FC2 is a literal rough diamond. Jackals journal entries create context which make the whole story close in topics and tone to 'Heart of Darkness' book and allow to make sense of his erratic monologues. However same as with gameplay systems, there were enough staff developed for 8 hours game at best, so 80%+ of the game are just driving and shooting devoid of most context and meaning. PS. You old buddies betray you because they think you betrayed them at the end of first half of the game and you head costs a lot, they are mercenaries after all.
Yeah I do wish they could have integrated the interview recordings in a better way. That's an interesting theory on the buddies. Is any of that mentioned in-game? Who put the bounty on you, and how did they know about the diamonds?
@@borangedunn I don't remember exact point of dialog. I used a mod for compatibility issues and learned to play with dx9 and frame limit straight from the beginning, so it might be that just less staff was breaking for me. IIRC: at the end of the first part you have a choice between trying to save civilians and trying to help you merc. buddies being attacked, but you fail in both cases. And discussion before attacking you implied that they think that you betrayed them at that point. (Maybe dialogue is different? I went to save civilians) I think, the price on the player's head is mentioned at the same point as you learn that ARP and UFLL are joining forces and want you out of the picture after that. However now I'm not 100% sure, maybe it's just my headcanon, and there's no price, only set up with diamonds.
This is the weirdest comparison to draw but: I think Far Cry 2’s weapon jamming and explosions actually achieved what Breath of The Wild sought out to do with it’s weapon durability but failed. You stay within the game at all times. You can get an idea of durability from the rust not “DURABILITY LOW” text flashing on screen, losing a weapon doesn’t have you jumping into a menu to fill that empty slot. It comes together seamlessly in gameplay and promotes you to seek out new options in the environment when your go-to fails.
I played FC2 in a little attic room with no AC, in my underpants, sweating my balls off, mosquitoes biting me. And once in a while a gust of wind would come across my sweaty back. It fit so well with the game and its the true immersive experience.
I feel like if FC2 came out today it would maybe kick off a new sub-genre of shooters, but back then it was mostly experimenting with different things and tweaking things based on feedback, which is how we ended up with FC3.
@@borangedunn FC3 is by the far the most overrated in the series. Profound disappointment when I played it. Never replayed it since. FC4 gets better, and FC6 might actually have the best *gameplay* of the post-FC2 series - I like how they didn't overscript the damn missions.
@@hoilst265 reading this, i think you just like fancy graphics over immersion through gameplay. You like a more scripted experience rather than Complexity through Simplicity.
You know what's funny? There's indeed plenty to criticize Far Cry 2 of, one such thing being that if you look at it as a game of hunting the Jackal, it's piss poor. That said, if you look at it as a game about a certain aspect of human condition, particularly that in men there's a primal instinct, survival of the fittest, it makes far more sense. But it also never really tells you what to think about it, the judgement is left to you. No glory, no victory, just one man fighting another. It's an experience that took me a while to really understand. To quote Face Full of Eyes, who helped me realize that in his own vid on Far Cry 2, "'Far Cry 3 lets you do fun things you'll never experience in real life, while Far Cry 2 makes you do things you really wish would never happen to anybody. Far Cry 3 has a theme, but its gameplay is empowering chaos. Far Cry 2 is chaos with a message supported by the gameplay. Far Cry 3 offers fun through action. Far Cry 2 explores a certain theme through action.
This is its problem: it's too metaphorical and requires are deeper reading of the game than most games do - and most gamers are willing to. Far Cry gives its themes through the gameplay.
Far Cry 2 feels like a Hitman game, except you don't have the ICA or Diana packing your lunchbox for you. I'll never forget this one mission I had to blow up a fuel tanker, so I approached it from a quiet cliff overlooking the railyard, aimed my RPG at it, let off one round and boom, all the tiny soldiers start running around like ants while I walked away. I chose the RPG, I chose to take the hidden cliff path, I mapped the route with the least outposts. Extra fighting is counterproductive in Far Cry 2, so the game encourages you to take less risks like you would in real life. Its the most in-depth assassination simulator in that way.
Tip: you have to make your buddy "Rescue-Ready" by visiting a safehouse outside of any missions and letting them know that you want them to rescue you, any time they rescue you.
Yes, Thanks for pointing it out. I never used the system much in my earlier playthroughs as I found it immersion-breaking and I could simply reload instead. But you are really missing a good amount of the interesting interplay if you do that. It was also nice that other buddies will occasionally comment on them, like on their personality or that they died. Really the only reason why I still visit safehouses.
@@burningsheep4473 Honestly, I always find reloading more immersion breaking than having a buddy show up and help - one of those things is happening in game, after all.
@@Parker8752 Yeah, it can work, but even nowadays I still don't like it unless the rescue comes after an intense battle. If I just fell on my face at the start of the engagement on the other hand then I still just reload. Basically there needs to be some kind of story to it, otherwise the rescue doesn't seem earned to me. And not narratively appropriate you might say.
As an Aussie, I'm still surprised a Far Cry game hasn't been set here yet. Our wilderness (aka the outback) is a very harsh and unforgiving place, I'm not gonna say there aren't more dangerous places in the world but the outback just has this unique flavour of hostility to it, it's hard to describe without seeing it in person.
The only thing Far Cry 2 was missing was the fact that you couldn't interact with the wild life.. They addressed this in the later Far Cry games but it was pretty weird that you were in African bush and saw so few animals and couldn't really interact with them.
@@yokiryuchan7655 yeah I remember when I first played it I wished they served some purpose. It was interesting watching the "Making Of" documentary because the safari guides kept asking if the players were going to able to kill the animals, and the team kept telling them no. So I guess there being no incentive to shoot the animals was the alternative to having indestructible zebra roaming the plains...
They designers originally wanted dynamic wildlife but decided it just wasn't in the budget. The African setting makes for some amazing and unique animals that have yet to be in the franchise, like chimps and gorillas, giraffes, hyenas, and hippos. There are big cats in later titles, but a lion with a big bushy mane would be cool.
Thank you! While that would be glorious I'm not holding my breath for it. The "Dudes talking about games" genre isn't exactly struggling for content 😅
I feel that, if nothing else, those two games are important when looking at the evolution of the FPS genre, so hopefully people will keeping bringing them up every so often!
@@nikobellic8002 Well a remaster would keep the game's original gameplay mechanics intact though so a remake would make more sense to modernize the gameplay which defo needs an overhaul.
Some aspects of this game I really enjoy that don't appear in any of the others are, enemies panic-firing blindly when you surprise them from around a corner, and hearing them psych themselves out yelling paranoid things at each other if you start blowing up explosive barrels etc from a distance. That was cool.
It's baffled that in future titles, your protagonist has a built-in radio to intercept all incoming transmissions and cameras (or spying tools) advanced as NSA's newest tech with wallhack and such. And the only time those features were acceptable in a Far Cry was Blood Dragon, a one-off DLC for FC3. Enemies after 2 know exactly where you are after being more blind than a deaf person.
There are some Diamond Cases you can only reach by taking a glider. Those cases have always 3 diamonds inside. So many gliders are there for that reason, but not all.
amazing video, great editing, and a buttery smooth voice. Watched the entire video thinking you was some multi-million subscriber channel. Keep posting videos of this quality and youll be there soon :) Good work man, keep it up, its not every day a video keeps me interested for an entire hour, one of the best video's I've seen in a long time. Excited to see what you post next! Subbed and liked
I had to wake up at 4am this morning to drive along the motorway for 3 hours, where I will spend the rest of the week sharing a little airbnb with 3 other blokes who don't know how to wash plates properly. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to today. Your comment was the first thing I read this morning and it cheered me right up. Probably sounds overdramatic or something but it has put me in a better head space for the week ahead. Thank you. Sincerely.
