Gatazhk

This could be in response to some people complaining that there were no civilians in FC2. And that you couldn't kill the animals. Now you can blow up animals and shoot civvies on sight. Hooray.

My issue is with the 'bro' perspective in this game. Dude looks like a close releative of Jason Brody. Even if he is South Asian. And the game looks like a close relative of FC3. Shame too because like AssCreed: Robspierre, the setting looks marvelous.

Watched the gameplay video first, actually got excited when they said the protagonist was a native of the country depicted! Yesss! Then I watched the 'first five minutes" and he turns out to be yet another bro with an American passport. I guess this is the 'forumula' now.

Lol the mortar is seriously overpowered. Clears out entire mission objectives with about 6 rounds. Still, it hasn't stopped me from packing one in a suitcase to take along on my 'final mission.' Just in case...

Well it's the "fidelity to actual gore" in a video game, show or story where I monitor for my ten year old. At around six or seven children begin to learn or recognize that yes, there are true life horrifying violent events, but kids that age shouldn't be exposed to media that dwells on lurid details. Younger kids can't digest that kind of stuff in the way that most adults can. For me the deciding factor is about the presentation and the theme in a game, combined with the child's age and maturity level. Breton Mages shattering Draugr's in Tamriel: OK. Sociopath gang members shooting bystanders in GTA V: Not OK.

Ten year old daughter and I started with the Lego games, Kirby and Mario Kart three years ago and have now progressed to Civ V, Skyrim, and Tropico 4. She loves those games! I had my reservations about some of the violence in Skyrim but she loves the fantasy setting. If it were a more realistic FPS it would be off limits.

I didn't have any problem imagining that civilians had fled this world except a few that were in hiding (where the malaria pills are, you take passports to them) . The fact that there are refugees comes up several times in the game. On the other hand, yes, the business of everybody trying to kill you always, except in cease fire zones, is not realistic and is a legitimate gripe with the game, although to be fair the game is about everyone out to get you (or use you), even Ruben and your "friends." As a result this gamey contrivance did not prevent me from becoming deeply absorbed in the game. However it's a 100% legitimate point to be bothered by this or all the points you raised for that matter. Immersion is a matter of personal taste of course. For example I was incredibly annoyed by FC3 Jason character's voice overs. I hate it when an FPS put words in my mouth or forces me to do QTE's. FC3 had gamey contrivances in spades.

Yes and maybe this is what ends up separating those who love the game versus those who don't: an appreciation for its evocative war torn African environment. The game assumes you will want to spend time there, to be disoriented by it and learn from it.

All I can say is that this has not been my experience. It's possible to clear out checkpoints manned by a handful of guys with a scope but not entire mission objectives.

I can't say I've ever been able to snipe more than a handful of guys during the missions. They will come and engage you after you drop a few of them or they will hide, forcing you to come find them at much closer range. The game isn't so much difficult but oppressive in the sense of throwing lot's of stuff in your way the whole way through. Try hardcore mode? The point of the roads and the distances and the fact that there is no gun dealer in Pala is sort of the point of the game -- it wants you to deal with the map and distance and mode of transport in your struggle to survive and advance. It might cause you to jump into a boat or a jeep to shorten travel time to a bus stop or a mission and then you might get run down or blasted. You might be in a boat getting shot at and miss the turn off for Mike's Bar. You might have to bail out and swim home or creep around in the jungle to get back there. Sun may come up. It may start to rain.

Agree that Clear Sky is unfairly maligned. It's probably my favorite of the three.

IED provoked encounters are some of FC2's best, for sure. Approach any mission any way you want, results will vary, although there are some basic ways to get an edge. Sometimes the commotion alerts nearby enemies that will join the action, sometimes not, Unlike FC3 there isn't an alarm to warn you when they're coming. STALKER is a comparable game; both have striking atmospheres of desperation and feel true to their environments. Probably my two favorite SP shooters. FC2 is much easier to jump in and out of however, the story/systems/combat are simple and permit this.

As you advance after a few missions you'll be able to collect enough diamonds to purchase better equipment, so you'll have loadout freedom and with better weapons the checkpoints won't be so overwhelming. If I'm low on syringes and trying to get back to a gun store to replenish, I might attack a health check point to get a full syringe pack so I'll have enough left to get where I ultimately need to go. It's a calculated risk though. Checkpoints are there and respawn for a good reason and that is to try to get you to plan and pay attention carefully to what you are doing. They can be avoided, or dealt with, but never permanently. Not sure about the stunning. Some guys will seem dead but actually are wounded and they will shoot you from a seated position if you're in their vicinity. There's savanna and desert environments in the game, not just jungle. In the beginning there is a lot coming at you, your weapons aren't very good and the AI hunts you down like a dog. Use crouch to move around and try to avoid confrontations as much as possible. Get diamonds, unlock and upgrade weapons, learn your way around, don't forget to use the boats too. When in doubt, run away.

