Far Cry 2 art director Alex Amancio writes a short but facinating account of his two-week trip to Kenya.

When we first began developing the Far Cry 2 world, it became apparent that something was missing. The universe that we were creating felt somehow hollow – like a film set rather than a credible, living, breathing world. It quickly became clear that we needed to experience Africa firsthand in order to do it justice in the game.

Normally, I'd sort of scoff at this artsy insistence that you have to experience a place to make a game out of it. I'm sure there are plenty of movies and photos of Africa. But the proof is in the pudding. Far Cry 2 is one of the most hauntingly beautiful and strangely otherworldly places I've ever visited in a videogame. If the magic ingredient was sending Amancio to Africa, then so be it. Here's hoping more developers fly their art directors around the world.