@borangedunn Haha, anytime glad I can be of help! As a dishwasher boy for my day job I know the struggle. Just be glad you don't have hundreds. Make the most of your little get away and dont sweat the small stuff. Everyday is an opportunity to make it yours and get the most out of life. Have fun man, stay safe and make the most of what you have
FINALLY SOMEONE!!! He was SUPPOSED to be, (...) the idea WAS.... So he ISN'T. You have no idea, how many times I tried to explain this to people, to no avail. I watch all FC2 videos, since this is my most-played favorite game since 2012, but you're the first to talk about this. and the "it was **supposed** to be a cease-fire, but it's all out the window now." reference was brilliant. Subbed, thank you. ♥
@@TheWizard1408 That comment by the devs has always felt like fan service after the fact. If they really intended for Jackal to be Jack, they should've said or shown it in-game. Hinted at it, at minimum. Ideas you have during development don't automatically become canon if you don't then include it, you can't retroactively say "oops, here's who he was meant to be". If it was "supposed" to be Jack, I suspect he was going to be the player character, for a direct sequel. But during production they then went in a different direction, and simply recycled the already-made Jack assets to now stand in as this new antagonist, who is drastically different personality-wise. And with the new direction they knowingly and deliberately severed the link to FC1. Besides, the Jackal works so well because of the mystery, because we know practically nothing about him or his past. The character becomes reduced, not more than a man, but less, if he's also that sarcastic jackass from FC1. I'd even argue that FC1 and FC2 are so different thematically and stylistically that they don't even share the same game universe, nevermind a character.
Would it even make sense for the Jackal to be Jack Carver? I've not played the first game so I don't know but narratively speaking would it make any sense for Jack Carver to become a war lord in a foreign country after the events in the first game?
@@chatteyj Jack from FC1 is Generic Action Hero Template Number 1. And honestly, he comes across as being a bit dim at times. He runs a yacht chartering business in the beautiful South Pacific. It just doesn't make sense that he'd then abandon that lifestyle to go run guns in a string of dusty African warzones, especially since Jackal has cancer and limited time left. You wouldn't be doing that with your last few months if you had other options. Further, I don't think a date is ever given, but the setting of FC1 is filled with genetic modifications resulting in super mutants and advanced technology like cloaking. Half the weapons were based on prototypes at the time, or slightly futuristic feeling. The whole game feels like its supposed to be set in 2035 or something, but FC2 is very definitely early 2000s. And Jackal is at least a decade older than Jack, so the timeline also wouldn't make sense.
From what I understand, the Jackal has cancer and we, the protagonist, are going to die of malaria (the drug only delaying the inevitable). We are both war criminals who have brought desolation and death. So the final plan is to save the civilians and take as many of the perpetrators with us as possible. Our mission, as mercenaries, was certainly to put an end to trafficking by eliminating a perfectly concealed man. But in the grip of disease, in desperate need of drugs, money and weapons to survive, we've become the very thing we came here to slow down. From its mechanics to its narrative, we're passive and vunerable, content to follow the cynical lead and generate ever more violence. We can get a few upgrades and weapons, but always with the aim of violence... A philosophy not so far removed from other opuses.... but far more radical. The only beautiful and peaceful moments in this game are the pauses between two bloodbaths, looking out over the landscapes, which for the moment are still immaculate. I've been sanding 3 and 4 for years, but when I belatedly discovered the second one, I fell in love with it. Difficult, unpleasant, and lots of buggy problems. But so much bias and freedom of approach. And that atmosphere, that oppression, that unpredictability.
So well put. I didn't remember the plot very well and regarded it as kind of an after thought, but you made it sound so deep and insightful. I knew there was something I always liked about this game that I couldn't put into words and I think you may have done it
With the buddy system, watch for Blue Smoke, that indicates your buddy has been downed. You'l get about three of these Blue Smokes per buddy (in mission or in firefights) before they must be mercy killed (by syrettes or bullet) - and yes, they will grab your gun to prevent you leaving them. Your primary buddy will be the one to send mission alternatives, and the second buddy is often the one to save you in out of mission fights. You need to "reload" your buddy's assistance by "engaging" them at your safe house or pub. When you get downed, after a short "downed" animation, your buddy will come and drag you to a safe zone in battle for you to stabilise yourself (the hardcore animations), then heal yourself with a syrette. They will stay with you until the combat zone is empty, and they may get wounded in these incidents.
Theres a few voice lines where NPC enemy characters shout stuff at you in afrikaans a language spoken throughout south africa and other parts of africa
Imho, it's good that enemies sometimes have snipers and RPGs too as that is one of the few ways the game can actually respond to a player with a precision rifle. And jeeps of course. But I recently also had one funny example of the AI deciding that they had a window of opportunity after I had moved away from their base because I had to get to a better position and deal with a jeep. As I turned back to the base I had half a dozen militamen coming out of the base basically jogging towards me in a line without a care in the world. It was a massacre. It's part of why I like the AI of FC2 so much: It isn't just pretty good and varied in its behaviour, but it also sometimes just doesn't know where you are or what you are doing and sometimes they just use bad tactics. That makes them so much more believable and interesting to fight.
Pro tip - do videos like that about Stalker games and watch the numbers go brrrr. Stalker veterans have a habit of watching every single essay about this series even if they know every polygon in the game.
Regardless of the reasons behind it, it was weirdly cool to see you select Frank as your character. He's always my go-to, just because as an Ulsterman myself, it's fairly rare to see a Northern Irish character in a video game. Oh, we get the garden variety Irish types all the time, but to see fellas from the six upper counties is a fair sight rarer. The only other time I can recall is Aiden from Watch Dogs, another game by the same studio. It's just neat to see.
Just shows the importance of representation! I also chose Frank because he's the same age as me, but back in the day my choice was entirely dependent on whether they wore fingerless gloves or not 😅
I choose between Frank, Marty, or Warren. Frank: He's a rough, tough bastard. Marty: He's American (though naturalized, whereas I'm native born) and he's a US Marine (like me) Warren: He's an American midwesterner, doesn't have a military background (which can appeal to me despite my own military experience) and he actually wears body armor (which while it doesn't affect gameplay, it displays some tactical literacy. )
I didnt get into the series until 3 but I do have this one and enjoyed what little bit that I played. I uninstalled it because i hated having to drive so far every time that I died but I think its time to give it another chance. That was also around the time that I started using mouse and keyboard so I had that frustration added to it lol
A note on the Buddy system: Your buddies will come and save you only if they are “Rescue Ready” which you can check in the pause menu. All you need to do is go to a save house and you will see them waiting for you. If they aren’t there take a nap and one will be there when you wake up. After a quick dialogue exchange they will become “Rescue Ready” and show up to save your ass the next time you are gunned down. These buddies will offer you missions at the bar which increases your reputation and upgrades your safe houses with ammo crate, vehicles, and med kits. So don’t let your buddies die, just make it to a save house so they’ll bail you out again in a pinch. They’re extremely valuable.
Playing this game on my Xbox 360 was such a vibe that I've bever had from any other game. Funny thing is I'd never describe this game as fun, it was actually a bit of a depressing slog, but an amazing experience because of it. I still remeber the hunt for diamonds, that became a bit of an obsession, and I'd drop everything when came across one.
@@Betoni I guess so, but it was also the last fresh one so I don't give it a lot of love anymore. My opinion is, FC 3 was the best and worst thing that ever happened to Far cry. Its the game that made far cry too main stream and successful. I would love to see a more grown up and serious Far cry game but that'll most likely never happen. Imagine a hardcore Far cry game that instead of taking on RPG elements, it took on survival game elements and tactical shooter elements that strived to be a gritty and realistic experience. With no corny characters making corny attempts at humor. Enemies that are challenging to fight. I feel like Far cry would be dope like this. I think that's why I liked FC2 so much, because it was a serious FC game.
