Get Started...
Android
iOS
Mac
Switch
Wii
Wii U
PC
PS4
PS5
Xbox One
Xbox X|S
Please enter a valid email address
Please choose a platform
:
How does your child play this? Alone, with friends, with family? How did they discover it and what kept them coming back for more?
:
To verify your input please enter your email to create an account.
Email:
Play Overview
Far Cry 2 (2008) is a shooting game set in a fictional African country engulfed in civil war. You play a mercenary tasked with killing an antagonistic arms dealer. This involves exploring the open world and using stealth or shooting to complete missions. It sounds familiar territory for a shooting game, but Far Cry 2 stands out for its realistic depiction of the hostile chaos of war - weapons jam, malaria drugs fail, bonds of friendship are made and you inadvertently cause countless dangerous bushfires.
It's a game that draws inspiration from Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness and Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest. From the opening scenes that recreate the uneasy interactions at border crossings, to your deeper exploration of the world, it's soon apparent the lengths people have had to go to survive these terrible circumstances. Barrelling in all guns blazing clearly isn't going to help this tinderbox of competing factions.
Progress is made by deciding who and where to help. That help is in the form of retrieving important items or missions to take down outposts and bases. How you approach these, and who you kill or save, has an impact not only on the narrative but your reputation in the wider game - which in turn affects how enemies react to you. This is also seen in the buddy system where you get to know friendly characters who can revive you if you build a strong relationship with them.
The broken lives you meet are underlined by the broken world in which they are living. The guns you find often jam at crucial times during combat. Explosions often trigger fires that sweep across the dry soil and can easily engulf you. The place itself is also huge and you spend much of your time traversing it by foot (or in vehicles if you can find a functioning car or truck).
The result is a game that stands out, both in general and in the Far Cry series, for its realistic depiction of war. Far from the power fantasies of other shooting games. This is more like a chaos fantasy where your choices affect the story, but can't resolve the unrelenting suffering you encounter.
Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Far Cry 2 10 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 10 months ago.
It's a game that draws inspiration from Joseph Conrad's book, Heart of Darkness and Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest. From the opening scenes that recreate the uneasy interactions at border crossings, to your deeper exploration of the world, it's soon apparent the lengths people have had to go to survive these terrible circumstances. Barrelling in all guns blazing clearly isn't going to help this tinderbox of competing factions.
Progress is made by deciding who and where to help. That help is in the form of retrieving important items or missions to take down outposts and bases. How you approach these, and who you kill or save, has an impact not only on the narrative but your reputation in the wider game - which in turn affects how enemies react to you. This is also seen in the buddy system where you get to know friendly characters who can revive you if you build a strong relationship with them.
The broken lives you meet are underlined by the broken world in which they are living. The guns you find often jam at crucial times during combat. Explosions often trigger fires that sweep across the dry soil and can easily engulf you. The place itself is also huge and you spend much of your time traversing it by foot (or in vehicles if you can find a functioning car or truck).
The result is a game that stands out, both in general and in the Far Cry series, for its realistic depiction of war. Far from the power fantasies of other shooting games. This is more like a chaos fantasy where your choices affect the story, but can't resolve the unrelenting suffering you encounter.
Our examiner, Andy Robertson, first checked Far Cry 2 10 months ago. It was re-examined by Jo Robertson and updated 10 months ago.
Kids not old enough for this yet? There are lots of games similar to Far Cry 2. Here are some similar younger-rated games:
Play Style
This is a Role-Play, Shooting and Simulation game with Action, Communication and Traversal elements. This is a single-player game.
You can play this game in the following styles:
Duration
Play Time: This game will take between 17 hours and 28 hours to complete. To see most of the world and complete the many side quests can take up to 80 hours.
Benefits
This game is good if you want to:
Age Ratings
In the US, ESRB state: Missions include assassination attempts, the creation of political turmoil, and other criminal acts. Characters use a variety of weapons (guns, explosive projectiles, knives) against enemy soldiers and political factions. Combat can be frenetic, with repeated screen shakes and realistic sound effects (e.g., gunfire, explosions, demolition) during firefights. Realistic red blood spray is emitted when enemies are shot. The dialogue contains strong profanity (e.g., "f**k," "c*nt," "sh*t") and references to sexuality (e.g., "d*cks pay good money to watch girls sh*g chaps like you" and "He's sh*gged every woman, married or not, who's come through on holiday."). One mission requires players to steal a bag of weed from a specific location and give it to a character who replies, "You high as a kite or what?"
Skill Level
14+ year-olds usually have the required skill to enjoy this game. Still, it's important for parents and guardians to consider the maturity required to process the game content. Not only do you need to deal with the harsh world, deprivation and illness, but the ongoing war around you. Handling multiple systems and still making the choices for outcomes you want takes considerable understanding and intention.
Costs
Game Details
Release Date: 21/10/2008
Out Now: PC, PS3 and Xbox 360
Skill Rating: 14+ year-olds
Players: 1
Genres: Role-Play, Shooting, Simulation (Action, Communication and Traversal)
Accessibility: 0 features documented
Components: 3D First-Person, Day and Night and Open World
 |
Written by parents for parents, the database complements the in-depth discussion about video game addiction, violence, spending and online safety in the Taming Gaming book. We are an editorially independent, free resource without adverts that is supported by partnerships. |
© 2024 Family Gaming Database