[Review] Far Cry 2

Far Cry 2 is an open-world FPS game, developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. Released in North America on October 21st, 2008, followed by a global release in the following days.

/// Premise

The player takes control of a mercenary, hired by an unnamed third party to fly to this sub-Saharan African country, to assassinate the arms dealer fuelling the civil war, only known as The Jackal. Five minutes into the country and things don't go as planned. The cease-fire between factions is breached, and you find yourself stuck in this war-torn country with its borders closed, ridden with malaria, all that is left to do is mercenary work for both sides of the conflict, while you try to track down your target. Using smuggled weapons that came from the same guy you were hired to kill in the first place.

Performance addendum

Far Cry 2 nowadays is one of those games that need some fixing to work properly in modern systems. As Ubisoft hasn't updated the game over time to keep it in shape.

As is out of the box, it struggles in modern machines with AI and physics bugs, risk of random crashes, lacks some graphics options, etc.

If you are more experienced with fixing things yourself I recommend this steam guide. 

Lots of things there that you can pick and chose to do manually like custom resolution and other graphics options.

Otherwise, if you want the quick way out I recommend downloading the MultiFixer patch.

Multifixer has a selection of fixes, plus a few extra options. It also comes bundled with FC2 Redux mod, but Redux also includes gameplay and visual changes that are better fitted for a second playthrough and are not ideal for a first-time experience.

I'm not going to dock points out of it, for these issues are not the game's fault and more of the result of Ubisoft's negligence to keep FC2 running smoothly on modern systems.

/// Structure and Pacing

Far Cry 2 is divided into 3 acts, with its open-world map divided into two regions.

Act 1 functions as an introduction to the world and its systems, you start in the northern region of the map, after a short tutorial introduction to the basics, you are free to explore the entire region.

Once you finish Act 1, the southern region becomes accessible. From act 2 onward the player is free to come back and forth between the two regions. And Act 3 servers as a last batch of missions, before entering the Heart of Darkness Area, the point of no return, and finishing the game.

During all three Acts, you will do main missions consisting of gruntwork for both factions, kill this guy, steal that cargo, blow up this fuel depot, sabotage that drug plantation water pump, that sort of stuff.

All of these missions include an optional alternate path that lets you complete them in a more interesting and varied way. Why break a water pump if you can steal some poison and ruin the entire plantation?

These alternate paths almost always offer a fun setpiece. And I'm sure this choice was made on purpose, to further encourage the player to engage with the buddy system.

There is a host of side missions that include assassination jobs for money, Underground document delivery missions in exchange for medicine, weapon convoy ambush to unlock new weapons, and personal buddy missions to gain history with said buddy and reputation.

It took me around 20 hours of gameplay time to finish it. It is a long game, I will talk about the story in more detail, but don't expect extensive story exposition, exciting cutscenes, and over-the-top villains the series is known for today. It focuses instead on gameplay, world-building, and immersion into its cynical and depressing world.

The map is in total 50 km² wide which is pretty big especially when considering map transversal. The jungle areas are dense and you can't just drive in a straight line from A to B, you have to follow the roads. That leads to inevitable encounters with enemy militia camps and patrols. Enemy camps cannot be taken over/dominated, some find it frustrating or unfair, but I think it makes sense in the larger context of the game and what it is going for.

Throughout the country you will find Safe Houses, these can be unlocked by simply going to their location, taking out 2 or 3 guards permanently unlocking them for the rest of the game. They enable the player to sleep to skip time and save the game, and new supplies are added to it as you complete buddy missions.

/// Weapons

Far Cry 2 features a large and diverse arsenal of weapons, that range from the basics to some more exotic ones. They are divided into:

• Primary weapons: Assault rifles, shotguns, snipers, and a grenade launcher.

• Secondary weapons: Pistols, submachine guns, single barrel grenade launcher, and improvised explosive devices.

• Special weapons: Machine guns, missile launchers, flamethrower, explosive crossbow, dart gun.

At first glance, some weapons look out of place in their categories, like the single barrel grenade launcher in the pistol category or the rotary launcher in the primary slot.

These function as power trade-offs, a fast-firing grenade launcher, but you can't carry an assault rifle. It also works the other way around, don't want to replace your assault rifle with a sniper? You can pick the scoped dart gun for your special slot, it just has less ammo. Maybe you want to start some fires but don't want to replace your RPG-7 for a flamethrower? Take the flare gun in your pistol slot, it's a budget fire starter.

This allows the player to pick a more flexible weapon lineup. These alternate options are less efficient, but it allows for experimentation and it doesn't force you into one specific setup all game, and that is refreshing.

Guns are sold in any weapon shop on the map, you can also complete side missions for the shop owner to unlock new models to purchase. And this is where your blood diamonds are going to be spent.

Through an old computer you can access the store, where not only can you buy guns, but also specific upgrades like accuracy and reliability for each weapon. And a few extra stuff like ammo and syringe carry capacity upgrades.

