FC2 - Completed

[GPFontaine]

It took me nearly four months of playing, sometimes only for five minutes at a time, but I finally beat Far Cry 2.  I never felt compelled to follow the main story, so I did many buddy missions, tower missions, and wondered around a lot.

The experience was one of the best I have had with a video game.

While I understand the ending, I felt that the story telling towards the end could have been made more clear, but such is the life of a spy.  The only clarity is fixing the big picture by sacrificing the small one and hoping you aren't being played while you do it.

The game has its ups and downs but overall was fantastic.

I plan to put down the single player game for a month or two and perhaps play with the level editor a bit.  I'll make sure to play again, next time going for more diamonds and using different weapons.  I also plan to spend more time in Act 1.

[PZ]

Welcome to the FC2 club, GP - I think that you'll find lots to enjoy in the future as you experiment in the game.  ;)

[JRD]

I`m glad you enjoyed it GP... it`s a game for a few!

I`m also glad you understand the ending... I don`t  :-[

The reason why the Jackal should use the battery while you hand the gems at the border could be for him to escape (somewhere in the end they say his body was never found), but whan`t the point in that "the other one will put a bullet in his head"?  :(

Anyway... now you klnow what it`s all about... you`ll come back to Africa sooner than you think!!  ;)

[GPFontaine]

I`m glad you enjoyed it GP... it`s a game for a few!

I`m also glad you understand the ending... I don`t  :-[

The reason why the Jackal should use the battery while you hand the gems at the border could be for him to escape (somewhere in the end they say his body was never found), but whan`t the point in that "the other one will put a bullet in his head"?  :(

Anyway... now you klnow what it`s all about... you`ll come back to Africa sooner than you think!!  ;)

Here is how I understood it, when you make the decision at the end, you are choosing a path out of this conflict.  You are agreeing that you will no longer be a part of what goes on in this section of the world.  The Jackal's proposition of suicide could be taken literally, but I think he is inferring that your spy identity is dying, not your physical body.  Likewise he plans to do the same.  He will cause no more trouble and neither will you... in that location.

I really dig the covert stories in many shows and movies.  The Bourne Identity, Chuck, Burn Notice, Human Target, Oceans 11-13.  It is all about presentation and the perception of reality.  In the end, you agree to save the people and present the illusion that you and the Jackal are gone.

I never took the bridge route.  I suppose that if you blow up you would simply be a star on the wall in Langley.

What I didn't understand was the lack of options with your past buddies.  They just flat out attack.  Why exactly?  I would have liked more options at that point.

[Art Blade]

The end was sort of anti-climactic, and I never liked the fact that you couldn't go back to and through the prison. The Landing Zone part was both tough and silly, in my book. Indeed, why would people I killed or who went missing reunite and try to kill you?

While I did play the game the other way round, GP, the first time I went through the game all I did was the story line, I can see why one would want to do it the way you did it (well, I did that during next playthroughs, focus on all side missions).

I know that from the second time on, the game became more and more interesting as to what you can actually do. And for PC guys, the cheats... the cheats make the game a whole new experience, especially the ignore player cheat. :)

Have fun with it  :-X

[eor123]

The ending is a bit odd, isn't it? Walked, drove, swam, flew, battled malaria, helped get civilians out of the country, rescued and tried to keep buddies alive, struggled to stay alive, killed thousands...only to off yourself?   :(

I tried everything I know to generate a different ending but there is just no way out of the "Heart Of Darkness" and the two possible outcomes. Guess it wouldn't be called that, otherwise.  ;D

Completing FC2 gives one a sense of accomplishment unlike other games. If you do everything that is possible,  there is a significant time commitment. It takes me 40-50 hours of gameplay to "do it all."

I'm fortunate to have a lot of free time to play FC 2.  ;D

It is the only game I've come across that has held my interest for multiple play throughs. I've been through it probably seven times or so now and still see and hear new things. At times I regret not having it on PC but the inherent limitations and annoyances with console play may make it more challenging.

I get too comfortable with a preferred weapon set so I "force myself" to use a completely different set on a new play through. That keeps it interesting for me, For instance, I'm currently knee-deep in Act II, having vowed to primarily use the pump shot gun and either the silenced pistol of the .45 pistol -- on Hardcore. Hell of a ride.  :-X

I'm thinking about only using picked up weapons, malfunctions and all, on the next one. Probably will drop back to Normal for that attempt though.  :)

Infamous with a pistol.... hmmm?  ;)

[Art Blade]

What you just said is true for me, too: I think it is the only game I've played through so many times (probably 10 times) and KEEP replaying it. Usually I play through a game once, if it is halfways good, twice, but I don't think more than thrice (always wanted to use that word).

