Far Cry® 2: Fortune's Edition

I've never liked Far Cry 2 as a shooter, because of it's atrocious hitboxes. I've first played this on the Xbox 360, and I couldn't stand it. I don't know how I've even managed to play through the first chapter. Bought it again here, and the problem remains the same. And apparently, either because I didn't noticed it before, or didn't think about it, but I have to agree to install Punkbuster. On a site where there aren't supposed to be DRM. And now I can't play anymore, even after agreeing to install it. Game is broken. I wouldn't risk buying this here.

Far Cry 2 is a great sandbox shooter game. You are being send back and forth through a wonderful African scenery to do various tasks, most of them involving shooting. What I like about this shooter is the freedom one has in approaching a mission. You can go with sound suppressors, sniper rifles, mortars or RPGs (there is an impressive arsenal at your disposal and it is unlocked as you progress through the game). The choice is yours and the outcome is always spectacular, given also the great graphics engine: fire raging through the wilderness, blasts and shock waves, splinters flying around the buzzing of bullets and, of course, there's also the "human factor" (and some chickens if my memory serves me well). The game might get boring fast if you look for an elaborate plot and a rich finale, because there's not much of those two. However, if you just want to ride a 4x4 to the first bandit encampment and let loose your savage fury or Molotov cocktails then you can't go wrong with Far Cry 2. Once you press the trigger, it gets visceral. So visceral that, from time to time, your character will have to pull out a splinter or two from various parts of his body. At the end of the day, given all I've said, I have no problem with this game having nothing in common (except perhaps some guns) with the first Far Cry. It is great fun to play and for that I give it 5/5 stars.

Far Cry 2 may be a tough sell to a generation of gamers who grew up with the subsequent games in the series. Primarily due to some design decisions that I think were poorly thought out or left unpolished - things such as the relentlessly pursuing enemies whenever you pass by a guard post, or the malaria sickness that you constantly have to manage throughout the game. But speaking as someone who played them all, I still hold this game in very high regard as one of the most interesting entries in the series. The most praiseworthy element of this game is just how much thought went into the design of what is arguably a very immersive experience. If you're the type of gamer who is absolutely sick of current-day Ubisoft game design, where the world map is always covered in a carpet of pointless tasks that are somehow supposed to qualify as meaningful content, then you may be pleased with the fact that Far Cry 2 came out before this homogenized style of open world games became the modern standard. The game features a very minimalistic HUD and the only map screen that you'll see here is the actual map that your character pulls in front of his face whenever you want to get your bearings. This really allows you to stay connected with the game world and similar to games like Morrowind, it lends itself to the sense of immersion when you actually have to use your wits to figure out where you need to go. There are also plenty of other, gameplay gimmicks here that also enhance the sense of immersion, such as jamming weapons, healing animations, buddy system, dynamic weather, and really impressive-looking fire physics. And of course, the incredibly atmospheric and inherently hostile African setting. It is a sandbox game in the truest sense of the word that offers little hand-holding and prioritizes freedom of exploration and tough survival gameplay. Just be prepared for the fact that it may require a bit more patience than your typical modern shooter.

Far Cry 2 feels lackluster and boring, despite obvious potential. Honestly, feels like they were unable to program proper AI. Doing missions for either of two "opposing" forces, BOTH sides will fiercely open fire as soon as their X-ray eagle-vision spots you on the horizon despite the foliage, which only prevents YOU from seeing them. Soon, you're feeling like a blind man, most of the time barely able to see enemies standing in plain sight since everything blends together or because 3 pixels somewhere on the horizon constantly shoot at you. The settlement is occupied by not one, but both forces. They get along there, so you can get missions at the same place. Every mission requires you to kill everything that moves at locations you've already been at, every time consuming drive there and back is interrupted at about 6 checkpoints where you have to kill everyone over and over again as they will respawn like 10secs after you left. Once you take a wrong turn you'll figure that out the hard way. Story is extremely weak to nonexistent, most dialogue fast forwarded - shipped the recordings at x times original speed to fit on disc. Thus, if you're not native english, even subtitles won't help because they're talking so fast you can't finish reading before they're gone. Character voices so quiet, ambient sounds drown them out, and no audio settings... then again, enemies far away sound as if they were right next to you, their voices don't seem to get quieter with distance, increasing the difficulty of pinpointing enemy locations, which only adds to your disorientation. Barely qualifies as "Open World", very limited Ways to go, little reason to explore. While you CAN pointlessly go anywhere at any time, terrain constantly funnels you through the same few roads. Can't ignore checkpoints, they WILL stop your vehicle within secs, and not driving on the flat road requires repairs every few minutes for jumping hip-high hills with your Quad. Uhm... loved the HUD, though...?

Every single criticism previously stated on this thread is *subjectively* right. This game has many objective flaws too, but there is a reason many consider Far Cry 2 to be the best in the series. The truth is that this game has ambitions and unique qualities that can easily outweigh the cons. My main point is that this game dares to antagonize and punish you in order to build atmosphere like no other game does. The environment is hostile, gritty, you feel constantly outgunned and the journey this game makes you go through is painful, traumatic and hard. You can't jump off a 30ft building and land safely on an enemy just to comically execute them. Oftentimes shot down enemies are lying on the ground, screaming in pain until you finish the job. And honestly, I just love it. The way this game conveys a sense of loneliness and hostility through its very mechanics, combined with a violent atmosphere, can leave a mark on you, and to be honest, few games nowadays manage that (for me at least). If you are not afraid of an abrasive game, that pushes back instead of giving in, if you like a challenge in your game and if you want an experience that sticks with you even after you finished your playthrough, feel free to buy this game. Personally, Far Cry 2 is my favourite game and I don't have to deny any of the game's flaws to make this statement. Buy it if you can handle hardcore experiences.