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Far Cry 2

Far Cry 2 meshes high-octane gunplay with open world gameplay, and it does a damn good job. There’s a lot of great games coming this holiday season, but don’t let this one go unnoticed.
Far Cry 2 Game Cover
80%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
stability, grinding
78% User Score Based on 9,827 reviews
Critic Score 82%Based on 5 reviews

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Far Cry 2 Game Cover

About

Far Cry 2 is a single player and multiplayer open world shooter game. It was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and was released on October 21, 2008. It received positive reviews from critics and mostly positive reviews from players.

In Far Cry 2, players navigate an African war-torn region as a mercenary seeking to take down a rogue arms dealer. The game features an open world environment with day-night cycles and dynamic weather, allowing for various approaches to complete missions. Players will face dangerous wildlife, hostile soldiers, and the harsh African landscape while trying to complete their objectives.

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Far Cry 2 screenshot
Far Cry 2 screenshot
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Far Cry 2 screenshot
Far Cry 2 screenshot
Far Cry 2 screenshot
Far Cry 2 screenshot
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78%
Audience ScoreBased on 9,827 reviews
story767 positive mentions
stability456 negative mentions
  • Far Cry 2 offers a gritty and immersive experience set in a war-torn African landscape, with dynamic weather and realistic fire mechanics that enhance gameplay.
  • The game features a unique weapon degradation system and malaria mechanic, adding layers of challenge and realism to the combat experience.
  • The AI is surprisingly advanced for its time, with enemies using tactics like flanking and rescuing downed comrades, making encounters feel unpredictable and engaging.
  • The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches, including NPCs bouncing around and dialogue issues, which can hinder the overall experience.
  • Mission design is repetitive, often requiring players to travel long distances between objectives while facing respawning enemies at checkpoints, leading to a tedious gameplay loop.
  • The story is minimalistic and lacks depth, with characters being forgettable and the protagonist's motivations remaining unclear throughout the game.
  • story
    5,318 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Far Cry 2" is often described as minimalistic and repetitive, primarily revolving around a mercenary's mission to kill an arms dealer known as the Jackal amidst a civil war in a fictional African country. While some players appreciate the game's attempt to convey the futility of war and the moral ambiguity of its characters, many criticize the lack of engaging narrative and character development, with missions frequently boiling down to "go here, kill that guy" or "blow this up." Overall, the story serves more as a backdrop for gameplay rather than a compelling narrative experience.

    • “The story and atmosphere are uniquely honest about the nature of war in a way the other titles of the Far Cry series simply weren't.”
    • “The story is bleak, but realistic.”
    • “The story features the rough foundation for what could be an engrossing story about men whose very livelihoods depend on war, and the lengths they'll go to keep a war brewing, but as it stands, there's no real characterization to anyone.”
    • “The story is one of the weakest points of the game, from its nonsense narrative of betraying one side to work for the other or killing the 'jackal' only to end up not killing him at all.”
    • “The story is minimalistic to say the least.”
    • “The story is almost non-existent, and you don't really care about the characters.”
  • gameplay
    2,100 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of *Far Cry 2* is characterized by its emphasis on realism and immersion, featuring mechanics such as weapon degradation, gun jamming, and a malaria system that adds tension to combat. While many players appreciate the unique mechanics and the gritty atmosphere, the gameplay can become repetitive due to long travel times, respawning enemies, and a lack of variety in missions. Overall, the game offers a challenging experience that may appeal to those who enjoy a more hardcore approach to first-person shooters, but it can also frustrate players with its tedious elements and dated design.

    • “It may not be a direct continuation of the first game, but it stands confidently on its own with atmosphere, realism, and some truly memorable mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is fun and immersive, but the missions quickly become copy-paste, making it feel repetitive after a while.”
    • “The gameplay core mechanics in this game, such as gun deterioration and jamming, malaria attacks, and brutal healing mechanics, provide a fresh experience even for Far Cry fans.”
    • “Utterly boring story with partially broken and repetitive mechanics.”
    • “The gameplay is slow and repetitive at times.”
    • “The gameplay loop is really tight, but the reason the gameplay happens is boring and unimaginative, level design in story mission related locations is mostly good, but the objectives are just bad.”
  • graphics
    1,114 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Far Cry 2," released in 2008, are often praised for their impressive detail and realism, particularly for the time, with many players noting that they still hold up well today. While some reviews mention the dated textures and a brownish color palette that can make it difficult to spot enemies, others highlight the game's beautiful environments, dynamic weather effects, and the immersive atmosphere created by its visuals. Overall, the graphics are considered a strong point of the game, especially when enhanced with mods.