You may be having trouble following through with these character dialog, but for people who research history of colonialism, wealth extractions and wars for profits, I do find the way these character to be a masterpieces in development very early on, like a prototypes that end up being very philosophical about the interests that isn't being speak in plain word.
Im really hoping your statement was satire, but Heart of Darkness is a book...a classic, and yes, Apocalypse Now is based on it, and Far Cry 2 heavily draws from it.
56:27 Totally this. I remember attacking one outpost, accidentally starting a fire in the process, managing to down all the enemies except one, only for my gun to jam with the last dude bearing down on me. At the last moment the he was ragdolled into oblivion by an exploding barrel, caused by the fire I'd originally started
I've been on a FC2 analysis kick lately and your video is absolutely aces. I hope the new job is working out, but know that you and your work on these will always be appreciated and admired.
You don't have to fight repopulated checkpoints. You can go around them 90% of the time. If you replace your guns at the safehouses your guns never jam. I've played through it 6 times and never had a gun jam on me except for the dart rifle. Don't pick up enemy junk weapons.
Man, you reminded me I need to beat this game. I still have it on 360, and on the plus side, it's backward compatible. Really enjoyed what I played back then before the masterpiece that is Farcry 3. It's actually worth revisiting along with Metro Exodua as reference for something I'm working on. Great video, btw 👌
This is great! Did you ever play any of the custom maps that people made? People use to make obstacle course’s that you would have to painfully try and make your way through
Man I love FC2 for game mechanics like, gun jaming, malaria issues, fire spread, ammo box explosion and all that which sadly was dropped or dummed down in further FCs. I think this game was more realistic and for mature audiance than other FCs which become more wacky and over the top. I really enjoy the vid and I am happy that I am not the only one who find FC2 being amazing in its own right. Havind said all that thou, man your count of "a series of unfortunate events" which happened to your buddies/victims made me never want to be your buddy in scenerios when you have access to real leathal weapons :). You made my chuckle on that death count LOL :D
The best thing about fc2 is the options to approach a mission, you can complete some far away or you can just go and shoot everybody. Like the gas tanker you need to destroy, either it's a rpg from a distance or go in like John Rambo
Personally I love the limited weapons slot system, it really forces you to plan out your missions accordingly and you never quite feel overpowered. There will come a situation you’re not equipped to deal with so you got to think on your feet. This really sells the “survival” aspect the game is going for. In later titles once you unlock the best weapons you’re pretty much a one man army and the game becomes boringly easy. Not so in FC2, no matter how godlike you think you are things can change in an instant and you will be fighting for your life.
Great review. My impression was first, "This is a fun and pretty realistic shooter, great Dogs of War mood!" About 1/3 of the way through it started feeling more and more grim and nihilistc, like Game of Thrones with a FAL. I really started to dislike it as all the choices I could make became more and more debased. And then... the ending - suddenly, I'm offered a chance at dying a redemptive death , actually accomplishing something Good! That totally turned the game around for me and I loved it.
In the end, the country is still devastated. Last people in charge all gone, remaining civilians fled to the border, soldiers acting on their animalistic urges and every merc wanted out. You either blew yourself up or went to the border and rewarded yourself with a bullet to the skull (not sure why the Jackal had to be that specific about the diamond case).
To get your buddies to come save you when your downed, you have to run into them at a random safehouse and interact with them, or the bar/marina i believe
FC2 is for me the best fps(imulator) depicting everything wrong with people ... Forsyth knew when he wrote "The Dogs of War" and "Day of the Jackal", both serving as original idea to FC2... And choosing character at the beginning can slightly change opening missions. On Nexus is "Far Cry 2 - Realism Plus Redux" mod fixing a lot of stuff and re-implementing some hardcore mechanics. Also it sets the outpost respawn to 1hr :-D (just found that out)
I normally hear people say ‘games have really degraded in quality nowadays’ and think it’s an exaggeration but, my god that little montage of games at 0:44 made me realise how much better games were on launch back then… sad
And I do think Far Cry 2's story is thoughtful and interesting. Far Cr 3 is basically a more obvious, overstated version of the story of Far Cry 2. The men made the war, made the monsters, made crazy etc. etc. LOOK: The ending of Far Cry 3 is asking you if you liked the ending of Far Cry 2 (not returning to society, getting a self-sacrificing ending) or if you didn't like it (return to society. Rebuke the monster) you can pick a better path. Far Cry 3 has a great story, but it exists on the skeleton of Far Cry 2's story. Tbh i don't really know if Far Cry 1 is relevant to this conversation. Far Cry 4 is. I just don't feel like it.
Man I loved Far Cry 2. I'd love the series to have another crack at doing something as gritty as FC2 again. Also one of the few multiplayer games I could ever say I was GOATed at. There was a group of us who ran together, just total randoms who formed a group and we stomped the Capture the Diamond scene back on the 360 for a good long while before we eventually drifted apart. We never lost a game though.
Doesn't really make sense. Jackal was clearly active for decades by the time Far Cry 1 happened. Ge'd be too busy moving guns from one shithope to another to galivant across some island.
To this day, I love and cherish this as an unique fps experience. If I could use only one word to describe it, it would be RAW. The setting is heavy and it shows troughtout, and all the guns weight and sound as heavy as the game feels. Playing today you can see some of it´s downfalls, but still, remains a BRUTAL classic.
This was the game that got me back into gaming as an adult. God i loved this game. Sooo many morning getting up at 3:30 am to get my turn with the 360 lol.
So, I think when people compare this game and apocalypse now to heart of darkness, they're referring to the pretty well known novel written in 1899, which is actually the first result if you google "House of Darkness". I genuinely thought you were being sarcastic when you brought up the release dates and called people stupid over it, but then you called yourself media illiterate, so i figured id comment an explanation just in case.
That's weird, because the first result I found when I googled "House Of Darkness" was a 2022 black comedy reimagining of Dracula. But yes, that was a joke, I am aware of the book. Then again that's what I would say even if I just learned about it after reading your comment. If anything this just shows that my mother is right, and I'm not as funny as I think I am.
@borangedunn oof, I could have indeed proofread that comment better, lol. I will admit, however, that your sarcasm escaped me, so I may not be as literate as I thought I was.
Alright, you two... Shake hands and make amends. BorangeDunn, you have a great sense of humor; it's just a bit like a dry wine in that most people don't appreciate it until they have aged a bit more. Keep up the humorous inserts!
At 60hz a wave is 18 feet or 5.5ish metres. While 30hz(most subs go down to 20hz) looks more like 38 feet or 11.5ish metres. Basically, sub frequencies will go where they please unless you’re in a massive room or have bass traps
It is really good, even if it's a bit of a grind driving around everywhere. The vehicle repair mechanic is pretty hilarious, considering how the game is so committed to realism in other ways like the limited gun loadout
What I like about Far Cry 2 is that it neither glorifies war nor is it super preachy about it. Far Cry 6 makes trying to topple over a despotic tyrant look like some adventure vacation for millenials, Far Cry Primal makes me wonder how humanity survived for another 12'000 years if you can't go further than 20 steps from your cave without smilodons and bears running a train on you, and Far Cry 5 had so many drug/brainwash sequences that my cousin and I were joking that the next game would probably come with several sheets of acid instead of a physical manual. Far Cry 2 took "show, don't tell" to heart and is a convincing peace about the senselessness of civil wars in poor countries, yet it is subtle enough that this can completely wizz past you if you do not care
This game was so painful to finish due to all the direction/gameplay issues (abandoned it and then returned). But oh boi, it was also one of the best shooters I've played. The fire, I was the guy trying to burn everything down and kill the enemies while they tried to run away from the fire. My flare gun was always ready. Graphics were and are still amazing, it has a very good art style. Wish the new Far Crys return to this kind of gameplay.
