Far Cry 2 the worst of the series?

[Dweller_Benthos]

Had a bit of a laugh when someone posted a comment on one of my FC2 videos, he apparently doesn't like the game and thinks FC3 is much better.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF9VlWlFOW0&lc=z22pxt3g5zibgxfsvacdp431ps0khmmgjzaeygv3k1tw03c010c

Here it is if it doesn't show from the video page:

Everything wrong with Far Cry 2: Shitty AI. Underwhelming weapons. Stealth poorly executed. Limited, crappy fast travel. No take downs. Can't tag enemies. Map badly designed. Annoying terrain. Enemies in vehicles come right up to you from nowhere and start blasting. Stupid malaria attacks and gun jams in the middle of fights. Ten years after I first played this game and then fucked it away after just 6% gameplay, I decided to dust it off and try again, given that I own, and have completed all other titles in the series. I'm now 27 % complete but feel I've been playing it for 100 plus hours. I won't let it beat me and WILL complete it. But thank *bleep* Ubisoft addressed everything that's wrong about this game and fixed it all for Far Cry 3

I think I kept my reply civil, hehe.

[Art Blade]

I think he nailed it

Unfortunately, comments wouldn't show at all for some reason.

[PZ]

All I can say after watching the video is that I now want to start another play through. Of course, equipped with my extended range silent AS50 and full auto AR-16.  Also, I cannot leave out my favorite weapon, the silent 6P9 that kills with a single bullet.

While I seriously like the tagging ability in subsequent games, FC2 feels a bit more real because of it's absence. I think of it as my version of hardcore mode - wandering the environment sick as a dog with very little to help my progress, and no HUD giving me Terminator senses.

I have to admit that the vanilla game is annoying in some of it's features, but modding the game to my liking has completely changed it's character. Even the annoying bit where you can't jump a simple rock is fixed by modding.

I still remember fragger finding a circuitous pathway to a high point near Polytechinc - that was well into multiple plays through for me, and I relished going to the area to try it, and was not disappointed. Still a great game for me, and the best of the early open world games in my opinion.

I like your videos D_B; you're the official diamond collector. 

[LowPolyOWG]

I can agree to the comment. FC2 was a developer nightmare. Ubisoft decided to Ubify it, through their Ubification process (merged some AC features to make Far Cry 3).

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah, there's probably a bit too much "realism" in the game for a lot of people. Real weapons, that have real issues, because most of them have been dragged around dusty African locations for years before you get them. These aren't pristine from the factory stuff, they've been through a lot already, they are going to have problems. Then again, I never went out without grabbing brand new ones from the weapon shop, so I very rarely if ever had one jam up on me. So, not really an issue, is it?

Malaria, sure it exists and is a problem there, so I can see why it's in the game, and I prefer the way it's used to handle going outside the map boundaries as a way to explain the limited map, instead of the current forms of limiting the map, such as invisible walls or a warning for going out of bounds and getting teleported back into the map.

Take downs would be nice, I'll admit that.

Fast travel I couldn't care less about, I rarely use it, and again, FC2 had a reality based function, go to the bus station, take a bus to somewhere else, not just pick a point on the map and magically be there instantly.

Same goes for tagging enemies, what kind of magic does that require?

Not sure what he's complaining about the terrain and bad map design, but whatever.

They basically dumbed the game down for FC3 and beyond to appease the people who wanted a more arcade feel. Not that the subsequent games weren't enjoyable, but for a more gritty reality based game, FC2 is heard to beat. Even the original Far Cry had some things like enemy tagging that they must have intentionally taken out to get the feel that FC2 has.

[PZ]

Totally agree D_B 

I actually started a brand new play through yesterday, and was reminded me of changes I'd made to the game which altered how I play. I have a save in which you start the game from the point where you exit the church and are free to roam, but I wanted to experience it from the beginning.

As to modifications, important only to me, I changed the weapon degradation so I do not need to travel so often to a dealer - I thought it was a bit much to have the weapon rust and fail so fast. Consequently I now have different favorite routes of travel because I need not go to the dealer so often. The FC2 map is small enough so you really do not need fast travel other than by bus. You can easily drive (or walk) anywhere you want in a reasonable amount of time. I think I might have also changed the AI awareness, because yesterday one of them saw me, and I was able to sneak past them and ambush from behind. I think I might have also changed the malaria effect, but am not sure yet because I haven't had an attack yet. However the entire malaria thing never bothered me because you were given plenty of advanced notice, and missions to counter the disease.

Here are a few other modifications I made, which are a bit arcade-ish, but I like them anyway.

• 6P9 kills with a single shot anywhere to the body
• AS-50 uses the dart sound, and is silent. It's range is increased so far that the enemy have no idea where the shot is coming from
• The AR-16 is full auto (no more 3-round burst), still loud, and has a large magazine
• I can jump to the top of single story buildings so exploring previously inaccessible places and reaching new sniper high points is much easier.
• The price of anything is one diamond, and everything is available at the dealer from the start (I always thought unlocking items is a bit lame), so as soon as I left the church I went to Mike's place and got my weapons and most of the upgrades I needed (10 diamonds only go so far). I still collect the obvious diamonds so I can get upgrades and stuff that make the game more fun.

Playing FC2 right now is even more fun than when I started playing in 2009. I think what I like the most about modding is that one can tailor the game to exactly how you want to play it. I only wish developers would give you more menu options to allow the gamer to "modify" the game to their gaming style. I'd probably purchase more games than I do now. In my recent purchase history, Origins has been my favorite and I still break it out on occasion. I would like to do the same with FC5, but they way they have throttled the game (in comparison to Origins) makes it boring to me. Consequently, I am now back in Africa, and excited to continue my adventure.

[LowPolyOWG]

Go get AC Origins on PC. Remember this?

[PZ]

Yeah, I remember, but Origins is so playable for me on the console, I'm not motivated enough to get it for the PC because I'm a lazy gamer, and like the ease of using the console on the big screen TV in the comfort of my recliner and plenty of snacks and drink. 

I have to say, I like vanilla Origins even more than the vanilla version of FC2, which was my all-time favorite. I still like the FC2 Africa setting the best of anything ever, but the game mechanics in Origins is better than vanilla FC2.

[Dweller_Benthos]

That's why I don't recall getting a malaria attack except when I went out of bounds, as long as you had the pills you were pretty safe, or something like that.

Glad I inspired you to play again, PZ!

[PZ]

Indeed; thanks, D_B 

It feels kind of like going back into a 50's era malt shop - kind of old school, but sure brings back fond memories.

[Dweller_Benthos]

haha, like what I feel when I go back and play the original Wolfenstein 3D! Or, more likely, the version tucked into the new games as a bonus easter egg.

[PZ]

Oh man, I forgot all about the original Wolfenstein 3D! DOS I believe. I modded the maps in that game as my first attempt at changing a game - it sure was fun. I do not recall an established modding community at that time, and never envisioned what we are experiencing today.

[Art Blade]

the modding community would have had to rely on acoustic couplers and perhaps 1,200 baud transfer speed to upload something to a Bulletin Board.

[PZ]

 

[Art Blade]

 

in other words, you've got a remarkably good memory as indeed there was no modding community

Essentially, the only way to publish a mod would have been via a computer magazine with a floppy disk attached or with perhaps 200 pages of code to be copied by typing it into your home computer.