That's an arm?

FC2 is a very straightforward game. It is centered around surviving in an extremely hostile and beautiful open world and completing missions successfully through advance planning. Some of that is loadout and some of it is choosing your approach. It is not a 'fair' game the AI has advantages that can frustrate the player but the player also has 'friends' that can rescue him in a crisis. Assume that enemies will flank you constantly and you will probably need to run away from some fights. The AI will also detect you when you are sneaking and don't expect to be detected. Guns jam, malaria strikes yadda yadda. Instead of trying to blow through checkpoints in your car, get out of the car and sneak around them if you don't want to deal with them. However, knowing the type of checkpoint can be very useful because each one has a resource focus that is available to you once you clear it out, either health, ammo or explosives. You should use the bus frequently and plan your drives in advance to avoid checkpoints, i.e. drive where they ain't.

I have a ton of hours in FC2. Bought the Steam edition recently and somehow 40 more hours of my life disappeared. I just love playing FC2 although it's by no means a perfect game. It just works for me when I'm in that wander around and shoot to survive frame of mind. The missions are more fun to play out too, and no QTE nonsense. I've tried jumping into FC3 that way but it just doesn't work. The atmosphere isn't bad, it's just not nearly as good. I get tired of hearing the same guy say he got might have got clap over and over again. The NPC's are drawn so much better in FC2.

Vaas had potential and was well above the rest of the crudely drawn and annoying characters portrayed in FC3, Because it was all meant to be ironic! Sure made it hard to play through to the end though. Far Cry 4 certainly looks like it's doubling down on over-the-top characters from FC3. Not my cup of tea. I miss the one dimensional party hacks, mercs and tin pot generals of FC2 (like the dude shown in my avatar). Much more believable even in the ridiculous situations of that game. But we're a long way from FC2 now. I absolutely hated Tomb Raider and this looks to be very much that sort of thing.

Really good stuff!

Yes, so much of Rome II appears to be fallaciously derived from sunk costs -- e.g. the sprawling, tumor sized cities, the use of torches to burn gates in siege, inability to capture enemy naval vessels, armies that float endlessly at sea on the campaign map, minor nomadic tribes destroying powers like Egypt and Carthage in a few turns, passive campaign AI, arbitrary civil war, lack of walls for Syracuse and Jerusalem, etc. etc. Some of this may be because SEGA appears to demand an annual Total War standalone game from the developer, with scads of DLC in between. It's become more of a cash cow for a cash starved corporation. The developer may not have time to make complex, good games any more. p.s. Gormongous I am told it's impossible to re-create Hannibal's Italian campaign in the Hannibal at the Gates DLC. Predictably it's the Rome II grind on a differently scaled map, with a somewhat different mix of factions and forces.

Bit shift of topic. Huge fan of the show and everyone on it. Noticed the last few episodes that Sean is running a little hot compared to the others. Not complaining or anything just observing that it makes listening a little bit more challenging. Also for the record, Simpson - Bowles represents the worst of bipartisan, consensus politics in Washington. Deficit scolding, entitlement slashing war on the middle class on down. Just sayin'.

More 2 and less 3 with 4 please.

Yeah I thought this was interesting if only because Far Cry 2 was the very first shooter I ever played. Sort of my gateway drug to the genre.. I got FC2 as a freebie with a video card and I had no expectations whatsoever when I loaded it up. A complete noob and I loved it; didn't think it was too hard or too easy just genuinely enjoyed the challenge and the experience of learning how to survive and progressing through the game's various systems. Funny thing is --- now after many, many other games I'll still get it out and play it for a few hours -- it's easy to jump into and the outcomes are always different and feel fresh. You cannot say that about many games.

Same here -- I hope they never catch on! Love the AWATS avatar too by the way -- looks like somebody's got good taste in album covers! Anyway hello. Regular listener to Idle Thumbs and Moves Ahead -- good stuff. But Tone Control with Clint Hocking was the best of 2013.

It's the exact opposite for me. I started listening to Idle Thumbs because of my love for Far Cry 2. I stumbled on these guys during a google search which stemmed from an argument about FC2 on a different forum. Huge STALKER fan here but FC2 oozes plenty of atmosphere and is endlessly replayable imo. FC3 ooozes "i'm playing a video game."