Back when Ubisoft name held respect. When I was a kid I looked at them as a top tier developer, they had some really unique games and took risks, this and the first AC game come to mind, i got both back to back for my birthday 07 and 08
I played Far Cry at the premiere, I remember shock which this game bring to the games world. Everyone waiting for Doom 3 and Hal-Life 2 and then... from nowhere... Far Cry just kicked ass. I love this series and I tell you guys, Primal was great. Stone Age is so underused in the games. Definitely needs more.
Playing and completing this on the hardest difficulty was one of my favourite gaming experiences. Sure, the game is still far from perfect, but remove the power fantasy aspects and all the hostile mechanics click into place. You will not get that gritty survival experience from anything else. Truly a one of a kind game.
Mate... "Heart of Darkness" is a book from 1899 and it IS the inspiration behind Apocalypse Now. Also, close to the end of the game there is an area called Heart of Darkness.
AH! HERE are the bait comments I've been looking for! So, a lot of content creators say blatantly silly shit like that because it essentially drives engagement from people telling them the thing they got wrong in the comments. It's like intentional typos in a video title. And then if anyone calls them out on it they can just be like, "it was a joke!" but even if it is, it's primarily to farm engagement. No shade, I respect the hustle. He shouldn't be shittin on clickbaiting though as those guys are just doing the same thing he is, just less stylishly.
one of my recuits an old man with white hair and a mustache was my favorite companion and he called me that he as hurt and dying and that he needs backup and when I got there it was too late.. first time ever cried over an NPC recruit in any game it changed me forever. good times of 2010
I’ve been a life long fan of the series. Each entry before 6 really does feel like its own. Whether you liked them or not, they were their own. Far Cry 2 though? Oof - it was the strangest grind (in a good way) and most different in the series. Not at all like the more traditional formula the series has and it was DEFINITELY the black sheep in terms of gameplay and story. Definitely an underrated and under appreciated game for what it was at the time. If you haven’t played it - GO FOR IT! It’s cheap everywhere you look and it’s definitely worth a fair shot. I’d also like to throw out there that - the ONLY complaint I ever got from people who “tried” the game - was the LACK of a HUD and the fact that you had to use an actual map to navigate. In my opinion, THAT very thing is one of the games strongest points. Something that more games should implement for sure.
Nice work. Really enjoyed the video! Have you tried the Realism+ Redux mod? We addressed a number of common criticisms, and some of the points made in this video. Would like to get your feedback if you give it a shot.
Far cry 2 was my favourite far cry game I never finished it but it was a great game I loved the environment the map felt giant I loved the sketchyness of it the sound design the gameplay mechanics. I wish it had coop campaign though
It was so cool hearing the bad guys be progressively more scared of you as time went on. I just wish they had made enemies of both factions actually visibly different instead of you just being told "who" held whatever place you had to shoot up each mission. And, of course, there was that atrocious checkpoint system where you went back 15 minutes later and a checkpoint in the middle of nowhere which you just obliterated was already manned by the same nameless people... FarCry 3 did it much better with having you "liberate" checkpoints not only because you felt some sense of your actions changing the story, but also because just seeing places actively change hands from a visibly different faction to another makes it much more immersive. Wish I could play an FC3-like experience in the realistic and immersive setting of FC2...
Dunno if it has been said in comments already, but a buddy can save you only after you sleep in shelter and then, when buddy arives, they offer their help, and you need to accept it by "activating" this buddy.
Best game ever, for your buddy to be ready to rescue you, you need to speak to him at the bar or find him afterwards in a safehouse. If he is not already in the safehouse, you just sleep and he will be there when you wake up. Also the belt of the handheld machineguns actually gets depleted realistically and not magically disappearing when you're out of ammo. You can save the buddy in the prison and your buddies are angry because they needed the diamonds to escape but you wanted to give them to the jackal.😅
I still remember playing this game with my buddy, its like 2am irl, middle of the night in the game, I'm driving in the dark, and BAM a zebra had run out in front of my car from the tall grass lmfao
Gamers these days will never understand the pain of having a gun jam then getting malaria while the grass is on fire around you 😂
Exactly, but the gun jamming mechanic was so good, added a surprise element, also i liked the enemies having rusty guns, it was fun to improvise...
Well, Metro Exodus and DayZ is the closest we'll get to that experience.
At least when firing rocket to enemies but the back blast causing grass fire, denied our hiding position...
It was a lot of fun, I think. Not so much the malaria thing but the gun jamming was cool.
Or only 5 fast travel zones, 1 in the middle and 4 at the very far corners of the map
FC2 is a literal rough diamond.
Jackals journal entries create context which make the whole story close in topics and tone to 'Heart of Darkness' book and allow to make sense of his erratic monologues. However same as with gameplay systems, there were enough staff developed for 8 hours game at best, so 80%+ of the game are just driving and shooting devoid of most context and meaning.
PS. You old buddies betray you because they think you betrayed them at the end of first half of the game and you head costs a lot, they are mercenaries after all.
Yeah I do wish they could have integrated the interview recordings in a better way.
That's an interesting theory on the buddies. Is any of that mentioned in-game? Who put the bounty on you, and how did they know about the diamonds?
@@borangedunn I don't remember exact point of dialog.
I used a mod for compatibility issues and learned to play with dx9 and frame limit straight from the beginning, so it might be that just less staff was breaking for me.
IIRC: at the end of the first part you have a choice between trying to save civilians and trying to help you merc. buddies being attacked, but you fail in both cases. And discussion before attacking you implied that they think that you betrayed them at that point. (Maybe dialogue is different? I went to save civilians)
I think, the price on the player's head is mentioned at the same point as you learn that ARP and UFLL are joining forces and want you out of the picture after that.
However now I'm not 100% sure, maybe it's just my headcanon, and there's no price, only set up with diamonds.
This is the weirdest comparison to draw but: I think Far Cry 2’s weapon jamming and explosions actually achieved what Breath of The Wild sought out to do with it’s weapon durability but failed.
You stay within the game at all times. You can get an idea of durability from the rust not “DURABILITY LOW” text flashing on screen, losing a weapon doesn’t have you jumping into a menu to fill that empty slot. It comes together seamlessly in gameplay and promotes you to seek out new options in the environment when your go-to fails.
I played FC2 in a little attic room with no AC, in my underpants, sweating my balls off, mosquitoes biting me. And once in a while a gust of wind would come across my sweaty back. It fit so well with the game and its the true immersive experience.
Best comment more likes here please
lmao
Im having a moment of shared consciousness reading that
@@SubparLiberator We are all brothers in malaria.
Reminds me of a time reading a fantasy book of a character on an adventure while living / camping out of my car. Really brings you in! Sounds fun!
A fresh Far Cry 2 video? An hour long, at that, too? Damn! I'm already loving it.
That feeling may pass when you start watching it but I appreciate the enthusiasm!
@@borangedunn I'm on my third watch. I'm still in love with what you've done with this video! Thank you.
@@borangedunnIt's great by the way.
far cry always had an issue deciding between realism and arcadia, and fc2 had the best blend. shame it didn't set a standard.
I feel like if FC2 came out today it would maybe kick off a new sub-genre of shooters, but back then it was mostly experimenting with different things and tweaking things based on feedback, which is how we ended up with FC3.
no, no
it did set a standard
only ubisoft has ignored it and ruined everything
@@borangedunn FC3 is by the far the most overrated in the series. Profound disappointment when I played it. Never replayed it since. FC4 gets better, and FC6 might actually have the best *gameplay* of the post-FC2 series - I like how they didn't overscript the damn missions.
@@hoilst265 Fc3 is by the far one of the best in the series
@@hoilst265 reading this, i think you just like fancy graphics over immersion through gameplay. You like a more scripted experience rather than Complexity through Simplicity.
