The only part of this game worth praising is the graphics. The rest is a total and utter waste of your time. Seriously.
When you turn it on, it looks impressive.
The cut-scenes look beautiful, especially the fire effects, and when you get a chance to walk around properly, it looks amazing.
But once you've been playing it just a few hours, you realise that looks is all this game has for itself.
To put it bluntly, Far Cry 2 feels like they spent a week planning and designing it, years working on beautiful looking graphics, and then a few weeks afterwards adding gameplay elements.
Take the enemy AI for example...we're using next generation consoles nowadays. Why am I paying for a game where enemies stand there as I point my gun at them? Or run... continually...for as long as you choose to leave it...into a wall...while you pop bullets into them?
The AI is shocking. Even main support characters will be left walking around in cycles not doing anything. Enemies in vehicles will ram themselves into walls again, and again, and again.
Then, take into account the sound. My god, the sound. It doesn't have directional sound! I kid you not, if you hear someone shout "he's over here!", you cannot tell what direction it's come from until the first bullets hit you.
Even my dad noticed this and commented on it. I actually checked that both left and right sound inputs were properly connected to my TV to make sure it wasn't malfunctioning.
I thought games mastered this years ago? Clearly not.
How about the fact that the voices of characters doesn't get quieter as you walk away from them?! How does a game get released today that still does that? I swear, with no exaggeration, voices will sound as loud as they do 1ft away, as they do 40ft. No exaggeration.
There are also many bad gameplay choices they've made in this game. Like the fact that you have to drive for miles in between locations to complete your missions, in terrible handling vehicles where you can't see properly out the front window. (Although admittedly, no far cry game has ever nailed driving).
I like a bit of realism like anyone, but not when it ruins the gameplay. An idiot made the decision to make this as expansive and open as it was.
The only silver lining to this game is the multiplayer and map editor. I played that for a bit, it was really fun. If they'd released this game as just an online multiplayer shooter, for half the price, it would be an amazing game.
But unfortunately, I resent paying £40 for a broken, buggy, rushed game that I have to play online all the time. I've taken Far Cry 2 back since and had my money back.
As my friend is doing sometime this week too.
If Far Cry 1 was a Mary Poppins-type figure that came into your world, made it a better place and tidied your bed - Far Cry 2 is the drunken uncle that turns up afterwards and soils that same bed. What a shocking disappointment.
Buy it if you fancy playing lots of online gaming (although you have to complete the main story to unlock all the bits you need in multiplayer).
If however, you fancy a game that's actually enjoyable. Don't buy this.
Whatever good work Far Cry did, it has been undone in more than equal measures by Far Cry 2.