    • “The graphics are amazing, the story seems good, but the game feels like it has a lot of bloatware and is annoying to run on modern systems.”
    • “The game boasts impressive visuals, with a detailed and expansive world that immerses players in a dynamic ecosystem filled with wildlife and weather effects.”
    • “The graphics are beautiful, the fire (my god the fire), the gunplay, the animations, the foliage, wind, it's just superb and it aged like fine wine, does not feel dated at all.”
    • “The graphics are obviously dated and traveling from point A to B is a bit tedious, but overall it's still a cool game even today.”
    • “The game is from 2008, so the graphics are a little outdated, and it being so mediocre gets in the way of combat, because often it was hard for me to see where the enemies are (they blended in with the surroundings).”
    • “The graphics are terrible and the storyline is so slow...”
  • stability
    471 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of the game is widely criticized, with numerous players reporting a plethora of bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay. Common issues include NPCs behaving erratically, mission progression being blocked, and frequent crashes, particularly on modern hardware. While some users have found workarounds or mods to mitigate these problems, the overall consensus is that the game remains a frustratingly unstable experience, especially for those unfamiliar with troubleshooting older titles.

    • “Had played on release and it still runs great today.”
    • “This game is awesome and it runs great on my older non-gaming laptop.”
    • “Relatively bug free”
    • “The game is buggy and almost entirely unplayable with enemies flying sky high and killing you from the sky and missions won't progress because the insides of buildings are filled with invisible walls that you can't walk through and mission items you can't grab to progress the story.”
    • “Unplayable buggy mess, NPCs are bouncing/glitching out and it's impossible to talk with main quest NPCs, softlocking me instantly.”
    • “This game is a brilliant depiction of messy modern warfare, and I would absolutely recommend to anyone willing to put up with a couple of issues in the form of glitches and older game mechanics.”
  • atmosphere
    396 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Far Cry 2" is widely praised for its immersive and gritty portrayal of a war-torn African landscape, characterized by dynamic weather, realistic sound design, and a sense of isolation. Players appreciate the game's attention to detail, such as the effects of gun jams and the impact of environmental elements like fire, which enhance the overall experience. Despite some criticisms regarding repetitive gameplay and technical issues, the game's atmosphere remains a standout feature, often compared favorably to other titles in the genre.

    • “The atmosphere is immaculate, the enemy AI is intelligent and engaging, and the game has far too much attention to detail for such an old title.”
    • “The atmosphere, the lighting, minimal HUD, actual map (as in it's an actual item), lack of convenient fast travel and crosshairs, and the danger of your guns wearing out make for an amazing experience.”
    • “The game nails the atmosphere, the dusty roads, the swaying grass, the crackling fire spreading through the savanna; it’s immersive to the point where you can almost feel the heat on your face.”
    • “The atmosphere is drab, sombre, and depressing.”
    • “The action unfolded sluggishly, and in fact the story itself was flat and boring; the atmosphere was terrible - neither the music managed to make an impact, nor the character voices sounded authentic - more like a soulless Windows narrator.”
    • “While this game has been praised for its atmosphere and attention to detail, which really made me immersed, I can't recommend it because of its boring and repetitive missions and poor story, containing forgettable characters.”
  • grinding
    264 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game is frequently criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players noting the long travel times between objectives, the rapid respawn of enemies, and the monotonous nature of missions. While some appreciate the immersive elements and challenge, the overall sentiment leans towards frustration with the grindy mechanics, particularly the need to manage resources like malaria pills and diamonds, which can detract from the enjoyment of the gameplay. Overall, players suggest that the game can feel like a slog, requiring significant patience to navigate its many tedious elements.