You know what's funny? There's indeed plenty to criticize Far Cry 2 of, one such thing being that if you look at it as a game of hunting the Jackal, it's piss poor. That said, if you look at it as a game about a certain aspect of human condition, particularly that in men there's a primal instinct, survival of the fittest, it makes far more sense. But it also never really tells you what to think about it, the judgement is left to you. No glory, no victory, just one man fighting another. It's an experience that took me a while to really understand.
To quote Face Full of Eyes, who helped me realize that in his own vid on Far Cry 2, "'Far Cry 3 lets you do fun things you'll never experience in real life, while Far Cry 2 makes you do things you really wish would never happen to anybody. Far Cry 3 has a theme, but its gameplay is empowering chaos. Far Cry 2 is chaos with a message supported by the gameplay. Far Cry 3 offers fun through action. Far Cry 2 explores a certain theme through action.
This is its problem: it's too metaphorical and requires are deeper reading of the game than most games do - and most gamers are willing to. Far Cry gives its themes through the gameplay.
Damn, that's incredibly well said. Thanks for sharing.
Far Cry 2 feels like a Hitman game, except you don't have the ICA or Diana packing your lunchbox for you.
I'll never forget this one mission I had to blow up a fuel tanker, so I approached it from a quiet cliff overlooking the railyard, aimed my RPG at it, let off one round and boom, all the tiny soldiers start running around like ants while I walked away. I chose the RPG, I chose to take the hidden cliff path, I mapped the route with the least outposts. Extra fighting is counterproductive in Far Cry 2, so the game encourages you to take less risks like you would in real life. Its the most in-depth assassination simulator in that way.
Tip: you have to make your buddy "Rescue-Ready" by visiting a safehouse outside of any missions and letting them know that you want them to rescue you, any time they rescue you.
Yes, Thanks for pointing it out. I never used the system much in my earlier playthroughs as I found it immersion-breaking and I could simply reload instead. But you are really missing a good amount of the interesting interplay if you do that. It was also nice that other buddies will occasionally comment on them, like on their personality or that they died. Really the only reason why I still visit safehouses.
@@burningsheep4473 I hate losing progress. So, I'm visiting those safehouses as routine as the weapon shops.
Oh yea I forgot about that too
@@burningsheep4473 Honestly, I always find reloading more immersion breaking than having a buddy show up and help - one of those things is happening in game, after all.
@@Parker8752 Yeah, it can work, but even nowadays I still don't like it unless the rescue comes after an intense battle. If I just fell on my face at the start of the engagement on the other hand then I still just reload. Basically there needs to be some kind of story to it, otherwise the rescue doesn't seem earned to me. And not narratively appropriate you might say.
As an Aussie, I'm still surprised a Far Cry game hasn't been set here yet. Our wilderness (aka the outback) is a very harsh and unforgiving place, I'm not gonna say there aren't more dangerous places in the world but the outback just has this unique flavour of hostility to it, it's hard to describe without seeing it in person.
Using The outback as a setting would slap.
@@margotpreston imagine the eshay cosmetics... jesus christ ubi would have a field day
Honestly if they did a Far Cry/MadMax crossover it'd be fucking lit.
you'd be looking under a gum tree for a collectible roo scrotum leather pouch full of black opals and WHAM!
Drop Bear.
You Died.
if i'm remembering correctly, there were cassowary's in Far Cry 3. that's one asset they don't have to make from scratch.
The only thing Far Cry 2 was missing was the fact that you couldn't interact with the wild life.. They addressed this in the later Far Cry games but it was pretty weird that you were in African bush and saw so few animals and couldn't really interact with them.
@@yokiryuchan7655 yeah I remember when I first played it I wished they served some purpose. It was interesting watching the "Making Of" documentary because the safari guides kept asking if the players were going to able to kill the animals, and the team kept telling them no. So I guess there being no incentive to shoot the animals was the alternative to having indestructible zebra roaming the plains...
They designers originally wanted dynamic wildlife but decided it just wasn't in the budget. The African setting makes for some amazing and unique animals that have yet to be in the franchise, like chimps and gorillas, giraffes, hyenas, and hippos. There are big cats in later titles, but a lion with a big bushy mane would be cool.
This is going to be a great video, I can already tell
Boy I hope so!
And good luck with the new job! I’m still hoping you’re going to be able to do UA-cam full time sometime in the future
Thank you! While that would be glorious I'm not holding my breath for it. The "Dudes talking about games" genre isn't exactly struggling for content 😅
@@borangedunn I know, but somehow your videos have a sort of uniqueness to them, a quaint feeling. I know you’re going to go far
@@borangedunn hey man. You Daft as fuq. Hearts of darkness is a novel You illiterate imbecile
I'm that one guy who actually looks for content for the first 2 farcry games.
I'm glad to see people still talk about these rough gems.
I feel that, if nothing else, those two games are important when looking at the evolution of the FPS genre, so hopefully people will keeping bringing them up every so often!
I think you mean rough *diamonds*
Back then when I played it halfway through the game I was looking more for Jackal tapes than for diamonds. Love his tapes.
Anyone who remembers the day Far Cry came out will appreciate these games.
We need a remake/remaster of this masterpiece but defo not by Ubisoft!
Remake not needed. Graphics are fine and it just need some fixes. So remaster I guess.
@@nikobellic8002 Well a remaster would keep the game's original gameplay mechanics intact though so a remake would make more sense to modernize the gameplay which defo needs an overhaul.
@@D.Danko_thallnuhuh
@@positivefingers1321 Uhuh
LoL I remember when it was released. And one thing is for sure, this game is not and never was even close to being a masterpiece
Some aspects of this game I really enjoy that don't appear in any of the others are, enemies panic-firing blindly when you surprise them from around a corner, and hearing them psych themselves out yelling paranoid things at each other if you start blowing up explosive barrels etc from a distance. That was cool.
It's baffled that in future titles, your protagonist has a built-in radio to intercept all incoming transmissions and cameras (or spying tools) advanced as NSA's newest tech with wallhack and such. And the only time those features were acceptable in a Far Cry was Blood Dragon, a one-off DLC for FC3. Enemies after 2 know exactly where you are after being more blind than a deaf person.
There are some Diamond Cases you can only reach by taking a glider. Those cases have always 3 diamonds inside. So many gliders are there for that reason, but not all.
There will always be a special place in my heart for Far Cry 2. The setting.
The atmosphere. ❤
amazing video, great editing, and a buttery smooth voice. Watched the entire video thinking you was some multi-million subscriber channel. Keep posting videos of this quality and youll be there soon :) Good work man, keep it up, its not every day a video keeps me interested for an entire hour, one of the best video's I've seen in a long time. Excited to see what you post next!
Subbed and liked
I had to wake up at 4am this morning to drive along the motorway for 3 hours, where I will spend the rest of the week sharing a little airbnb with 3 other blokes who don't know how to wash plates properly. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to today.
Your comment was the first thing I read this morning and it cheered me right up. Probably sounds overdramatic or something but it has put me in a better head space for the week ahead. Thank you. Sincerely.
@borangedunn Haha, anytime glad I can be of help! As a dishwasher boy for my day job I know the struggle. Just be glad you don't have hundreds.
Make the most of your little get away and dont sweat the small stuff. Everyday is an opportunity to make it yours and get the most out of life.
Have fun man, stay safe and make the most of what you have
Bro, Heart of Darkness is a book first, and it DID inspire Copolla to write Apocalypse Now
woosh😂
Yo I found your channel through your assassins creed series. Keep it up. Love your content
Thanks dude, I appreciate that. I also appreciate some Jason Newstead appreciation, even if it is just an avatar 🤘
FINALLY SOMEONE!!!
