Your weapons dealer won’t only supply you with weapons though, he’ll be able to give you accuracy and reliability upgrades to make sure that you’re not stuck in a field un-jamming your weapon when you could be using the damn thing to pump bullets into the super-human henchmen. You’ll also find that you’re able to buy vehicles as well as equipment for your safe houses, which include everything from boats to cars, to webbing and camouflage. It’ll cost you though, as most things do, and the only currency in the game is uncut diamonds that can be acquired by doing missions for one of the two factions. There are also 221 diamond suitcases lying around the world, but you’ll only get a fist-full of diamonds in any one case, so it’s better to get on with the missions and find the diamonds while you’re getting to your primary objective.

Unlike some other games by the same publisher, and we’ll refrain from naming names, there is so much to do, so many side missions, underground missions, buddy missions as well as alternative ways to complete primary missions with the help of your buddies which may ultimately result in a better deal for your character. Buddies can also offer help when you are stuck completing a mission. They’ll support you once if you fall in combat, but you have to activate them by visiting a safe house after you receive your mission but before you get to your objective. You can do the same too if you choose to do a mission which supports your buddy. You get to control every aspect of your buddy relationship. They won’t be annoyed with you if you choose to go straight to the objective without taking their route and when they fall you can either save them, abandon them or finish the job by popping a cap in, well, wherever you want really.

The game is beautifully made. The scenery is gorgeous, the lighting effects brilliant, the explosion models and fire (which responds to the weather system) incredibly realistic. Other than the malaria, which screws your character every now and again and only really happens when you’re in the middle of an intense fight, there isn’t much to complain about. I would say that a basic compass in the HUD would help no end. It doesn’t have to be complex, just even one with a North point just so that you don’t have to keep bringing up the map.

One final thing I want to bring to your attention, which I think has been overlooked, is the map editor. This is probably *the* most powerful map editor I have ever seen. