Kombo's Review Policy: Our reviews are written for you. Our goal is to write honest, to-the-point reviews that don't waste your time. This is why we've split our reviews into four sections: What the Game's About, What's Hot, What's Not and Final Word, so that you can easily find the information you want from our reviews.

What the Game's About
After striking gold on the PC with the original Far Cry, Ubisoft is looking to captivate gamers with that fresh, revolutionary feel once again with Far Cry 2. Blending high-def graphics, intense action, several playable characters, and so much more, Ubisoft is looking to compete with the big boys this holiday. To prove to gamers that Far Cry 2 is the real deal, Ubisoft has crafted a story of civil war and turmoil as your find yourself amidst a manhunt for the enigmatic "Jackal," a man who has provided two warring warlords with weapons to create a civil war.

What's Hot
Africa seems to be the new continent for games to visit. We were first introduced to the continent in a gaming sense with Sony's Africa title. Soon after, Capcom followed suit and introduced Africa has the new setting for Resident Evil 5. Ubisoft decided that Africa was worth visiting as well. Unlike Resident Evil 5, Ubisoft is sort of basing their title on current events in Africa. We have heard about feuding nations in Africa and the death toll of innocent civilians. While the game does portray the civil war conflicts and the death of the fighting soldiers, they never actually make a direct reference that the current events influenced the title in any fashion. However, with the situation as it is, this really makes you feel the terror and horror of the events of civil war.


To help intensify the feeling and mood of the title, Ubisoft has crafted an amazing looking title. The opening sequence of the game showcases some remarkable environmental scenes and really puts you in the African savanna. I found myself stopping and looking around the sky to take the view of the sun and clouds numerous times throughout the adventure. When you exit a safe house and see the world come to life, you'll want to repeat exiting the building several times just to take in the view again.

With the environments looking beautiful, lush, and simply breathtaking, you'd expect the rest of the game to live up to those standards. Thankfully, they do. The character models are wonderfully designed and they are full of life. While they may not be the most lifelike characters this generation, they are certainly among the top tier. Aside from the characters, the fire effects are jaw dropping. I would find myself stopping to view an item of fire or purposely stop and get a flamethrower as a weapon just to watch the flame burn. The fires lighting and effects are amazing.

Of course, this is a shooting title, not a safari where you should be enjoying the sites and sounds. All the intense shooting segments are back in their highest glory. With two sides waging war upon each other, you'll find yourself trapped between the two of them. This of course allows you to shoot even more enemies. Often, you'll find yourself watching the two side's shootout with each other. Of course, you can interrupt their little escapade and just shoot them all down to speed things up. The game is highly action packed and using numerous weapons to shoot down enemies with is most satisfying.

With the shooting segments so intense at times, you'll quickly fall in love with the buddy system. After rescuing a comrade from jail, he'll help you out during your perilous mission. If you get loaded up with bullet rounds by numerous enemies, your comrade will come to the rescue and help heal you. You'll see him tear bullets out of your flesh and get you ready for the front lines.

What's Not
Far Cry 2 is a far cry from being perfect. With the entire title stationed around shooting and action, you'll be saddened to know that the game is trifled with stiff controls. Compared to titles like Call of Duty 4 -- hell, even Call of Duty 2 -- you'll find yourself having a hard time adjusting to the slower paced control style. The gun remains in the same location and it doesn't offer that much immersion to the feel of holding the gun and getting into the battle that so many other FPS's do today so well.


Once you get by the control issues, you'll find that the enemy AI is quite stupid. I found myself shooting an enemy standing next to another guy only for him not to react. This isn't Nintendo 64 anymore. We have evolved past this type of AI and it's greatly disappointing such a flaw found in a game in this day and age. On the flip side, the AI isn't always this bad. The majority of the time the enemies would react but they still aren't at the level of most AI enemies found in games today. AI aside, there are also graphical glitches to be found within the game. I experienced a soldier stuck in a wall as he shot at me and was able to make contact with me. Sadly, I couldn't hit him back and kill the damn guy.

These are problems that shouldn't arise anymore. Developers have more than enough resources to work around with to avoid such primitive problems.

Final Word
Far Cry 2 is a great FPS once you get by the control system. Fans of the series will love seeing the franchise back and mutant free. Even with the graphical glitches and dumb AI, Far Cry 2 still offers one of the most intense and enjoyable shooting experiences this generation. With Gears of War 2, Resistance 2, and Call of Duty: World at War hitting in the coming weeks, it's still a good idea to checkout Far Cry 2 this holiday season.