Customer Reviews
ADDICTIVE BUT I CANT SAY WHY... - By: T. Brown, 04 Jan 2009 
I wanted to add my thoughts to the huge variety or reviews for this game.
I have to say firstly that I am addicted to it, I just bought Resistance 2 which is superb, yet I am still playing this, but I can't really tell you why.
The distances you need to travel between & during missions are usualy vast & complicated by the fact that everyonein the country will shoot you on site with the exceptions of thosein the small cease-fire villages.
Every road is dotted with checkpoints housing at least 3 armed men each. These checkpoints seem to miraculously repopulate themselves once you have cleared them meaning you face the same problems everytime you drive down a road.
The missions do not vary a great deal - you either have to destroy something or someone & your 'buddies' - other mecenaries - frequently complicate things by calling at the beginning of missions to ask you to meet them, usually to add an extra spin on the task but with the same overall effect. In return, when you get shot to pieces, which you will, they will turn up at the last minute & help you out, although they usually then end up getting badly wounded to allow you to return the favour.
Another reviewer mentioned a glitch causing preventing him from advancing through the game - I have had the same thing, really annoying - the little loading sign kept coming up & at a certain pointin the mission it would freeze altogether. I have managed to get passed this by altering the way I finished the task - I just killed the chap without bothering to interogate him - upsetting my 'buddy'in the process. For a game on the PS3 to have such problems is, I think really poor, although I did get passed it.
Something else I find dissapointing is the AI - the characters are just not very responsive - you will reach someone you need to assasinate & after a few scripted words they just stand there & look at you until you pull the trigger - it all feels a bit rushed & lacking effortin that sense.
On the plus side, well, the graphics are beautiful. Thats about it. I really do not feel that the gameplay compares with the likes of Call of Duty or Resistance 2, but, as I said before, I am addicted to it.
In summary, it is a difficult, time consuming game that is beautifully presented but requires alot of patience. It also suffers from these really quite unacceptable glitches.
If you prefer to jump straight into the fight, buy Resistance 2 or Call of Duty 4 / World at War.
Hope this helps someone.
Could have been much more... - By: Stevie G, 29 Dec 2008 Ubisofts sequel shares little with the Crytek original. The sci-fi leanings have been removed;in fact the only real similarity is the jungle setting.
Controversially, the setting for Fary Cry 2 is Africa. However, its more like a safari version than anything seen on TV. The population comprises an intriguing selection of nationalities, reinforcing the fact this is a fictional recreation of the country.
The plot quickly gets going, & after a few set pieces, the protagonist has been struck with malaria, & narrowly avoids murder at the hands of your intended target; arms dealer The Jackal. Various tutorials follow, explaining aspects like health & weapons.
Far Cry 2 does make attempts to innovate. Recharging health is out, replaced by an irritating syringe system. When the protagonist reaches critical health, a quick press of L2 repairs his wounds. This is done via a quick animation showing a bullet being removed or bandage getting applied. This gives weight to the character, even if they soon get repetitive.
Fire effects are where Far Cry 2 excels. Until now, this has never been realised so effectively in-game. Watching a bush fire spread, engulfing everything it touches has a truly hypnotic quality. Not only is it a fantastic visual effect, but can be used tacticallyin combat. Effective use of molotov cocktails prevents enemies falnking, & can also provide the means for a quick retreat.
Theres a nice selection of guns throughout the game. Ones from fallen enemies are generallyin poor condition; jamming &in some cases falling apart completely. This creates a lot of tension when entering a fire fight, & treads a fine line between chaos & control. However, if combat had the same lethality as Modern Warfare, this would be a fantastic addition. Yet, headshots do not register at all, many enemies take a full clip to put down. This is unacceptable, especially considering how the odds are stacked against you. As a result, progress can feel a matter of luck than actual skill.
Vehicles are included to traverse the 50km2 landscape. This is limited to a few jeweps, trucks & the occasional gunboat. Trucks have the tendency to flip when travelling on anything other than dirt roads, & just a few bullets will causethem to smoke uncontrollably. Another problem is reading the map whilst driving. This takes a long time to get used to, & isnt helped by an abscence of map markers.
It is refreshing to see Ubisoft Montreal trying a more organic approach to navigation, ut like much of its innovations, isnt really appreciated.