He was SUPPOSED to be, (...) the idea WAS....
So he ISN'T.
You have no idea, how many times I tried to explain this to people, to no avail.
I watch all FC2 videos, since this is my most-played favorite game since 2012, but you're the first to talk about this.
and the "it was **supposed** to be a cease-fire, but it's all out the window now." reference was brilliant.
Subbed, thank you. ♥
I still don't care to me and most people including the devs on the game jackal is jack and he is
@@TheWizard1408 That comment by the devs has always felt like fan service after the fact. If they really intended for Jackal to be Jack, they should've said or shown it in-game. Hinted at it, at minimum. Ideas you have during development don't automatically become canon if you don't then include it, you can't retroactively say "oops, here's who he was meant to be".
If it was "supposed" to be Jack, I suspect he was going to be the player character, for a direct sequel. But during production they then went in a different direction, and simply recycled the already-made Jack assets to now stand in as this new antagonist, who is drastically different personality-wise. And with the new direction they knowingly and deliberately severed the link to FC1.
Besides, the Jackal works so well because of the mystery, because we know practically nothing about him or his past. The character becomes reduced, not more than a man, but less, if he's also that sarcastic jackass from FC1. I'd even argue that FC1 and FC2 are so different thematically and stylistically that they don't even share the same game universe, nevermind a character.
@@hotdogvan3399 I still prefer he is, it adds to the game and there's not really reason good reason not too for me
Would it even make sense for the Jackal to be Jack Carver? I've not played the first game so I don't know but narratively speaking would it make any sense for Jack Carver to become a war lord in a foreign country after the events in the first game?
@@chatteyj Jack from FC1 is Generic Action Hero Template Number 1. And honestly, he comes across as being a bit dim at times. He runs a yacht chartering business in the beautiful South Pacific. It just doesn't make sense that he'd then abandon that lifestyle to go run guns in a string of dusty African warzones, especially since Jackal has cancer and limited time left. You wouldn't be doing that with your last few months if you had other options.
Further, I don't think a date is ever given, but the setting of FC1 is filled with genetic modifications resulting in super mutants and advanced technology like cloaking. Half the weapons were based on prototypes at the time, or slightly futuristic feeling. The whole game feels like its supposed to be set in 2035 or something, but FC2 is very definitely early 2000s. And Jackal is at least a decade older than Jack, so the timeline also wouldn't make sense.
From what I understand, the Jackal has cancer and we, the protagonist, are going to die of malaria (the drug only delaying the inevitable). We are both war criminals who have brought desolation and death. So the final plan is to save the civilians and take as many of the perpetrators with us as possible.
Our mission, as mercenaries, was certainly to put an end to trafficking by eliminating a perfectly concealed man. But in the grip of disease, in desperate need of drugs, money and weapons to survive, we've become the very thing we came here to slow down.
From its mechanics to its narrative, we're passive and vunerable, content to follow the cynical lead and generate ever more violence. We can get a few upgrades and weapons, but always with the aim of violence... A philosophy not so far removed from other opuses.... but far more radical. The only beautiful and peaceful moments in this game are the pauses between two bloodbaths, looking out over the landscapes, which for the moment are still immaculate.
I've been sanding 3 and 4 for years, but when I belatedly discovered the second one, I fell in love with it. Difficult, unpleasant, and lots of buggy problems. But so much bias and freedom of approach. And that atmosphere, that oppression, that unpredictability.
So well put. I didn't remember the plot very well and regarded it as kind of an after thought, but you made it sound so deep and insightful. I knew there was something I always liked about this game that I couldn't put into words and I think you may have done it
With the buddy system, watch for Blue Smoke, that indicates your buddy has been downed. You'l get about three of these Blue Smokes per buddy (in mission or in firefights) before they must be mercy killed (by syrettes or bullet) - and yes, they will grab your gun to prevent you leaving them.
Your primary buddy will be the one to send mission alternatives, and the second buddy is often the one to save you in out of mission fights. You need to "reload" your buddy's assistance by "engaging" them at your safe house or pub. When you get downed, after a short "downed" animation, your buddy will come and drag you to a safe zone in battle for you to stabilise yourself (the hardcore animations), then heal yourself with a syrette. They will stay with you until the combat zone is empty, and they may get wounded in these incidents.
Great vid thanks :-) Looking forward to 3
Theres a few voice lines where NPC enemy characters shout stuff at you in afrikaans a language spoken throughout south africa and other parts of africa
Imho, it's good that enemies sometimes have snipers and RPGs too as that is one of the few ways the game can actually respond to a player with a precision rifle. And jeeps of course.
But I recently also had one funny example of the AI deciding that they had a window of opportunity after I had moved away from their base because I had to get to a better position and deal with a jeep. As I turned back to the base I had half a dozen militamen coming out of the base basically jogging towards me in a line without a care in the world. It was a massacre.
It's part of why I like the AI of FC2 so much: It isn't just pretty good and varied in its behaviour, but it also sometimes just doesn't know where you are or what you are doing and sometimes they just use bad tactics. That makes them so much more believable and interesting to fight.
Pro tip - do videos like that about Stalker games and watch the numbers go brrrr. Stalker veterans have a habit of watching every single essay about this series even if they know every polygon in the game.
As a stalker vet, I confirm, we do
Guilty as charged.
STALKER MENTIONED ☢️☢️☢️
My boy Nick 930 will definitely be on the job when leaks come out
Far Cry 2 hits close to home as I’m from Africa myself
Sorry for you losing your home
Regardless of the reasons behind it, it was weirdly cool to see you select Frank as your character. He's always my go-to, just because as an Ulsterman myself, it's fairly rare to see a Northern Irish character in a video game. Oh, we get the garden variety Irish types all the time, but to see fellas from the six upper counties is a fair sight rarer. The only other time I can recall is Aiden from Watch Dogs, another game by the same studio. It's just neat to see.
Just shows the importance of representation! I also chose Frank because he's the same age as me, but back in the day my choice was entirely dependent on whether they wore fingerless gloves or not 😅
@@borangedunn That is the most important method of selecting a character, fingerless gloves.
I choose between Frank, Marty, or Warren.
Frank: He's a rough, tough bastard.
Marty: He's American (though naturalized, whereas I'm native born) and he's a US Marine (like me)
Warren: He's an American midwesterner, doesn't have a military background (which can appeal to me despite my own military experience) and he actually wears body armor (which while it doesn't affect gameplay, it displays some tactical literacy. )
I always avoided playing as or doing missions for Frank Bilders because he's a police informant 😉
I mostly play as Jossip. I just love the idea of being a battle-grandpa too much to resist.
Still addicted to this game :D Playing it after a hard working day... Still loving it
I didnt get into the series until 3 but I do have this one and enjoyed what little bit that I played. I uninstalled it because i hated having to drive so far every time that I died but I think its time to give it another chance. That was also around the time that I started using mouse and keyboard so I had that frustration added to it lol
This was the first game I ever pre-ordered. I remember game informer running articles about it every month for like 2 years before it came out.
Funnily enough I think this was the first game I bought a Collectors Edition for.
A note on the Buddy system: Your buddies will come and save you only if they are “Rescue Ready” which you can check in the pause menu. All you need to do is go to a save house and you will see them waiting for you. If they aren’t there take a nap and one will be there when you wake up. After a quick dialogue exchange they will become “Rescue Ready” and show up to save your ass the next time you are gunned down.
These buddies will offer you missions at the bar which increases your reputation and upgrades your safe houses with ammo crate, vehicles, and med kits. So don’t let your buddies die, just make it to a save house so they’ll bail you out again in a pinch. They’re extremely valuable.
Playing this game on my Xbox 360 was such a vibe that I've bever had from any other game. Funny thing is I'd never describe this game as fun, it was actually a bit of a depressing slog, but an amazing experience because of it.
