Far Cry 2

Fans of the FPS genre of gaming will probably have mixed feelings towards this game. In many respects, Far Cry 2 shows the true potential available to users of the current generation of console platforms, but at the same time, many of the functions break no new ground, and serve no great purpose.

The game is mission-based, a la Grand Theft Auto, allowing the player to roam 50 square kilometres of land, ranging from Vietnamesque jungle, to the African savanna, and everything in-between. The player travels across the war-torn countryside on assassination missions, convoy-interceptions, and underground networking assistance. Vehicles include Jeeps, trucks, gun-wagons, buggies, 4WD vehicles, hang-gliders, and swamp boats. There is always more than one way to get somewhere, which adds to the depth of the game, and detracts from the boredom of repetition so inherent in the latest Grand Theft Auto installment. The downside to this way of playing the game is that the gamer has to do an incredible amount of travelling, and for a first-person-shooter, this can grate immensely.

Currency in the game comes in the form of rough diamonds, which the gamer receives for accepting missions, but the gamer can also use trackers to find hidden diamonds. The gamer uses the diamonds to unlock weapons from arms dealers for use on future missions. The range of weaponry is incredible, and the varied use of multiple weapons can change the required approach to an enemy outpost (ie sneaking using silenced weapons and remote explosives, rather than going in with all guns blazing).

On the groundbreaking side of things, hearing enemies communicating with one another adds realism and depth to the people the gamer needs to kill, which causes further immersion into the game. Fire can be started, but not controlled, and the science of it seems realistic enough to put a smile on anyone's face. Add to this the buddy system, where people whose lives you save end up saving yours, and you'll see that Far Cry 2 certainly offers something new to the seasoned gamer.

As already mentioned, the mission-based large-map way of completing the game may impress some, but it is fully understandable why other gamers, who played the first Far Cry may be disappointed, and may see this as a nod to GTA.

By far the most disappointing aspect of this game is the online mode. It is not a terrible addition to the game, but once a gamer has played the Halo series online, or indeed the immaculate Call of Duty 4, it becomes obvious that the developers threw the online mode together, with seemingly no interest in maintaining an online fanbase.

Overall, Far Cry 2 breaks new ground in realism (watching fire spread is a joy to behold), but at the same time it is clear that the developers have taken ideas (not necessarily good ones) from other titles, in an attempt to please the masses. Whether the ideas work or not is merely a matter of opinion. The gamer can expect a lot of travelling, almost endless carnage, and online play fit for few.

This game gives me the real feeling of far cry. Away from home, nobody there to back you up. I don't care what people says but this is the best FPS experience of my life. Attached to reality and very indulging.Many didn't like the jamming animations and weapon explosions but it makes sense when you have to traverse through rivers, desert, savannah, etc etc. You may caught up with malaria and stuffs and weapons get rusty too over time. Those are pain in game-play but make sense guys. This game has flaws but no game is perfect. But this was close to undeniable world phenomenon. Big thumbs up for the director (Clint Hocking).

Real as in -

1. You have to drive all the way to the target point or if you don't want any enemy confrontation take bus to the nearest stop. 2. You cannot run insanely forever at same energy. 3. Liberated Outposts can be easily taken back by the enemy as there is no one to guard it. 4. You have the most wanted head in their territory. Why won't they pounce on your back the second they sees you.(They=everyone=enemy).

Far Cry 3 & 4 are just fun play. Nothing new as compared to any other FPS with just some funny character in it. Loved the way background score lined up with the situation. Trust me guys just give this gem one more shot. You will certainly find it different and awesome.

'Far Cry 2 (2008)' isn't supposed to be a traditionally 'fun' experience. In fact, it goes to great lengths to fight against the player, attempting to mimic its story's bleak and ultimately anti-war tone within its actual gameplay. This is an interesting prospect, to say the least. Your guns can jam and eventually break, your companions can die or even turn against you, your explosives can cause wildfires that wipe you out, and your character constantly requires medication for the malaria they contract right at the start of the plot. It all feels rather 'realistic', as it were. This hostility has a tendency to put players off, but those who stick with the experience will find a slow-burning, open-world thriller that essentially emulates Joseph Conrad's 'Heart Of Darkness'. It's actually rather remarkable how unlike most examples of the genre this is. There are only four spots that offer 'fast travel', there aren't an overabundance of side-quests, your map is a physical item you have to look at... the list goes on. It makes for a rather unique affair, one that sort of creeps up on you. The game's narrative sees your mercenary - one of several whom you can choose between - travel to Africa in order to eliminate the elusive Jackal, only to get caught up in a civil war and participate in the circulation of blood diamonds. It's an 'every man for himself' sort of story, with each mission offering the opportunity to 'switch sides'; no matter what you do, you're betraying somebody. This all comes together nicely for a near nihilistic vibe, even though the ending itself feels rather scripted and forced. The piece is enjoyable, even if it's often frustrating and cumbersome by design, and it's bold in its decision to favour immersion, in terms of both aesthetic and theme, over ease of use. It might not please fans of the following 'Far Cry' games, but it's a great first-person shooter nevertheless. 8/10

I don't think it's aged well. You'll spend much more time travelling from the mission-giver to the destination than actually performing the tasks required in the mission. Spend five minutes driving to a corner of the map, destroy an enemy cache with a single grenade in a maximum of two minutes, spend another five minutes or more returning for the next mission. Sprinkle in the endless enemy patrols, meandering road network and on-brand repetition from this Ubisoft game, and you end up with a title that felt fresh and even next-gen in 2008, but a very faded product now.

I loved this game. I thought it captured the atmosphere of a dirty bush war very well. You go in all guns blazing and its all fun and games, but as the story goes on, it becomes darker, dubious moral choices, hurting the little people. And all this is enhanced by the Jackal Tapes. Whoever wrote those is a genius, they set the mood very well. You're no hero, you're just another exploiter.

Mayfield in The Mandalorian has a variation on it "Yeah, Empire, new Republic. It's all the same to these people. Invaders on their land is all we are." And if you follow those Jackal Tapes you KNOW you're just another invader.

The Zulu and Afrikaans spoke by the mercenaries is a great detail too, helped the atmosphere.