Weapons
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/rating_off.gif "Beyond reproach")
(582 votes, average: 8.97 out of 10)
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The extensive array of weaponry in Far Cry 2 gives you a lot to chew on (over two dozen weapons in all) and puts a little RPG flavour on the game since weapons must be gradually acquired by purchasing them in gun shops. All the weapons are categorized and your weapon loadout is limited to one weapon from each category. The weapons function and sound very realistic, the latter of which I find extremely important.
A really neat feature in Far Cry 2 that will throw a huge monkey wrench into many of your firefights is that all the weapons degrade with use. This means that along with their appearance getting rusty and corroded, weapons will jam on you when trying to fire them. This results in making you think twice about running and gunning your way through the game as getting caught out in the open surrounded by enemies while fumbling with a jammed weapon is no picnic.
About the only gripe I have with the weaponry in Far Cry 2 is there is surprisingly no easy method of determining which weapons you have currently equipped. Identifying weapons involves an encumbersome procedure of cross referencing the weapons on display in the armory with the Upgrades section of the game menu as well as the information on the computers in the weapons shops. So although I enjoyed very much pouring over the choice of weapons and figuring out which would be the best loadout to carry out into the field, the whole process was made unnecessarily tedious by the lack of being able to quickly identify my currently equipped weapons.
This is one of the situations in which Far Cry 2 developers may have shot themselves in the foot with the push for authenticity and total immersion. Had the game interface in the armory for example, carried text labels in front of the weapons instead of just icons —many of which required close comparison to differentiate them from others— selecting the right weapons would have been a lot easier for all of us mere mortals who are not card-carrying members of the NRA.
Graphics
As far as looks, Far Cry 2 is just a gorgeous game. Throughout the game you are treated to a spectacular, panoramic and photorealistic rendition of a rugged and dusty sweltering hot African outback. The environment is replete with wildlife (including zebras actually running alongside your jeep) and includes realistically spreading brush fires (most of which you start), day/night cycles and weather so real that you actually feel miserable when it starts to rain. A pat on the back should go to Ubisoft for paying so much attention to detail in creating the Far Cry 2 gamescape and they deserve additional kudos for actually taking a visit to Africa to get those details.
The HUD-less view, i.e., no quintessential in-game overlay providing you with real time data on your current health or remaining ammo and whatnot, was also a great idea and actually went much further than I expected to create a thoroughly immersive experience when playing the game. Some players have reported that they have found themselves simply spending time 'living in the game', e.g., they will meander around not doing anything in particular besides watching a sunset or enjoying the wildlife. I've had similar experiences and it's quite surreal.
I particularly liked the way the boundaries of the gamescape were handled by simply turning the perimeter into a desert and having you faint from the heat when you ventured too far into it. (This was a little more skillful and aesthetically immersive than the way game boundaries were handled in Crysis, i.e., a stern warning suddenly popped up in the HUD telling you that you were leaving the battle area and get back or else you die... *chuckle*.)
The best part about the graphics in Far Cry 2 is that they are not as demanding as other games of the genre. The Dunia game engine does a good job of allowing those with budget gaming rigs run Far Cry 2 on the highest display settings without breaking a sweat.
Bottom Line
Soooo.... Buy it? Absolutely.
Even if I had read all the posts on the Far Cry 2 forum regarding the various bugs in the game, I think I still would have gambled and bought the game. It flew off the shelves here in Montreal and I personally think it's destined to become a classic.
All in all, Far Cry 2 introduces a thrilling new concept in first person shooters and is definitely my personal fantasy remake of Crysis. It may not be for all but if you do try it and find yourself getting frustrated, be sure to experiment with different approaches to the gameplay before giving up. Just like a fine wine, if you try gulping it down too fast, you will miss all the flavor.
Wow ... old review I know, but very well written. I agree particularly with the part regarding how and why boredom can set in at times. I found the best way to prevent this was simply to play on a higher difficulty setting. Since I've played for several years on and off, I find the highest setting to be quite manageable while still not guaranteeing you success with every mission. The added benefit being that you simply *can't* do the "get in vehicle turret, kill everything" maneuver, as you will quickly die when exposed (though you might get the drop on a solitary patrol vehicle if you take out the gunner first). This also made sneaking, silenced weapons and sniper rifles really useful to me for what felt like the first time. Whereas previously such things were a convenience or a self-imposed limitation to make life interesting, on the Infamous difficulty level, they are essential. If you "run and gun", you die, plain and simple.
As an African myself I found the environments to be very well researched and modeled. I remember various points on the map that just feel so much like home, particularly the areas covered with dry grass and sporting the odd baobab tree. At some point I swear I could smell the grass fires I started! The wildlife was a bit too plentiful (and suicidal) for realism, however.
Another distraction was the overabundance of white people, which might be a reference to the infamous mercenary outfit Executive Outcomes, or a case of misplaced political sensitivity. But it's still a little jarring considering that only about 0.65% of the continent's population is of European extraction, whereas more than half of your targets seem to be disadvantaged in the melanin department. Being familiar with some of the non-English languages and accents employed in the game, I also thought they should have made use of more actual Africans (although a few South Africans were involved according to the credits, most of the voice talent seems to have been Canadian). For example, the white and black guy discussing various disturbing things (or the "bickering couple" as I call them) seem to really struggle with what their accents are supposed to be.
But that's all just nitpicking. I still have fun with this game years later if I have an empty hour or so and want to gun down some random people. If you're looking for a story, go elsewhere. But for the fun of a good old uncomplicated open-world shooting spree, I would still recommend Far Cry 2 even after all this time.
Hi Slack. I have played FarCry 2 for a while now, i have fineshed it about ten times inclouding on INFAMOUS level. The game is the best i have ever played, and i can not get tired of it. I have wached all of your videos and they are great, you are doing an excellent job. I can hardly wait to play FarCry 3 and i hope to watch your walktroughs on it.
Hey Slack, i have seen your far cry 2 gameplay videos and i tought they were awesome.And i wondered if you couldt do an walktrought on far cry 3 that is comming september 7.It woultd be really fun to se you do on walktrought on far cry 3,Think about it and tell me what you think,Bye.
Hey Slack, just wanted to say that your videos rule, man. Like a lot of people, I gave up on this game halfway through. I stumbled upon your videos, started watching them just for LOLZ (I actually thought you were playing this game as some kind of punishment) then one day, it clicked. I worked out how to play this game properly, and it totally rocks.
Cheers, man.
I just bought this game for the X360 last Sunday. While the graphics aren't quite as good for the PC, I still agree they are breathtaking. This game is really fun and it's easy to lose track of time. I have never found my self bored or stuck as you can go back and do it differently every time. This is really great game and although it's not the newest game out there it's still pretty great and I would recommend buying this game.
Very nice review and videos! I found myself laughing myself silly watching the Nightmare Loadout on your play-through.
The game is great. Anyone who doesn't have it by now should go grab a copy. It's just as good now as it was on release day.
Hey Slack I've been watching almost all of ur farcry videos on youtube.... I actually have the game and I played it at a frieds house, but I can't play it at home yet, cuz my pc sucks... Well anyways ... just wanted to say that u r doing an awesome job posting all those videos and comments... and that u r known also in germany xD
thanks, this set me up with even more conviction to buy it. I'm sure my comp would run it, but the card is a 2.0 and some games are so picky to want a 3.0 shader. (getting a better one for christmas ^^)
I believe I can get the aquired taste for this game because I like being sneaky and have a facination with blades (I'm sure the machete will be top for my weapon of choice) also causing a diversion should be fun too.
Thank you for the Review!
great summary/review of far cry 2