Ah, no, there is only one exception, and I probably played through even more often than FC2, which is HitMan:BloodMoney.  ;D

[PZ]

Ah, no, there is only one exception, and I probably played through even more often than FC2, which is HitMan:BloodMoney.  ;D

This game is still on my Amazon list because no local store has it  :-X

[GPFontaine]

Ah, no, there is only one exception, and I probably played through even more often than FC2, which is HitMan:BloodMoney.  ;D

This game is still on my Amazon list because no local store has it  :-X

Sorry, I should have said something a week or two ago.  It was on sale from Steam... two Mondays back I think.

[PZ]

Thanks, I'll check it out, but might need to get it on DVD because my Internet connection is so slow  :'(

[eor123]

My stepsons really benefit with my obsession with FC2 and relative boredom with other games.

I buy the new releases, play them once or twice, and give them to the kids.

They like me.  ;D

Same here with my sons - I really don't play too many games more than once or at most a few times.  Mostly I bore of them before I even finish.  A few I recall not even playing the first 10% or so before giving up.  There is only one "king of the hill" and that is FC2.  However, I've played through so many times I can't even count them (and have hundreds of saved games) so am looking for a suitable alternative for my FC2 obsession.  So far, the only one that has come close is Assassin's Creed 2, not because it is equivalent, but because it has that "certain something" that appeals to me.  More recently, I've started with Just Cause2, which I must say has been lots of fun.  However, I still return to Africa once in a while, and when I do, it almost feels like coming home.

[Art Blade]

 ;D :-X

[ninzza]

I also think that the ending was weird. FC2 is one of 2 games that I play through more than thrice (the other game was Ninja Gaiden Black).

[Art Blade]

thrice

;D :-X

[fragger]

Thrice.

I just had to post that, so we can say that thrice was used thrice ;D

I agree with your comments about the endgame, GP. Also, it kind of sucks that you become restricted to such linearity after all that free-world roaming.

But I too keep coming back to FC2. There's always something new to try.

[JRD]

One thing just hit me... every time I go into the Heart of Darkness I take a nap to make sure it`s broad daylight and not raining... actually, only at the HoD and the barge mission...

Never tried the HoD at night or in any, say, unpleasant weather...

Have to try it stealth at night or under fog one of these days  8)

[GPFontaine]

I plan to put down the single player game for a month or two and perhaps play with the level editor a bit.  I'll make sure to play again, next time going for more diamonds and using different weapons.  I also plan to spend more time in Act 1.

I totally lied to myself.  I started a new game last night and have been playing it from the start with much more fluidity.  I actually recognized the ride from the airport as the people are evacuating the lands.  I noticed where the checkpoints are going to be and how the hostility encroached so quickly after the battle in Pala.  I also understood much more about the Jackals initial message to me as I was sick and paralyzed with malaria.

Right off the bat I am making better use of weapons and since I received a flame thrower (unused in first run through) I tore it up a bit on the tutorial section.

I just figured out that you can scout from afar using the map and monocular by holding right click and then left clicking an object.  I am not sure what the benefit is of doing this yet other than locating things before going in to strike.

[eor123]

Personally, I never found much use in scouting and tagging with the monocular. The few items I have tried to tag weren't "tagable."

[Art Blade]

I use the monocular frequently from higher grounds, say bridges, to scout GPs that else would require me to cross a river swimming or climbing around some rocks. It does register everything it is supposed to, only it has to be aimed so the target (ammo, meds, vehicles, mounted weaps) is precisely in the centre of the binocular. Miss it, and it doesn't register.

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah, the monocular is pretty much only good for tagging the location of stuff in the major locations. But, it is nice to mark on your map where the ammo & health stations are before you head in, good information to know before hand. One thing I would like to have seen is a tagger dart for the rifle, like the one in No One Lives Forever. You could tag someone and they would then have a tracker on them so they would show up on your map and you could avoid them if you had to. Be nice to tag a road patrol or a roving guard so you could sneak around and not have to peek and maybe get spotted. You could just wait in your hidey spot and watch the blip on your map get out of range before moving to where you wanted to be.

[Art Blade]

nice idea :) How about adding a remote explosive device to that tagger. watch the patrol how it passes a GP on your map, hit the button, and blow both the patrol and the GP up in a single go. Hehe  ;D

[Dweller_Benthos]

Yeah, that would be fun, with unlimited range. Heck, I'd like the IEDs to have unlimited range, since they all are set off by cell phone, you'd think they would. Be funny to place one (or more) in a GP you just cleaned out, knowing you'd have to come back that way after a mission, and not wanting to fight your way through again, just get back and hit the button to clear it out and be on your way.

[Art Blade]

The cell phone in FC2 is a mysterious thing. Like, wherever you go, you'll eventually see a merc trying to use his phone but there never is a signal. They'll all walk around in circles trying to find a spot where they could establish communication, but always fail. Then again, every assessination mission and every side mission from your best buddy magically make those phones w@&k for that single precious moment, and of course, the IED's remote does w@&k, too.  :)

[eor123]

I think ATT is the provider for Leboa and Bowa. It would explain a lot.

[PZ]

lol  :-X