I still remeber the hunt for diamonds, that became a bit of an obsession, and I'd drop everything when came across one.
Never played far cry 6. For the sake of your continued enjoyment in the series, you should keep it that way
I love FC2
Its the last fresh FC game we got before they did FC3 4 times in a row.
By that isnt FC 3 the last fresh one?
@@Betoni I guess so, but it was also the last fresh one so I don't give it a lot of love anymore. My opinion is, FC 3 was the best and worst thing that ever happened to Far cry. Its the game that made far cry too main stream and successful. I would love to see a more grown up and serious Far cry game but that'll most likely never happen. Imagine a hardcore Far cry game that instead of taking on RPG elements, it took on survival game elements and tactical shooter elements that strived to be a gritty and realistic experience. With no corny characters making corny attempts at humor. Enemies that are challenging to fight. I feel like Far cry would be dope like this. I think that's why I liked FC2 so much, because it was a serious FC game.
The voice acting and the gunstore computer are the most nostalgic sounds out of many game for me. I loved the voice acting it was so soothing hahah
You may be having trouble following through with these character dialog, but for people who research history of colonialism, wealth extractions and wars for profits, I do find the way these character to be a masterpieces in development very early on, like a prototypes that end up being very philosophical about the interests that isn't being speak in plain word.
I absolutely loved this game back in the day. I wish ubisoft would go back to this formula, honestly.
Im really hoping your statement was satire, but Heart of Darkness is a book...a classic, and yes, Apocalypse Now is based on it, and Far Cry 2 heavily draws from it.
I think he was joking lmao. Fantastic novel though
56:27 Totally this. I remember attacking one outpost, accidentally starting a fire in the process, managing to down all the enemies except one, only for my gun to jam with the last dude bearing down on me. At the last moment the he was ragdolled into oblivion by an exploding barrel, caused by the fire I'd originally started
What I like about this game is the map system pull it out phyisivally while playing not on another screen that pauses the game
I've been on a FC2 analysis kick lately and your video is absolutely aces. I hope the new job is working out, but know that you and your work on these will always be appreciated and admired.
You are too nice, stop it! But seriously, thank you so much!
You don't have to fight repopulated checkpoints. You can go around them 90% of the time.
If you replace your guns at the safehouses your guns never jam. I've played through it 6 times and never had a gun jam on me except for the dart rifle. Don't pick up enemy junk weapons.
IIRC you were both going to die from malaria so there was no point in trying to survive for you or the jackal
This is the only far cry game i really enjoyed. Nice u covered it up
Every single one of those games you named.I would play till this day over new games
The multiplayer and specifically the map maker was insane too. Spent so much time mucking about and playing puzzle maps with mates
I can't believe this video doesn't have more views, it's excellent, very well done. Pressing subscribe was a no brainer :)
Videos like this, or shuld I say documentaries, should be included in History Channel program. Great job! So much nostalgia watching this!
Man, you reminded me I need to beat this game. I still have it on 360, and on the plus side, it's backward compatible. Really enjoyed what I played back then before the masterpiece that is Farcry 3. It's actually worth revisiting along with Metro Exodua as reference for something I'm working on. Great video, btw 👌
there is something like farcry 2 its called stalker call of pripyat and it just dropped on consoles go buy that
I'll never forget finding new weapons in this game. No UI hints, popups and addictive sounds, just a new icon and that was enough to get me excited!
This is great! Did you ever play any of the custom maps that people made? People use to make obstacle course’s that you would have to painfully try and make your way through
That car joke with your merc of choice (14:25), chef's kiss
Man I love FC2 for game mechanics like, gun jaming, malaria issues, fire spread, ammo box explosion and all that which sadly was dropped or dummed down in further FCs. I think this game was more realistic and for mature audiance than other FCs which become more wacky and over the top. I really enjoy the vid and I am happy that I am not the only one who find FC2 being amazing in its own right.
Havind said all that thou, man your count of "a series of unfortunate events" which happened to your buddies/victims made me never want to be your buddy in scenerios when you have access to real leathal weapons :). You made my chuckle on that death count LOL :D
one of my absolute favorite level designers. so much fun with the propane tanks
The best thing about fc2 is the options to approach a mission, you can complete some far away or you can just go and shoot everybody. Like the gas tanker you need to destroy, either it's a rpg from a distance or go in like John Rambo
I think the Heart of Darkness comparisons referred to Joseph Conrad's book...
No, it was referring to the pc game
Personally I love the limited weapons slot system, it really forces you to plan out your missions accordingly and you never quite feel overpowered. There will come a situation you’re not equipped to deal with so you got to think on your feet. This really sells the “survival” aspect the game is going for.
In later titles once you unlock the best weapons you’re pretty much a one man army and the game becomes boringly easy. Not so in FC2, no matter how godlike you think you are things can change in an instant and you will be fighting for your life.
Great review. My impression was first, "This is a fun and pretty realistic shooter, great Dogs of War mood!" About 1/3 of the way through it started feeling more and more grim and nihilistc, like Game of Thrones with a FAL. I really started to dislike it as all the choices I could make became more and more debased. And then... the ending - suddenly, I'm offered a chance at dying a redemptive death , actually accomplishing something Good! That totally turned the game around for me and I loved it.
In the end, the country is still devastated. Last people in charge all gone, remaining civilians fled to the border, soldiers acting on their animalistic urges and every merc wanted out. You either blew yourself up or went to the border and rewarded yourself with a bullet to the skull (not sure why the Jackal had to be that specific about the diamond case).
To get your buddies to come save you when your downed, you have to run into them at a random safehouse and interact with them, or the bar/marina i believe
FC2 is for me the best fps(imulator) depicting everything wrong with people ... Forsyth knew when he wrote "The Dogs of War" and "Day of the Jackal", both serving as original idea to FC2...
And choosing character at the beginning can slightly change opening missions.
On Nexus is "Far Cry 2 - Realism Plus Redux" mod fixing a lot of stuff and re-implementing some hardcore mechanics. Also it sets the outpost respawn to 1hr :-D (just found that out)
I normally hear people say ‘games have really degraded in quality nowadays’ and think it’s an exaggeration but, my god that little montage of games at 0:44 made me realise how much better games were on launch back then… sad
And I do think Far Cry 2's story is thoughtful and interesting.
Far Cr 3 is basically a more obvious, overstated version of the story of Far Cry 2. The men made the war, made the monsters, made crazy etc. etc. LOOK: The ending of Far Cry 3 is asking you if you liked the ending of Far Cry 2 (not returning to society, getting a self-sacrificing ending) or if you didn't like it (return to society. Rebuke the monster) you can pick a better path.
Far Cry 3 has a great story, but it exists on the skeleton of Far Cry 2's story.
Tbh i don't really know if Far Cry 1 is relevant to this conversation. Far Cry 4 is. I just don't feel like it.
Man I loved Far Cry 2. I'd love the series to have another crack at doing something as gritty as FC2 again. Also one of the few multiplayer games I could ever say I was GOATed at. There was a group of us who ran together, just total randoms who formed a group and we stomped the Capture the Diamond scene back on the 360 for a good long while before we eventually drifted apart. We never lost a game though.
One day I'll go back and play FC2, and relive my picked-up-guns-only-and-use-them-until-they-break playthrough. It was so intense and immersive.
You deserve way more attention for the quality of your work alone
I thought the director has confirmed the jackal is jack
Doesn't really make sense. Jackal was clearly active for decades by the time Far Cry 1 happened. Ge'd be too busy moving guns from one shithope to another to galivant across some island.
To this day, I love and cherish this as an unique fps experience. If I could use only one word to describe it, it would be RAW. The setting is heavy and it shows troughtout, and all the guns weight and sound as heavy as the game feels. Playing today you can see some of it´s downfalls, but still, remains a BRUTAL classic.
