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.

Walking 20 minutes to take a bus in the vague direction of where I think I'm supposed to be going just to pass out due to lack of my tummy pills. 10/10.

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.

This is a highly polarizing game. You'd either hate it or love it, there's no middle ground. So, allow me to make a case as to why one would love it.

Let's start with the visuals and physics. The game has one of the best visuals and physics of any of the Farcry game series. You shoot a tree branch, the branch falls down. You shoot an enemy through thin cover, you damage the enemy. And the fire mechanics and propagation are unparalleled.

The game itself is a tale of human darkness, you are alone against everyone else. Nobody really cares if you live or die. You're only worth your actions, your decision making and your ability to adapt to any situation. You have some buddies but they're mercs too and won't hesitate to put a bullet in your head if you're against them. The closest thing to an ally that you have is a Journalist reporting about human rights abuses in that country. The game itself is filled with little tableaus telling you about those atrocities - A mass grave here, some human bodies dumped in a pit there, of course no one explicitly tells you anything, you just have to go looking.
The game is not easy, it was never meant to be. You have malaria, while you do have medicine, it inevitably runs out and you'd have to do some favors to the underground to get some more medication. Guns jam - You pick up an enemy's weapon, chances are it will jam in about a full clip. The enemy AI is extremely good, enemies try to employ different tactics towards you, some rush you, others flank you and some hide and try to ambush you. The roads have mobile patrols on them and checkpoints re-spawn once you leave the area.
However, the game is not frustrating like most people claim because you're not playing a normal shooter here. You're playing a game which likes to test your decision making, how you can adapt to different situations and how you can handle chaos. You can truly become an unstoppable force if you master generating chaos. But chaos itself is a display, as the Jackal puts it, "Like the roar of a Lion or the chest thumping of a Gorilla". You need to tactically understand where cover/supplies/flanking paths are, else you'll lose control over the chaos that you generate.
The game is not totally unmanageable, it does give you some precious few things to manage this hellscape.
Your guns jam? Pickup new ones at the gun shop, better yet, buy some crates so that you can swap guns at safe houses, thankfully, your enemies' guns jam too. You need to travel a long distance? Use the bus. You're losing in a firefight? Your buddy shows up and gives you some breathing room. Malaria keeps bugging you? Find cover and take a pill, it's not that hard- You only take like 20 pills throughout the entire playthrough, if you take your pills on time that is. If you play with the music on, the game also has a way of telling you that enemies are near (viz. the music changes to a tense one), which kinda works as an enemy indicator, which I'm quite sure was un-intentional.
The game punishes rash decision making, though. You assault any place guns blazing, chances are one of your enemies is going to flank you and shoot you from behind, so you better watch your back.
The game is immersive and realistic in a way. It never holds your hand. There are no stealth meters, no dumb tattoos giving you B.S. superpowers, no radio towers or map unlocks telling you places of interest. You want to know where your hidden enemies are, use your ears to pinpoint their location and pray to God that you spot and shoot them before they start shooting at you. You want to find all hidden diamonds, explore the map and keep an eye on the diamond case beacon.
Of course once you keep completing missions and keep progressing, your reputation increases. And as your reputation increases, your enemies start to fear you. And somehow, a high reputation in FarCry 2 seems much more rewarding than B.S. custom weapons.
The game is not without flaws, this exposition on the human nature is only made by humans of course. I personally think the checkpoint re-spawn mechanic could be improved a bit and that there could be a field cleaning mechanic for your guns.And there's no aggressive wildlife - in Africa. However, I still prefer the re-spawning check points over an empty, boring map.
I've played this game 4 times across 4 different GPUs, I've played 3 subsequent Far Cry games and found each one to be increaasingly boring after a point. FC2 always holds a special place in my heart. It's not a game which explicitly tells you what's happening or what happened. It's not a game which holds your hand and assumes that you're someone with superhuman powers. It's a love letter from the developers to the player, written when game companies cared about the games they made. It's a journey into the heart of human darkness and the horrors of war - all set up in a beautiful african country.
In Summary, FC2 is that one sushi course in a series which had ended up becoming fast food with a lot of sugar.

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.

I just dusted off Far Cry 2 and took a trip down memory lane. Let me break it down for ya, this game is a rollercoaster of chaos and mayhem, and I'm here for every wild second of it!
First things first, let's talk about the setting. Africa, baby! This game drops you smack dab in the middle of the savannah, with nothing but your wits and a rusty AK-47 to keep you company. The landscapes are breathtaking, and the wildlife? Let's just say you might wanna keep your distance from those hungry lions.
But enough about the scenery, let's get into the action. Far Cry 2 ain't your grandma's shooter, that's for sure. It's all about freedom, baby! You wanna tackle missions head-on? Go for it. Wanna sneak around like a ninja and take out bad guys from the shadows? Knock yourself out. The choice is yours, and that's what makes this game so dang fun.
Now, let's talk about the guns. Oh man, the guns! From shotguns that pack a punch to sniper rifles that'll have you feeling like a stealthy assassin, Far Cry 2's arsenal is lit AF. And don't even get me started on the explosions. BOOM! That's the sound of me blowing stuff up, and let me tell ya, it never gets old.
But it ain't all sunshine and rainbows in the world of Far Cry 2. Nah, you gotta watch out for malaria, of all things! Who knew a mosquito bite could be so deadly? And let's not forget about those pesky enemy patrols, always ready to ruin your day with a hail of bullets.
But hey, that's all part of the thrill, right? Far Cry 2 is like a safari through hell, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So grab your machete, load up on ammo, and get ready for the ride of your life. Just don't forget to watch your back, 'cause in Far Cry 2, danger lurks around every corner.