Far Cry 2

This is legitimately one of the most immersive games I've ever played. The problem is that the role it immerses us in is utterly miserable by design. This game requires commitment and patience like no other. You are a tired, shameless dying mercenary, and Far Cry 2 will not rest until you suffer through every soul-sucking aspect of this gоdforsaken job. There is no humanity here, no levity—no one will ever make a single joke or say something endearing or charismatic in general. There is no drive, no exciting action set pieces, no wild drug trips, no Skrillex grass burning.
You go to one of two absolutely interchangeable faction leaders, who half-heartedly feed you some justification for today’s inhumane atrocity. You routinely visit the gun shop for new weapons, routinely shoot about a million outposts on your way to the job, routinely shoot up the place, routinely suffer malaria attacks, and then repeat the cycle all over again. It makes committing war crimes feel like a grueling dead-end office job without any sense of catharsis whatsoever, and that is kind of the point. I can't stress it enough; none of it is lazy.
Yeah, I know how “the game is annoying and boring on purpose, you guys” sounds, but I swear I’m not crazy here. There are a lot of high-effort details meticulously put in to amplify the dead-end job feeling—from deliciously unpleasant gun-jamming animations to the fact that the guys you’re shooting at will steal your car and one-hit-kill you by running you over if you don’t pay attention. This game from 2008 is still kind of an unbeaten technical marvel in a lot of ways (Jesus Christ, that fire!). I know what lazy, low-effort boring looks like (I just beat The Division), and Far Cry 2 is not it.
I very much respect the hell out of this game; I will sing its praises for how effectively it hammers its point across.
But I will never, EVER play it again. It was enough misery and exhaustion for a lifetime.

Although it's age is glaring at times, it is easily the best Far Cry game in terms of its direction & presentation. The game takes its war-torn Africa setting seriously(unlike the newer games). It provides a very gritty and consistent aesthetic that many games failed to imitate since. A common criticism is that the game might feel restrictive or even an annoyance to play with its mechanics such as unavoidable malaria attacks and weapon condition deterioration with RNG jamming, but these mechanics add to the overall aesthetic, theme, and game-play loop that the game was trying to create.
It is nearly unplayable on modern hardware without patches, but a lot of games of this age are, just typical Ubisoft abandonware. It is as easy as installing a tool to patch it for modern hardware. It also has the traditional Far Cry blunder of having bullet spongy enemies, but that is also remedied with a few easy to install mods, which I highly recommend as it makes combat far more immersive.
An often overlooked gem that can be appreciated with a little patience and appreciation for what the developers were trying to create, it is a work of art and a shining example of what direction open-world shooter games should have kept going in. I definitely recommend this game as long as you are fine with patching it, and can tolerate older 3D videogame jank.

Positives:
* Immersive atmosphere.
* Beautiful graphics.
* Really cool setting.
* Sheds light on important problems within sub-saharan African conflicts.
* Virtually no bugs (with the Realism+Redux mod. Idk about vanilla).
* The ending is cool and interesting.
Negatives:
* Annoying and repetitive enemy encounters.
* Repetitive missions.
* 90% of the game is driving from A to B or fighting off annoying patrols or outposts.
* Unclear story (You don't always know what's going on or why you're doing what you're doing).
* There is nothing to build up your relationship with your buddies.
* I miss the linear story and cut-scenes from the first game.
* Bad voice acting.
* The main villain gives you too obvious main character treatment.
I'd recommend this ONLY IF:
* You've always looked for a dedicated war crime simulator.
* A good story isn't crucial for you (This one is just okay).
* You're nostalgic.
* You have a bad computer. (This is where I come in)
* You're interested in 3rd world geopolitics or sub-saharan Africa in general. (This is also where I come in)
* or...
* You don't mind the negatives I mentioned.

Not a bad game, even though the story can get wonky.

Also, a recommendation, DO NOT play with shadows on.

Yes it makes the game more realistic with darkness, especially at night, but because you don't have a flashlight, it forces you to wince what you see in pitch black, even indoors during day time. So unless you can mod night vision or a flashlight yourself, don't ruin your eyes.

Runs fine on modern hardware and I have experienced no crashes or glitches and yes I'm running it at 60fps because literally any old game is gonna freak when you're at 800+ fps you maniacs.

Best Far Cry game hands down. Brutal, unforgiving, very matter-of-fact. GOAT

“War is not about good guys and bad guys. It’s about who’s left standing.”
Far Cry® 2 is a game that dares to abandon comfort and embrace chaos. Set in a brutal, war-torn African country and infused with a bleak, uncompromising tone, it trades cinematic polish for raw immersion. It’s clunky, often frustrating — and yet brilliantly committed to its grim vision of conflict.
This is not your typical power fantasy. It’s muddy, violent, and honest.
You’re a mercenary sent to eliminate an arms dealer known only as The Jackal, who’s fueling a civil war between two factions. But almost immediately, you're struck down by malaria, forced to survive in a hostile land while navigating double-crosses, shady alliances, and the horrors of conflict capitalism.
There’s no good or evil here. Just guns, blood money, and survival. The story is more experiential than narrative-driven. The atmosphere — oppressive heat, crumbling regimes, and brutal realism — is the true star.
Far Cry 2 is an open-world FPS that doesn't hold your hand. It's challenging and immersively grounded, often to the point of discomfort:
Weapon Degradation: Guns jam mid-fight. They rust, misfire, and break. It's annoying — and genius.
Malaria & Healing: You suffer malaria attacks at random, needing pills from underground contacts. To heal? Pull bullets from your leg with pliers.
No Fast Travel: Get ready to drive everywhere, often through hostile checkpoints that respawn constantly.
Open-Ended Combat: Use fire, explosives, stealth, or full-on assault. The AI is aggressive, unpredictable, and smart.
Dynamic Fire System: Fire spreads realistically through grass and trees, making it a tactical and terrifying force.
It's gritty, systemic gameplay — a rare commitment to realism in a genre obsessed with power fantasies.
For its time, Far Cry 2 was stunning. The African landscapes are harsh but beautiful: sun-bleached savannahs, rainy jungles, and dusty villages. The day-night cycle and weather patterns still impress.
The sound design is equally immersive. Gunfire echoes realistically. Engines sputter. The music is minimal, letting the environment and tension speak for themselves. It all adds to the oppressive, hyper-authentic atmosphere.
Far Cry® 2 is a flawed masterpiece — bold in ways few games dare to be. It doesn’t care if you’re having fun. It wants you to feel something real: tension, exhaustion, desperation. It asks you to live in the skin of a morally ambiguous killer in a collapsing state, and it never blinks.
Some players will hate its systems. Others will call it the most ambitious shooter Ubisoft ever made. Both are probably right.
Recommended For:
Gamers who love immersive sims, harsh realism, and sandbox storytelling. Anyone who wants to feel like a mercenary lost in a war zone.
Avoid If:
You dislike clunky mechanics, value narrative over systems, or need constant progression rewards.
Far Cry® 2 is beautiful, brutal, and unforgettable — a shooter that trades power for perspective.
Rating: 7/10