Ubisoft then bought the rights entirely from Crytek in 2006, before releasing the critically abhorred Far Cry Vengeance for the Wii's launch. Since then it's all been quiet on the series' front (not counting Uwe Boll's movie adaptation), until the not-so surprising confirmation last year that Far Cry 2 was in development for PC (the PS3 and 360 versions were confirmed earlier this year). It is being developed by Ubisoft's famed Montréal studio - by the team who developed the average console iterations - and is due to land around this autumn. History aside, it would be true to say there's a lot riding on this game, but from what Ubisoft have shown so far, it is definitely looking up to the task.

Ditching the first game's tropical island setting (and protagonist Jack Carver), the game now takes place in a fictional African state, with terrain encompassing a variety of locales from savannah through to jungle across its 50 square kilometres. Exact plot details are unclear, but the ultimate task is eliminating one specific enemy character, and it is thought you will have extensive interaction and cooperation with NPCs and different factions to reach your goal, much like as seen in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. or Boiling Point.

Far Cry 2 will inevitably be compared to Crytek's latest title, Crysis, but it seems Ubi are going to considerable lengths to distance themselves from the graphical titan. Gone are any of the previous games' ridiculous dabbles with mutant soldiers and suicidal monkeys; Far Cry 2 is thankfully concentrating on relative realism and is not trying to introduce any twee supernatural elements like aliens or über soldiers, as many modern-day FPS favour so.