Far Cry 2

It's not the best Far Cry, but it's the one most committed to realism, immersion and having a really lonely and oppressive setting, which I have to respect.

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.

This was a different breed of a game. Built different if you will. But definitely not a game that caters to the general taste. So I'd expect not everyone enjoying this game.

The story is bare-bones and honestly lacklustre. And definitely not the focus of the game, even less than the first game. But 90% of the game, you kind of forget that a story is supposed to be followed, so it is fine imo. The buddy system is okay. Only the first and second buddies are important considering gameplay, whereas the other buddies are just quest npc's until *SPOILER* the end of the game *END*. The Jackal is kind of a fascinating character and feels kind of wasted on such a lacklustre story. The main missions provide alternative routes to complete the mission, which features your best buddy, and so makes the gameplay much longer, and as far as I am concerned, better. Although, not much of the story is attached to the alternative routes, except *SPOILER* a certain quest which involves the in-game African monarchy *END*.

The gameplay loop is very gritty and feels realistic. The environment is hostile and you feel very lonely throughout the game. And that is the appeal of the game. Some portions of the game are very half-baked though. Outposts replenish with enemies almost immediately and stealth is almost mandatory in the highest difficulty (Infamous). The option for quicksaves removes the requirement of safehouses, but for extra challenge, not using quicksaves may be a fun way to play the game. It has for me anyway. The game does have a lot of collectibles, mainly diamonds, but they aren't necessary for completion, atleast since there isn't any achievements - which is in this case, a positive due to the sheer amount of diamond cases which are NOT fun to find. Driving feels very authentic, and the controls are very responsive, same with riding boats.

The game tries very hard to push you into rage quitting. And although I do like challenge, there is a fine line to be drawn between gritty realism and straight up masochism. I like the gun jamming, I love the gun blasting, but I do draw the line at malaria. Malaria was crossing the line. But the line itself is very subjective and differs from player to player. Another criticism, which is unavoidable in a game aiming for realism, is the travel time. You spend a majority of time going from point to point B. And it is a shame since the feeling of badassery you get when you clear an outpost or a hostille settlement is unmatched.

Overall, a fantastic and flawed game. As far as my recommendation goes, it depends on the gamer I am talking to. I loved it. You may not.

A great game for Jeep™ owners, fans and the general public alike. Only in Far Cry® 2 can you drive classic Jeep™ automobiles such as the Jeep™ Wrangler, a staple of many an african safari. Jeep™, drive fresh.