Once a gun is bought it is forever available to be picked up at any arsenal across the game world.

Weapon degradation

Every weapon in Far Cry 2, deteriorates over time, the more shots you take the more the gun condition degrades, it gets dirty, becomes prone to jamming, and eventually breaks.

This is one of the largest criticism I see thrown against the game. Aside from malaria but we will get there.

Weapon degradation is only an issue if you are picking up trash guns out of the ground instead of buying your own. New guns last a long time, in gameplay terms.

An assault rifle is something likely to be used a lot. So I tested a new AR-16. According to the in-game weapon stats page, it has a 50% reliability value. It took 452 shots until it jammed for the first time, the second jam came after another 395 shots, with the third after another 74 shots, with the gun breaking at the end of that same magazine. Totaling 900 shots from arsenal to broken, without the reliability upgrade mind you.

And that's just 50%, now consider the AK-47, the most all-rounder rifle in the game, it has the highest reliability value with 100%. The AK took 752 shots before its first jam.

So overall the chances of firing 900 rounds, in the AR-16 case, before passing by and restocking at an arsenal are rather small. Unless you are purposely ignoring this aspect of the game for some reason.

''But muh realism''

It's unrealistic, yeah, a gun wouldn't break that fast I get it, but it's first and foremost a game mechanic made to create unpredictable moments in combat. This is a theme across many systems in the game.

Also, these are not factory-new guns, not even the purchased ones, these are smuggled arms, they are less damaged than the rusted trash enemies drop, but they already saw plenty of field use before it got to your hands.

And like I said before, it's not like you have to buy a new gun every time it breaks, once you buy a gun you get an infinite supply of the newer models in the armory, the building next to the weapon shop.

/// Enemies

While enemies are not as varied, you have the same enemy holding different weapons that may change his behavior, Far Cry 2 shines in its details and the way the AI interacts with you, the world, and themselves instead.

Enemies in FC2 behave more smartly and realistically compared to other entries in the series. They will surround and flank you, try to run you over when in a vehicle, try to wall bang if you are taking cover behind soft surfaces.

The level of detail is unmatched, they communicate plans with each other, carry the wounded in their backs to safety before healing them, when badly injured they will play dead until you turn your back on them, they prioritize their safety over firing at the player if a wildfire breaks out, if you hit an enemy in the leg it will cause them to limp away and lie down somewhere safe.

It is fantastic and incredibly refreshing to face an AI fighting force that is not stupid in its tactics and acknowledges the presence of others nearby. Sure, part of its smoke and mirrors, but it greatly increases the sense of immersion. Similar to the AI behavior present in FEAR.

Stealth

Stealth is an option but it's no a deus ex machina, easy way around combat like it is from FC3 onwards, enemies are not stupid and you are not invisible.

However, once the AI is alerted it doesn't cheat by tracking your location at all times. This allows you to break line of sight, while they continue to think you are in that location, enabling a flank. This allows for a mix of stealth and direct combat to be weaved together mid-battle.

/// Systems and combat

Farcry 2 has several small systems and features that on their own don't do much, but when put together it results in dynamic and unpredictable combat scenarios.

These include:

• Weapon degradation

Mentioned earlier in the weapon section.

• Destructible environments

Something that provides for a dynamic and mutable battlefield. There is a clear difference before and after a shootout occurs. A feature absent from future games in the series for some reason.

• Sparse save points and no quicksaves

You can only save in safe houses, weapon shops, and at a few mission places. This feature removes the comfortable, no-risk safety net, helps generate tension, increasing the feeling that there will be real consequences if you die (even if just a time loss).

• No on-screen minimaps, enemy tagging, or x-ray vision

Farcry 2 quicks that crutch, and pushes the player to be completely aware of their surroundings during combat. As for moment-to-moment navigation, the player has access to an in-game map that provides info on the immediate area and another one with a larger view of the current region.

Again this furthers increases immersion. You can't stop time to access a digital, clean map on the UI. Instead, you pull out a paper map and GPS while still inside the game world. This GPS device also helps you locate the game collectibles, diamond cases, and Jackal interview tapes.

• Buddy System

It's a big feature that involves many moving parts. But for combat, if you have a buddy ready at a nearby safe house, you can be downed once with him reviving and joining you during the battle. They can get knocked out themselves and even die permanently.

• Limited healing

Syringes work as full heal, and you are only allowed to carry up to 6 of them (when upgraded).

If your health gets way too low, however, the syringe won't cut it, quickly bleeding out, you will need to perform a (now franchise staple) gruesome healing animation instead. This process leaves you vulnerable and will lead to your death if done in the open. Failure to stop the bleeding will also get you killed.

• Fire propagation

It won't be a proper Far Cry 2 review if I mention fire propagation. Many situations in the game can lead to uncontrollable fires, the most obvious one is the flamethrower, but it can happen accidentally. 