    • “It's not overburdened with stuff, and the tasks to do are generally not that tedious, but it can still get tiresome after a while.”
    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “Absolutely tedious and unfun.”
    • “The whole malaria thing is a tedious mechanic that doesn't add any enjoyment to the game, in my opinion.”
    • “The respawning enemy outposts and repetitive mission structure can become tedious over time, detracting from the otherwise immersive experience.”
  • music
    227 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is often praised for its atmospheric quality, effectively incorporating African-inspired themes that enhance immersion and complement the setting. While some players appreciate the dynamic shifts in music during combat, others find the soundtrack repetitive and occasionally distracting, suggesting that turning off the music can heighten the overall experience. Overall, the sound design, including ambient sounds and music, contributes significantly to the game's gritty and immersive atmosphere, despite some criticisms regarding its repetitiveness and volume levels.

    • “The soundtrack, composed by Marc Canham, perfectly complements the game's intense and somber tone.”
    • “The music often is done with African instruments and styles, so it fits the game world well.”
    • “The music is minimal, letting the environment and tension speak for themselves.”
    • “The music is also really lame and repetitive.”
    • “The soundtrack is repetitive and gets boring quickly.”
  • humor
    124 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its numerous glitches and bugs, which often lead to absurd and hilarious situations, such as NPCs floating or bouncing around and dialogue loops that become comically repetitive. Players find the fast-paced, sometimes awkward voice acting and the game's overall absurdity to be entertaining, even if it detracts from immersion. While some aspects of the humor can become frustrating over time, many players appreciate the unintentional comedy that arises from the game's mechanics and character interactions.

    • “One funny glitch was men floating up into the air and falling to their deaths.”
    • “Enemies have all sorts of dialogue during combat; some of it is pretty funny.”
    • “There are some bugs on this PC Steam version which are often hilarious and will give you a good laugh.”
    • “Some mechanics are interesting, but the game is not funny at all.”
    • “I had a problem with a few minor, if not funny, glitches, but they are nothing compared to the thick atmosphere of the game.”
  • optimization
    76 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting significant performance issues, including stuttering, crashes, and poor compatibility with modern hardware. While some users found that applying mods or specific settings improved performance, others described the game as "horribly optimized" and "unpolished," leading to a frustrating experience. Overall, while there are instances of smooth gameplay, the consensus leans towards a need for better optimization to fully enjoy the game.

    • “The game runs smoothly and beautifully on modern rigs, and aside from a few AI glitches, everything looks, sounds, and feels as if you were in an actual African jungle, savannah, or desert.”
    • “Total freedom, a beautiful playground, good weapons, nice setting, engine is well optimized.”
    • “The game has easy requirements so pretty much anybody can achieve great performance on their machines.”
    • “Horribly optimized with bad physics and NPCs.”
    • “Game is optimized like hot garbage, tons of bugs and glitches.”
    • “The performance of this game is awful.”
  • emotional
    73 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players finding the story boring and the characters unmemorable. While some moments, particularly involving the buddy system, evoke genuine emotional responses, the overall narrative fails to create meaningful connections, leaving players feeling apathetic and disconnected from the protagonist's journey. Despite a few impactful scenes, the repetitive gameplay and minimal character development detract from any potential emotional investment.

    • “The game always made me feel that I'm just another human being in this world, and that I don't have special superpowers.”
    • “Getting overwhelmed by soldiers at a checkpoint on the road only to get saved by your buddy is always a gripping cinematic moment, and having to abandon or mercy kill them if they go down themselves is honestly one of the most heartbreaking death scenes in video games.”
    • “I can honestly say that no game has made me feel that harsh cold feeling of shooting someone down and then feeling a slow pang in my gut, not because I am sorry, but because a part of me realizes '...it was either me or him.'”
    • “Boring story and characters; I had no motivation to continue because of this.”
    • “This game is just a complete mess: ugly locations, huge map not worth exploring, respawning enemies on every outpost, super slow driving, annoying weapon jamming, boring story, boring side quests.”
    • “Repetitive, boring, annoying, stupidly broken AI, characters with personalities thinner than a sheet of paper, desperately needs quick travel to circumvent running into 100 guys along the way to your next destination.”
  • replayability
    61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews on replayability are mixed, with some players finding the game to have high replay value due to its open-world design and multiple mission paths, while others criticize it for being repetitive and lacking significant changes in subsequent playthroughs. Many users noted that the game offers enjoyable content and sandbox elements, but some felt it was dated and had minimal replayability without modding support. Overall, opinions vary widely, with ratings ranging from very low to high, indicating a polarized experience among players.

