. This map is well on its way and Vile will more than likely receive the previously posted bounty.

When we got our hands on a playable build of Far Cry 2 at E3 2008, we were immediately impressed by the game's immersive atmosphere. Not just graphics; things like the near-complete lack of HUD, the intense weapon recoil, the believable damage to persons and structures and the pull-that-bullet-out-of-your-big-toe health regeneration system had us playing more conservatively than we might otherwise. But over the course of our short demo, lead level designer Jonathan Morin told us about one more - the game's so-called "buddy system."

At first, we didn't quite understand what Morin was going on about. Buddies were NPCs you could befriend (eh); buddies would give you your mission objectives (yawn); and buddies would - spectacularly - save your rear from rather extensive perforation by dragging it to nearby cover (hmmm). But when Morin told us that these buddies would also feature into the game's plot, we perked up our ears.

Games like Portal and BioShock have recently proven that even first-person shooters can tell impressive stories, but these games are typically quite linear - with only one path for the player to tread, you've more or less got a captive audience for the journey that follows. But Far Cry 2 boasts 50 square kilometers of African jungle for players to traverse at their leisure. How could a game that big, and that open, possibly tell a convincing tale? Morin couldn't say, but there was someone else in the room eminently qualified to assist - the game's dedicated narrative designer, Patrick Redding.

Once you pick your mercenary and launch into Far Cry 2, the other seven mercs are sent out to occupy the rest of the game world. Throughout the game you'll be engaging these characters. They'll be providing you with side quests, constant commentary about your relationship to the ongoing conflict, and occasionally aiding you in battle. Outside of these characters, you’ll be playing both sides of the war, aiding the underground civilians in return for malaria medication, and engaging your constant search to find the Jackal. Already you can see how there are a number of relationships at work. Aid one side of the conflict too much, and the other faction may turn on you. Ignore the Underground, and expect your malaria to kick in at the least opportune moment. Far Cry 2 is all about playing your options, and the designers expect you to be overwhelmed with choices.

It’s not the kind of game that hits you with dialog trees that clearly define your choices. Far Cry 2 requires that a player adapt of their own free will. Aiding factions may net you some conflict diamonds to spend on weapons and upgrades in any of the 3 towns in the 50 square kilometer area. But if you spend too much time gaining money, the civilians may turn on you and refuse to provide you with medication. You may not be able to keep everyone happy, but that’s what makes the game exciting to play: actions have consequences, however indefinable they may be at one given time.

Trekking around the African landscape can be done however you choose. You can hop in a car, catch a hang glider on a nearby cliff, or just hoof it across the terrain. I just don’t recommend walking everywhere, because you’ll get nowhere fast. Of course, how you choose to travel can often affect any conflicts you engage in. During the day, troops will easily spot you on an open road and defend their territory aggressively. Use the cover of night and stick to the bushes to try to sneak in to lay waste to any camps you need to infiltrate. Just make sure that everyone is dead, enemies are known to drag each other to safety to heal one another.

The sheer wealth of choices you have when engaging an area in combat are pretty daunting. The number of weapons available can reflect nearly every style of play. Hold on to the ones you buy in town, because scattered weapons will rust and increase their chance of jamming with each shot fired. Players are able to scope out areas in advance by targeting the terrain with their binoculars. Any medkits, ammo crates, sniper towers, and so on are all marked out on your map for you to reference later. There’s really just so much that you can do to make the game experience your own, it lends an air of RPG to the entire experience.

Because there’s so much going on in Far Cry 2, I really just want to take the time to describe one moment that left a lasting impression on me. Before heading out to blow up a pipeline, I ran into one of the NPC mercenaries in a nearby shack. We chatted for a bit, he said it would be good to watch each other’s backs, and I took off. During my next encounter, I fell in the midst of battle and instead of just dying, I woke up to discover the NPC dragging me to the edges of the conflict. He was firing away, covering me while I regained my wits, and then literally put a handgun in my open palm and raised me off the ground. Of course, I quickly set out in search of a new weapon, but the whole experience immersed me in the game play. If I hadn’t talked to him, I’d be dead right now. It was very, very cool.

I really can’t wait to get my hands on the final game. It’s been a long time since an FPS has immersed me so heavily in an environment in a way that I felt I had complete control over my actions. Far Cry 2 may be the title I’m looking forward to most for this fall. The game has a simultaneous release on the PS3, 360, and PC this holiday season.