Far Cry 2

 PC
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
Buy Now
Buy on
  1. Worth Playing
    74
    Far Cry 2 looks and sounds great (voice acting aside), but it has some gameplay mechanics that make progression through the game world a frustrating task.
  2. GameSpy
    70
    If you can bear some of the repetition in between missions, the missions themselves are a blast. The environment is among the most compelling ever put on a screen this year. And multiplayer is strong. Far Cry 2 may not live up to its full potential, but there's a lot here to enjoy regardless.
  3. DarkZero
    70
    It falters in just enough places to make you think before you hand over your money.
  5. Total PC Gaming
    70
    If you plot a graph of genius times faltering game design, Far Cry 2 sits firmly in the top right. [Issue#13, p.50]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Game Over Online
    70
    Some games grow on you the more you play them, as you get used to the little idiosyncrasies and learn to appreciate the finer points. Far Cry 2 is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a game that makes it harder and harder for you to like it by placing more and more junk between you and its best features.
  7. GameCritics
    70
    A mixed bag that redeems itself just enough to be worth playing, Far Cry 2 serves as a valuable experiment in open-world first-person shooter game design, but one that is not quite up to par with what developers like Crytek and GSC have accomplished.
  8. GamingExcellence
    69
    So long as you only play the game in small bursts, Far Cry 2 is an interesting experience.
  9. Absolute Games
    57
    In 2007, Ubisoft sent to Africa a whole team of Far Cry 2 developers so they could record sounds, take pictures and soak in the spirit of "Heart of Darkness". Judging by the promotional videos, the guys had the time of their lives. It's a pity that the game fails to convey even the tiniest fracture of their emotions.

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best PC Game of 2008
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2008
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2008

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
6.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 1832 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 670 out of 1832
  2. Mixed: 630 out of 1832
  3. Negative: 532 out of 1832
  1. RichardH
    Jun 9, 2009
    4
    WARNING: Tedium ahead. The first iteration of Far Cry was, while not necessarily perfect, a solid first person shooter. It's big, WARNING: Tedium ahead. The first iteration of Far Cry was, while not necessarily perfect, a solid first person shooter. It's big, beautiful world let you approach the varied missions using a variety of tactics making it challenging and giving a sense of achievement. After I played this extremely beautiful game for about 15 hours (I tried so hard to like it), I was very disappointed and felt frustrated that the majority of my actions in the world made little or no difference. For example, I laughed hard when I annihilated one of the infinite-random-henchman-emplacements drove around the next corner and thought, "I wonder how long 'til the henchmen return?" So I turned around and went back only to find the infinite-random-henchman-emplacement teaming with life again. Not a corpse, nor blood stain in sight (Realism, anyone?)! This was my experience when I drove to a mission, when I drove away from a mission, and when I just wanted to drive around looking at the scenery. I laughed at the utterly pathetic plight of my avatar. I agree with Samuel W. This is a disgraceful sequel to a worthy first person shooter. Tetris has what some may not even call graphics and is repetitive yet challenging and extremely fun to play. Far Cry 2 is the most beautiful, repetitive, and mind-numbingly tedious game I have ever played. Poor form. Go play Crysis, the true sequel to Far Cry, and leave this third rate third world game well alone.… Full Review »
  2. lutan1
    Apr 16, 2011
    4
    Nothing on the first one. The first was a sweet game- great graphics, fun story- a really enjoyable game.

    This one? Very repetitive. Clear    Nothing on the first one. The first was a sweet game- great graphics, fun story- a really enjoyable game.

    This one? Very repetitive. Clear a camp, come back later and it's inhabited by the same people again...    … Full Review »
  3. DavidP
    Feb 3, 2009
    6
    The graphics are lovely and immersive (if your system is beefy enough) and I enjoy having the freedom to go anywhere at any time. However, The graphics are lovely and immersive (if your system is beefy enough) and I enjoy having the freedom to go anywhere at any time. However, the game's storyline is somewhere between nonsensical and nonexistent, none of the characters have much depth, the voice acting is mediocre at best, the missions are repetitive, and there are some problems with the control scheme. Some points to consider: (1) Perhaps what throws away the game's immersive qualities more than anything else is that even though you're supposedly a "no-name scumbag", the game clearly revolves around you. Ostensibly you are just some guy caught in a civil war between two sides (UFLL and APR), but in fact the supposed two sides are indistinguishable (you can't tell if you are fighting UFLL or APR guys), there are no front lines, and you almost never see AIs fighting each other. Instead, they only fight you. The war does has two sides: you (and occasionally one of your "buddies") against nearly everyone in the entire country. (2) Ostensibly you're in the country to kill the "Jackal" guy who keeps the war going, but for some reason you reach this goal by killing hundreds of random people that have nothing to do with your supposed objective. (3) The control scheme has issues. For example if you want to run for cover, you are only allowed to run straight forward (strafing disables running) and if you are reloading, the game forces you to finish reloading before you can run or switch weapons. (4) The bus stations that take you long distances have no staff. No ticket agent, no bus drivers, riding the bus is free, it's perfectly safe, and it gets you to your destination much faster than driving. Make sense? (5) Virtually everyone in the country is male and heavily armed. There are virtually no civilians. (6) There are magic boxes all over the map. Put your gun in a magic box and pull the same gun out of another box 20 miles away. Or how about the gun shop (which is normally unstaffed) where you buy the guns on a computer and the guns you bought magically appear in a warehouse next door. Make sense? The problem is that while the graphics are highly immersive, the gameplay mechanics are absurd enough to pull you out of the immersion.… Full Review »
See all user reviews »