This was the game that got me back into gaming as an adult. God i loved this game. Sooo many morning getting up at 3:30 am to get my turn with the 360 lol.
So, I think when people compare this game and apocalypse now to heart of darkness, they're referring to the pretty well known novel written in 1899, which is actually the first result if you google "House of Darkness". I genuinely thought you were being sarcastic when you brought up the release dates and called people stupid over it, but then you called yourself media illiterate, so i figured id comment an explanation just in case.
That's weird, because the first result I found when I googled "House Of Darkness" was a 2022 black comedy reimagining of Dracula.
But yes, that was a joke, I am aware of the book. Then again that's what I would say even if I just learned about it after reading your comment. If anything this just shows that my mother is right, and I'm not as funny as I think I am.
@borangedunn oof, I could have indeed proofread that comment better, lol. I will admit, however, that your sarcasm escaped me, so I may not be as literate as I thought I was.
Alright, you two... Shake hands and make amends.
BorangeDunn, you have a great sense of humor; it's just a bit like a dry wine in that most people don't appreciate it until they have aged a bit more.
Keep up the humorous inserts!
Dope video, best far cry imo. The amount of people in the comments giving you hell is surprising tho
29:00 it’s a subwoofer so any frequency it puts out at any audible level is going straight through that wall
At 60hz a wave is 18 feet or 5.5ish metres. While 30hz(most subs go down to 20hz) looks more like 38 feet or 11.5ish metres. Basically, sub frequencies will go where they please unless you’re in a massive room or have bass traps
Still have the Tshirt. Im not sure how they made the print, but ir still holds it's quality after many years!
Can't tell if that was a troll comment about apocalypse now and heart of darkness if so that was masterclass
It is really good, even if it's a bit of a grind driving around everywhere. The vehicle repair mechanic is pretty hilarious, considering how the game is so committed to realism in other ways like the limited gun loadout
The Irish joke got me geeking
What I like about Far Cry 2 is that it neither glorifies war nor is it super preachy about it. Far Cry 6 makes trying to topple over a despotic tyrant look like some adventure vacation for millenials, Far Cry Primal makes me wonder how humanity survived for another 12'000 years if you can't go further than 20 steps from your cave without smilodons and bears running a train on you, and Far Cry 5 had so many drug/brainwash sequences that my cousin and I were joking that the next game would probably come with several sheets of acid instead of a physical manual. Far Cry 2 took "show, don't tell" to heart and is a convincing peace about the senselessness of civil wars in poor countries, yet it is subtle enough that this can completely wizz past you if you do not care
the jackal is jack, and I don't care about supposed to be he is
This game was so painful to finish due to all the direction/gameplay issues (abandoned it and then returned). But oh boi, it was also one of the best shooters I've played.
The fire, I was the guy trying to burn everything down and kill the enemies while they tried to run away from the fire. My flare gun was always ready.
Graphics were and are still amazing, it has a very good art style. Wish the new Far Crys return to this kind of gameplay.
Back when Ubisoft name held respect. When I was a kid I looked at them as a top tier developer, they had some really unique games and took risks, this and the first AC game come to mind, i got both back to back for my birthday 07 and 08
I played Far Cry at the premiere, I remember shock which this game bring to the games world. Everyone waiting for Doom 3 and Hal-Life 2 and then... from nowhere... Far Cry just kicked ass. I love this series and I tell you guys, Primal was great. Stone Age is so underused in the games. Definitely needs more.
Playing and completing this on the hardest difficulty was one of my favourite gaming experiences. Sure, the game is still far from perfect, but remove the power fantasy aspects and all the hostile mechanics click into place. You will not get that gritty survival experience from anything else. Truly a one of a kind game.
Its a first person Dark Souls before Dark Souls was cool
Mate... "Heart of Darkness" is a book from 1899 and it IS the inspiration behind Apocalypse Now.
Also, close to the end of the game there is an area called Heart of Darkness.
Methinks he was taking the piss. At least I hope so!
Whoosh!
@@BRACKMETAWdoubt.seems he is just dumb
AH! HERE are the bait comments I've been looking for! So, a lot of content creators say blatantly silly shit like that because it essentially drives engagement from people telling them the thing they got wrong in the comments. It's like intentional typos in a video title.
And then if anyone calls them out on it they can just be like, "it was a joke!" but even if it is, it's primarily to farm engagement. No shade, I respect the hustle.
He shouldn't be shittin on clickbaiting though as those guys are just doing the same thing he is, just less stylishly.
one of my recuits an old man with white hair and a mustache was my favorite companion and he called me that he as hurt and dying and that he needs backup and when I got there it was too late.. first time ever cried over an NPC recruit in any game it changed me forever. good times of 2010
I’ve been a life long fan of the series. Each entry before 6 really does feel like its own. Whether you liked them or not, they were their own. Far Cry 2 though? Oof - it was the strangest grind (in a good way) and most different in the series. Not at all like the more traditional formula the series has and it was DEFINITELY the black sheep in terms of gameplay and story. Definitely an underrated and under appreciated game for what it was at the time. If you haven’t played it - GO FOR IT! It’s cheap everywhere you look and it’s definitely worth a fair shot.
I’d also like to throw out there that - the ONLY complaint I ever got from people who “tried” the game - was the LACK of a HUD and the fact that you had to use an actual map to navigate. In my opinion, THAT very thing is one of the games strongest points. Something that more games should implement for sure.
not finna lie his commentary and edits always making me laugh esp at 12:36 looking forward to watching more of his videos 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Nice work. Really enjoyed the video!
Have you tried the Realism+ Redux mod? We addressed a number of common criticisms, and some of the points made in this video. Would like to get your feedback if you give it a shot.
Ey, shout outs to realism+ redux mod. I've done 4-5 playthroughs of FC2 with it and I honestly can't go back. You guys did a fantastic job with it.
Far cry 2 was my favourite far cry game I never finished it but it was a great game I loved the environment the map felt giant I loved the sketchyness of it the sound design the gameplay mechanics.
I wish it had coop campaign though
21:13 having a case under a car that you have to drive already feels more advanced than most games lol
It was so cool hearing the bad guys be progressively more scared of you as time went on. I just wish they had made enemies of both factions actually visibly different instead of you just being told "who" held whatever place you had to shoot up each mission.
And, of course, there was that atrocious checkpoint system where you went back 15 minutes later and a checkpoint in the middle of nowhere which you just obliterated was already manned by the same nameless people... FarCry 3 did it much better with having you "liberate" checkpoints not only because you felt some sense of your actions changing the story, but also because just seeing places actively change hands from a visibly different faction to another makes it much more immersive.
Wish I could play an FC3-like experience in the realistic and immersive setting of FC2...
There's mods but they're just as finicky on a very old Dunia Engine game.
this was very pleasant to listen to
Dunno if it has been said in comments already, but a buddy can save you only after you sleep in shelter and then, when buddy arives, they offer their help, and you need to accept it by "activating" this buddy.
Here are some moments I really enjoyed
3:46
8:04
12:36
12:46
13:34
22:47
Have not even watched this yet, but yes and Yes the title is utterly correct sir.
I want a far cry 2 remaster
Best game ever, for your buddy to be ready to rescue you, you need to speak to him at the bar or find him afterwards in a safehouse. If he is not already in the safehouse, you just sleep and he will be there when you wake up. Also the belt of the handheld machineguns actually gets depleted realistically and not magically disappearing when you're out of ammo. You can save the buddy in the prison and your buddies are angry because they needed the diamonds to escape but you wanted to give them to the jackal.😅
I still remember playing this game with my buddy, its like 2am irl, middle of the night in the game, I'm driving in the dark, and BAM a zebra had run out in front of my car from the tall grass lmfao