Far Cry 2

Despite the series really finding itself and breaking through with games like Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4, it's Far Cry 2 that is by far the most interesting game in this fairly long-running series. The reason why is because of its rawness and unique experimentation. Far Cry 3 sanitized what Far Cry 2 was, in order to appeal to a mass audience. But Far Cry 2 kept it unfiltered and avant-garde. In many ways, Far Cry 2 shares a lot in common with Ubisoft's previous release, the original Assassin's Creed. In that they are both games that have become their own, as sequels would expand but also dumb down the serious and experimental nature of these games.

Far Cry 2 is really interesting in how it delivers its story. The plot seems fairly barebones, but the real story comes from the games themes and how the player actively makes an example of those themes through gameplay. It's how the player completes objectives that truly tells the deeper story and feeds into the game's themes of mindless killing and dehumanization. And while the story features many different characters that you come across in such a bloodthirsty quest, the most interesting character is really the antagonist - who might just be the most underrated Far Cry "villain" in the series. The Jackal. The Jackal further questions the themes of the story and comes with a whole slew of philosophical audio logs that are extremely well-written and showcases the best voice acting in the game (voice acting in this game is very oddly paced and presented, but The Jackal just compelling to listen to). It's a thematically driven story at heart, which later games would shift away from (which was the same case for the first Assassin's Creed game).

The gameplay is by far the most divisive and most unique aspect of the game. It's a different kind of survival game. Shootouts are intense, but are made even more so when your weapons can jam and even break right in the heat of battle. It's a game that encourages spontaneous and on the fly thinking. Your gun is jammed? Quickly pick up a dead enemies' weapon and change tactic. Or you can run and gun while constantly picking up weapons. The open world is also very hostile. Enemies encounter you with their vehicles or wait for you at random outposts, ready to rip you apart. Not only that, but you also have to watch out for Malaria (one of the more controversial elements of the game) which can make the game a bit obnoxious, but definitely keeps the stakes high. In other words, the game is challenging and a bit harder to get into than later games. The gameplay was really filled with multiple great ideas that needed expanding, but that later games trivialized or completely removed. Essentially, removing the challenging aspects to make the games more accessible. Hence, why Far Cry 2 feels so raw in its rougher and harder presentation. When you get the hang of the game's unforgiving nature, it truly shines.

Lastly, the overall presentation. Far Cry 2's art direction and visual style is very gritty. Brown color palettes and grimier environments. It fits the game's grim tone and the idea of an African bloodbath. Even better is the stellar soundtrack by Marc Canham. The soundtrack fuses elements of traditional African music with elements of dark psychedelia. Creating an atmosphere that is rich with culture, but that is also grim and psychologically tormented.

Far Cry 2 is the series at its most daring. It's challenging in its gameplay and thought-provoking in its narrative themes. In many ways, Far Cry 2's niche and unforgiving nature makes it feel like a sort of mid-market arthouse game. And because of that, Far Cry 2 is the most Far Cry game I've ever played in the series. Unsanitized, grimy, yet thought-provoking.

"Far Cry 2" evokes ambiguous emotions. On the one hand, this is a game in which many mechanics have become the basis for future installments of the series. A huge open world, dynamic missions, the ability to apply different approaches to combat, a huge number of weapons - all this was supposed to immerse you in the gameplay. However, in practice, the game is disappointing.

I tried to start the passage twice, and both times I quickly lost interest. You seem to understand that it was "Far Cry 2" that laid the foundations that developed so successfully in subsequent games that I love, but for some reason I don't want to play the second part. Perhaps it's the atmosphere itself or the boring pace: frequent transport breakdowns, constant enemy attacks and excessive attention to detail, like treatment, all this slows down the gameplay. The map of Africa, even if it is open, quickly gets bored with monotony. The map in your hands is wildly inconvenient for orientation The plot also leaves no special trace. The characters seem dry, the motivations are boring, and the missions quickly start repeating themselves. This is a game that, despite all attempts to immerse you in the atmosphere of survival and war, is more tiring than exciting. And the game is strikingly inferior in atmosphere to the original. If the future parts of the series were able to correct these mistakes, then "Far Cry 2" remains for me the project that can hardly be called successful.

4 out of 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.

'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