Now just for everyone’s knowledge of the game, this is actually the third part in the Far Cry series. Technically yes it is the first on the Xbox 360, but two games were released before this one on the original Xbox platform.

If you have played either Far Cry before this, you will be able to pick up the controls and the game play rather quickly. If not get ready for a fun filled game full of awesome and adventure. Those who have, well get ready for a good adventure anyway because the new addition to the series lacks nothing from the original.

Instead of picking up from the ending of Far Cry: Evolution, it starts on a new story. Letting you pick from a set of characters and then places you into an area where you don’t even know where to begin. As it does with the others in the series, after you select your character you are set into an urban environment, being driven about by a cab driver that rambles about the country and what is happening. You watch as their island is torn apart by war and so on. As you arrive at your destination your character is hit with malaria. This from then on out constantly pulls against your character throughout the story

After making it through the prologue you are able to roam about the world. The HUD is a simple as possible showing only your health, ammo, and weapon that you currently hold. The controls are quite simple and just take a few moments to get accustomed to.  You find out how to get somewhere by a map and a digital compass. Showing you where you are and where your objectives are located. You are not always given general directions to where you need to go. Which is a high point and I quickly came to like.

The weapons in the game are the ones you would think normal mercenaries to carry.  From shotguns to assault rifles, and as you continue along the game you find gun dealers, which you can buy guns and ammo alike. Doing missions for the arms dealer will reward you with different weapon choices and more reliable guns. The game relies on having more new things that will last longer. If you pick up a gun from a fallen merc, it has the possibility to jam and misfire whereas a weapon from an arms dealer is new and will more than likely never miss-fire until a certain amount of usage.

The vehicles in the game are highly necessary for fast travel. You can walk from one point to another but driving allows you to get to places where walking cannot. Cars take realistic damage as you drive them and get shot at. After a while they smoke, windows break, and so on. You can also repair any damaged vehicle, which is a new feature in the game. Vehicles are repaired by your character turning one bolt continuously which magically fixes the car. It gets rather boring but it’s new and different.

Now to talk about the environment, which in my eyes is pretty damn amazing, not like anything that would come from Oblivion but it’s pretty good none the less. All of its interactive and to me grows by slight amounts. If you drive through plants they crumble and fold under the tires. The water has slight movement and could have been worked on better. The game resembles full day and night cycles. It takes a full 12 hours before a cycle as in real life. You can sleep on beds to make time go by faster.

For the story aspect, it’s all there. It has a lot of high points in it as well as a unique system for things called Buddies. Buddies are people you meet that aid you during missions and help you if you are wounded. Also if you die a buddy will come and rescue you and bring you back to safety. For the story you are chasing “The Jackal”. A man who sells weapons to both sides of the war. You’re main objective is to take him down, but you are pulled into separate side quests that halt your progression.  Yet another downfall is that the character you play has no voice dialog. Which I’m starting to see in a lot of games, it’s a bit annoying in my eyes, but doesn’t seem to affect the story a whole bunch. I like to see the main character talk none the less. It helps to add to the feeling of the game.

Finally for an over look on the multiplayer, which to this day still doesn’t drop from its high aspects of enjoyable gaming. Ubisoft has always gone all out with the Far Cry multiplayer. One of the key points of it is that you can create any type of map that you can think of. Starting with a blank sheet you can build mountains, lakes, streams, forests, and so on. Then place your own vehicles, weapons, and spawn points. Your maps can range from small Free For All maps or can pull players into a large special of art work for an interesting Team Death Match. You can also create maps for more fun purposes that of which are for mazes, games, races, and so on. The possibilities are endless.

So to wrap the game all together, it’s an enjoyable FPS that can be played again and again. The story is compelling as with the multiplayer. If you enjoy a shooter that adds some exploration needs to it. Then you should pick up Far Cry 2.  It’s at least worth the rent

I give Far Cry2 for the Xbox 360 a 9/10