Amid much fanfare and marketing hype, Far Cry 2 (FC 2) was a highly anticipated game for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.  Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, the free person shooter (FPS) was heralded as a next generation title, where players are given the liberty to explore a fictitious African nation and 50 square kilometers of vast terrain.  With game play similar to the popular Grand Theft Auto Series, does FC 2 really live up to its hype?

Based on my past experience, I am not easily suckered into glitzy commercials or multi-million dollar marketing campaigns.  My hardnosed approach to PC gaming stems from the fact I’ve been playing Free Person Shooters since the early 1990s.  From “Wolfenstein 3D” to “Crysis Warhead”, I’ve seen the genre evolve as computer hardware become faster through time.  On the other hand, I’ve also played my fair share of lousy titles with questionable game play and graphics (ie. Daikatana).  Since FC2 was also released for the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3, this fact left me to question the overall quality, especially when development resources need to be split up for various platforms.

First of all, Ubisoft Montreal developed a beautiful looking game with an open-world concept.  My wallet can also take a break from further upgrades since a powerful gaming rig is not necessary to play at a high setting.  The DUNIA graphics engine is pretty immaculate and scales pretty well with older computers.  Furthermore, I was immersed into a wild African landscape, full of lush jungles and arid deserts.  And thanks to a wide availability of boats, buses, cars and jeeps, I was never relegated to walking the terrain. 

Another cool feature is the ability to set fires within the game.  Torching a nearby brush or tree is a sight to behold, plus it makes a great strategic option against the enemy.  Even the sound effects was a pleasure to hear as tribal hymns and musical scores filled my ears.  Unfortunately, all this gluttonous eye candy and quality soundtrack doesn’t make up for various flaws within FC 2.

No Pun Intended But Far Cry 2 is Too Easy to Burn!

The most annoying aspect of FC 2 has got to be respawning enemies.  Practically every corner is patrolled by an armed faction, where an inevitable gun fight is bound to happen.  Once I finally clear the area of baddies, the game rewards me by having them reappear a couple minutes later.  This means when I come back to the same stretch of road, another worthless fight is bound to happen again.  I know, I know, FPS games are all about action but I was forced into way too many repetitive fights that didn’t forward the storyline at all.  Too much time is wasted by completing mundane battles so I can finally progress to an objective or perform a mission.

Did I mention the boring storyline?  For the first three quarters of the game, I was relegated to completing tasks for different people.  My entire experience was equivalent to a 9 to 5 job; where I was clocking in to receive a mission and clocking out to reap my reward.  Most of these missions are way too repetitive and carried no sense of anticipation or excitement.  In addition, the pacing was so bad it made me feel so detached with all of the characters, including myself!!!

Epic adventures are supposed to be unique and full of adrenaline but FC 2 felt like a boring African safari in a chartered bus.  This leads to another big problem, like the sheer amount of traveling involved.  75% of my game play was relegated to driving a jeep, scanning a map and, finally, getting to a required destination.  Picture perfect surroundings can take away some of the monotony but boredom eventually takes over as the game lingers on.

Don’t even get me started about the AI scripts, controls, and physics.  In fact, I’ll spare you the torture by using one simple phrase, “IT NEEDS WORK”.  A .50 Caliber bullet can hit an enemy square in the chest with little or no damage?  Is this realism?

If you’re a dedicated PC gamer, think twice about purchasing Far Cry 2.  The game felt like a dumbed-down car ride that caters to “Bubble Gum” console players on the Xbox 360 or PS3.  Overall, FC 2 is like a hazy vision with so much potential, but in the end, an experience that makes you go to sleep out of sheer boredom.