Far Cry 2 is one of the most systems-driven shooters ever made and most people bounced off it because of that. Fire spreads through dry grass and will reroute your entire plan. Enemies remember patrol routes. Your weapons jam at inconvenient moments. I find that friction genuinely compelling in a way checklist-heavy open worlds are not. The reason it sits here rather than in the main list is the mission structure. Repetitive checkpoint assaults dominate the mid-game and they wear you down. For players who want emergent challenge over cinematic polish, it is well worth the asking price and scales cleanly on older hardware.

Overview
About Far Cry 2
Far Cry 2 is an open-world first-person shooter set in an unnamed African country. Players take the role of a mercenary who roams a large environment of desert, savannah, and jungle, completing missions for rival factions and allied characters known as Buddies. Missions can be approached through direct assault or stealth, and the game emphasizes systemic, reactive elements such as spreading fire, degrading scavenged weapons, and enemies that respond to the player's tactics. Survival mechanics feature heavily, including recurring bouts of malaria that must be treated with medicine and companions who can be lost permanently if not helped in time. A competitive multiplayer mode and a level editor are also included.
Story setup
The player is a mercenary sent into an African nation torn apart by civil war between two ruthless factions, both of which exploit the local population. The conflict is being fueled by an arms dealer known as the Jackal, and the mercenary's job is to find and kill him. Soon after arriving, the mercenary is struck down by malaria and has a dangerous first brush with the Jackal, and must then survive in hostile territory, taking work from competing sides while trying to track down the elusive target.
Reference
At a glance
- Released
- October 21, 2008
- Platforms
- PC
- Genres
- Shooter, Adventure, Action
- Play modes
- Single Player, Multiplayer
- Age rating
- ESRB M
Media
Screenshots
Click any screenshot to view it full size.
Playing together
Multiplayer & game modes
supports up to 16 players online.
16 online
Features
Online Multiplayer
Play Modes
Single Player • Multiplayer
Player Count
- Online
- 1-16
Content
Age ratings
How rating boards around the world have classified Far Cry 2. Open a board for its content descriptors.
ACBMA 15+
Strong violence
CEROD
ESRBM
- Strong Language
- Intense Violence
- Blood
- Sexual Themes
- Drug Reference
GRAC19+
- Violence
- Language
- Alcohol, Tobacco, Drug
PEGI16
- Violence
- Bad Language
- In-Game Purchases
Also in our guides
Often listed alongside Far Cry 2
Titles that appear in the same guides on this site. Grouped by where they show up, not by recommendation.
Coverage
Featured in our articles
This game appears in 1 article on this site.
#11
Game data and imagery provided by IGDB.com