The environment is split into sections, with the map switching upon entering a new location. This felt like an unnecessary complication, & makes the map seem even bigger.
Considering the general lack of things to do, this only proves the future of open world games does not lie with size. Smaller, more densely populated maps are surely the future.
There are approximately 57 guard posts scattered throughout the map. When cleared of enemies the location has been 'scouted'. Sadly, this makes no difference as these re-spawn indefinitely. A very frustrating aspect, & leaves the impression that progression is impeded by poor design.
Unlike the PC version, there is no quick save option. So saving is limited to safe houses, or directly after completing an objective, which can only aggravate matters.
There are 221 diamonds located on the map, which acts as currency. These can be used to purchase weapons & upgrades; giving some depth to a surprisingly empty game.
For everything Far Cry 2 gets right, it spectacularly fails at another.
The location is stunningly attractive & unique, yet there is a distinct lacks of things to do.
Attempts to deepen the combat system are undermined by poor basics.
Solid & boringin equal measures. A real shame, as this had the potential to be a classic.
Cry for Help. - By: Mauvix, 26 Dec 2008 Looking beyond the graphics that absorb you right from the start & the sheer levels of brilliance that the developers have gone toin order to make this game as visual pleasing as possible, it seems they have neglected many flaws.
The game, is foremost very boring with the player spending 90% of the time travellingin an immense safari. To the creators credit, it looks visually stunning, fire & water especially. However, despite this; the game lacks substance with a loose story line holding together, what is essentially, drive from point A to point B & kill some people. And seeing as the map is 50km squared, it is this driving which eventually makes this game more effort to complete than it is to enjoy.
And for those intrigued with the ability to play on-line, you should stick to CoD 5 which is far more enjoyable.
And although users now have the ability to now make maps to share, it is still lacking any fun, I even found Little Big Planet far more enjoyable, & much cheaper.
Although I would recommend this game, after all it is a classic, it just seems some things have been neglected to bring you an over-hyped cinematic game.
A Far cry from anything worth playing.... and further puns. - By: Luke, 24 Dec 2008 
Avoid this like malaria. I was really looking forward to this game blowing me away from all the press about the all new fire physics, multiplayer map creation etc. However being a student without a huge amount of money I rented it for 2 weeks with the intention of buying it if it was as good as I hoped. To be honest the only reason I didn't give it back after a single evening was my disbelief that anything this hyped could be quite so awful & completed every side mission & optional extrain order to find the fun so that I could say I officially gave it its chance.
First impression is good, graphics are good & gritty & the use of the first person view point for the story telling works brilliantly, but if anything its these points that make what is to come all the more dissapointing.
I think the real reason I hated it so much was because of the POTENTIAL of the game, which is enormous. The fire physics are indeed fantastic (though the textures fall down under close inspection), the african-safari feel is achieved & although the variety of weapons isn't huge for a game as big as this the ones that are present feel & sound heavy as they should. The problem is the total & complete lack of any kind of substance, game progression or enjoyment. Due to the size of the game about 90% of your play time will involve you treking from one point on the map to another, although there are "bus stations" to jump you from one side of the map to another they are rare & you'll still end up driving for miles, which could have been enjoyable except for the fact that the driving physcis are not only poor but completely absent. Also the respawning guard points mean that you'll be fighting the same enemies CONSTANTLY, from the minute you begin to the finish, the level of irritation this offers cant really be described - try playing a single scene of Oblivion about 12 times, killing same enemies,in the same scenery.
Side missions for this type of game are unsurprisingly repetative, however the main storyline missions are exactly the same, move from point A to point B, kill all guards, pick up case/kill dude/blow something up. Litterally no difference for any mission, & finally the story throwsin one incredibly weak & poorly explored twist & then finishes abruptly, & pointlessly. Its true that the game is ALOT less linear than say, the call of duty series or Resistance, & there are several ways to attack, but generally it comes down to explosives or sniping - same old same old. If less linear is all your looking for, have a look at Fallout.
This game represents everything that is wrong with the game industry at the moment, very pretty & technically impressive, but lacking any substance, story or interest. If you got this for christmas, keep the receipt. You can thank me later.
godd in areas.. - By: B., 21 Dec 2008 Excellent story, good dialogue, relevant weapons, excellent graphics & visuals. And thats it. The sheer volume of driving from one vague shoot em up to another is exhausting. In the end i binned it.
