Posted on: May 17, 2012

KOC

Games: Reviews: 16

Tired of scripted shooters? Give Far Cry 2 a try

In this day and age, with all the scripted shooters that funnel you down pre-determined paths while shooting enemies that pop up in predetermined places, it is refreshing that we got to have at least one big-budget FPS that did the complete opposite. Far Cry 2 is an open world game, but not in the sense of Grand Theft Auto - this game is purely about the combat situations and how you approach them, giving you complete freedom to navigate a huge map and plan your approach before commencing to attack. But what makes it great is when things don't go according to plan. The combat becomes unpredictable and you have to improvise, and as long as you don't try to talk your way out of it (bullets speak louder than words on the sunlit African steppes, apparently), there's a good chance you can get out of any situation making smart moment-to-moment decisions. The only real downside to the combat is the poor AI of the enemy soldiers, but I can't say it ever got boring laying waste to them - not when you've got such a huge arsenal of machine guns, rifles, grenades, and what have you. You can even set fire to the surrounding grass and trees using molotovs or a flamethrower, which makes for a fun strategic way to cut off your pursuers. Speaking of pursuing enemies, it can be a bit annoying that you constantly bump into hostile vehicles when you're on the road in your jeep or whatever else you might be driving around in when traveling across the map, as it always results in a fairly samey situation where you get out of your vehicle, mount its turret and blast away before you can carry on again, repeated ad nauseum. Thus getting from one end of the map to the other can be a bit of a low point, but at least there are busses to catch as a fast-traveling option. The driving is thus the most tedious part of the game. Far Cry 2 is at its best when you reach your objective (usually an enemy camp of some sort), scope it out and plan your attack - only for everything to go haywire and you having to act on the fly, like a proper 80's action hero would. The difference being that any potential movie director aspirations on the game designers' part are put aside, as you are in complete control of how you go about completing your objective, as long as it involves lots of guns, bullets and things that explode. And I assure you, it can be a hell of a lot of fun.

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Posted on: May 17, 2012

TranquilSea

Verified owner

Games: Reviews: 5

My favorite sandbox shooter! DRM free!!!

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.

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Posted on: November 22, 2023

StuntmanMikeL

Verified owner

Games: 311 Reviews: 52

Flawed, but rewarding if given a chance

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.

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Posted on: April 13, 2016

BlackSun

Verified owner

Games: 570 Reviews: 8

I really, really wanted to like it

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...?

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Posted on: May 27, 2018

Paragonschmidt

Games: 25 Reviews: 1

You fucks are right

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.

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