So I've never been religious at all, but seeing Jack Keane 2 made it blindingly clear what my purpose in life truly is: To spread the word of this game, so that other people may purchase it and feels its warm and loving glow against their computer screens. I can't tell you what value I found in this game, or how, except to say that it's a personal process that differs for every person. It's a journey of self-discovery that mirrors the events of the game itself. Shanghai represents the things we can control, you see, and the women represent relationships that can either help or harm us, and Jack's stony-faced resolve represents the control we have over our own paths. A tour de force of metaphor and storytelling.
Far Cry 2 is one of my favourite games of all time, just behind the STALKER series, which I hope will be coming to GOG soon so that more people can enjoy its strange beauty. Some people say that this game is boring, but like all open-world games it comes down to how you play. If I were to traipse through Morrowind or Skyrim killing everything with the same spell or weapon, it would get pretty lame. In Far Cry 2, you've got to take the initiative to make your own fun and challenge yourself — and when you do, the game will reward you. It's true that there are many other problematic design decisions in the game, but if you like thinking about games as a medium and not just playing them for fun, then you will probably love Far Cry 2 as I do. Even the flaws in this game strengthen and support its central theme. For what that central theme is, I leave it to the player to decide.