    • “The replay value of this game is enormous.”
    • “Hours and hours of gameplay and plenty of replayability.”
    • “Exploring doesn't easily get dull and the replay value is high.”
    • “All of this, and yet the game remains with a problem that just makes it so...unreplayable.”
    • “This game has no replay value to be honest and has become quite dated in technical terms.”
    • “Now, the game does get semi-repetitive, and I don't suspect it has any replay value.”
  • character development
    25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, character development in the game is widely criticized, with many reviewers noting its minimal presence and lack of emotional investment in the protagonist's journey. Players feel disconnected due to repetitive NPC interactions and a lack of meaningful choices or dialogue, which detracts from the overall narrative experience. While some mention occasional moments of depth, such as the character of the Jackal, the consensus is that character development is largely absent, making the gameplay feel aimless and uninspired.

    • “There was some decent character development to the point where when one of my friends got killed I was actually upset.”
    • “+ The Jackal is great as a character, and has far more depth and character development than anyone else.”
    • “Along with narrative and character development that can make you really feel the world around you, and a story that will keep you engaged in the action, and great shooting gameplay with innovations all over it, Far Cry 2 is worth playing.”
    • “The storyline and character development were also somewhat lacking, with a complex and intriguing narrative that was let down by limited character development.”
    • “Additionally, the lack of character development for the player's protagonist can make it difficult to feel invested in their story.”
    • “Character development is minimal, leaving little emotional investment in the outcome of the protagonist's journey.”
  • monetization
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization practices in Ubisoft's games have sparked significant controversy, with many players criticizing the prevalence of microtransactions and loot boxes in premium titles, arguing they detract from the overall gaming experience. While Ubisoft defends these practices as optional and enhancing player choice, a substantial portion of the community feels that such monetization strategies undermine the integrity of the games and prioritize profit over player enjoyment. This has led to calls for a reevaluation of these practices, with some players vowing to boycott Ubisoft products until meaningful changes are made.

    • “Yves Guillemot and CFO Alain Martinez defended loot boxes by arguing players 'need to feel they are really free not to buy,' and that monetization is about quality and choice.”
    • “Microtransactions totally revolutionize the gaming experience!”
    • “Recently, Ubisoft stated in its financial report that microtransactions in full-price games 'make the player experience more fun' by allowing avatar customization or faster progression—and claimed these are always 'optional.'”
    • “Until leadership and the overall mindset of top managers completely change and monetization practices are reversed, I refuse to buy Ubisoft products—no DLC, no battle passes, no cosmetics.”
    • “As we watch once-beloved franchises such as Ghost Recon, Assassin's Creed, and indeed even Far Cry itself, push deeper into number-based pseudo-RPG formulas in an effort to chase long-term monetization goals for the benefit of investors and quarterly earnings reports, replete with cluttered maps, intrusive HUDs and menus that do little more than blow any sense of immersion out of the water, timed events to induce fear-of-missing-out syndrome, along with half-baked gimmicks and actual health bars?”
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82%Critics’ scoreBased on 5 critic reviews
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16h Median play time
24h Average play time
17h Main story
42h Completionist
6-45h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 57 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Far Cry 2 is a open world shooter game.

Far Cry 2 is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, Xbox One, Windows and others.

The main story can be completed in around 17 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 42 hours to finish. On average players spend around 24 hours playing Far Cry 2.

Far Cry 2 was released on October 21, 2008.

Far Cry 2 was developed by Ubisoft Montreal.

Far Cry 2 has received positive reviews from players and positive reviews from critics. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its stability.

Far Cry 2 is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Far Cry®, Far Cry, Far Cry 3, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, Far Cry 5 and others.