Often started by some stray bullets hitting a gas canister or something similar, fire brings another unpredictable aspect, in one moment flames are a powerful area denial tool that can diverge the AI attention, but things can change fast and before long you are burning.

• Malaria

From the first few moments, you stepped into this country you contracted the disease. There is no avoiding it or a cure for it in-game, just symptomatic treatment with pills.

The player displays symptoms associated with falciparum malaria, the most severe type that causes seizures, every real-time hour or so the player will suffer one. During said seizure you can't sprint, it slows you down and blurs your vision. The player must take their medication to relieve these symptoms, if left unchecked the disease will develop further, and if ignored long enough the player will pass out.

The disease has 5 levels of sickness, with each worsening your condition. Extreme fatigue is one of the effects of malaria, so it directly affects the player's stamina. Dictating the amount you have, its recovery time, and sprinting speed. The sickness level can be tracked in your journal.

As for the pills, once you run out you can go to the central village and pick up an Underground side mission, identified by the fist icon on the map. In exchange for a pill bottle, a quick delivery of travel papers to aid civilian refugees.

Malaria is considered a big point of contention, but like most mechanics in FC2 it is barely an issue unless you purposely ignore it.

Malaria serves as a ticking clock, a light pressure. Another unforeseeable element, and a reminder that there is plenty of things outside your control.

In summary

These systems when combined focus on player disempowerment. You are not an all-powerful predator figure slaughtering everything in your path, executing plans without flaws.

Once the bullets start flying there is no way to predict what could happen once there are so many unpredictable elements. This forces the player to adapt to its situation on the fly, and this makes Far Cry 2 gameplay exciting.

With this large amount of systems and the emergent gameplay that arises out of it, FC2 is considered by some, myself included, to fit into the design philosophy of Immersive Sim games.

/// Story (spoilers ahead)

Far Cry 2 is short on story, as in, not found in epic cinematic cutscenes, heroic feats, or over-the-top villains. The story it wants to tell is instead found in the environment around you, through world-building. Details easily missed or ignored.

You are just another no-name mercenary fighting for both sides of a bloody civil war. There are no personal motives, there's no revenge to be had, no cause or ideology to fight for. You traveled to this war-torn central African country, for one thing, and one thing only, profit. Blood diamonds.

Initially hired to kill an arms dealer, known only as the Jackal. That plan quickly goes down the toilet.

Far Cry 2 is about how there are no heroes or villains, showing the ugly side of these, often ignored and forgotten, conflicts. Doesn't matter what faction, UFLL or APR, different sides, different ideologies, yet both are still the same. Willing to commit horrible atrocities, hiding behind an empty ''greater good'' rhetoric, to justify their greed, blood lust, and power hunger.

Immoral deals in poorly lit rooms, diamond cases changing hands, hired ''free agents'' doing the off-the-grid wetwork. And you are one of them.

The game tries to adapt parts of Heart of Darkness, concepts of moral ambiguity, and moral corruption. Of what horrors one is capable of doing once under certain circumstances.

Of course, all of it is still through the lens of a video game, but Far Cry 2 doesn't glorify or distort its violence to look heroic like most games. It also doesn't shove it in your face ''look how horrible you are'' like others do. There are no gamified moral judgments, no karma score, no bad ending based on the number of kills done.

When the credits roll you are left with an unhappy and hollow ending. Rueben, a journalist met in the course of the game, risked his life to cover the conflict and expose it to the world, only for it to be ignored by the media at large. Refugees escaped to neighboring countries, what was left of UFLL and APR tried to form an alliance and to consolidate a government. They failed, anarchy still rules the country.

It perfectly reflects the nature of these types of conflicts, how they only serve to destroy the land and its culture, and how the world rather pretend that they don't exist. It is easier and more comfortable to believe men are not capable of such horrors.

The Jackal

Jackal remains mysterious to the end, with his morality, reasons, and goals unclear. Further exemplifying the greyness in human behavior. The arms dealers that fuelled the conflict later tried to stop it at the cost of his own life. The reasons for his change of character, since you first encountered him, what he did, what he saw, and what made him chose that fate remains a mystery, a story untold.

/// Conclusion

Far Cry 2 stacks the deck against you at every chance it gets, but the sum of these harsher mechanics provides for an incredibly engaging and immersive experience.

Its systems when combined focus on player disempowerment, things are not under your control, you are not a god of death in this world, you are just as susceptible to disease, gun malfunctions, and general misfortune as everyone else.

This brings a level of unpredictability to things. It keeps the game fresh even more than a decade after its release. All while its story presents a more subtle approach to its themes and antagonist. Something that was completely lost in the series. Take that as you will.

''You’re not a good person, you’ve just been lucky enough, you've never had to be otherwise. When it comes down to it, what a man can do is what a man will do.''

-The jackal interview, Tape Recording 17/09/2008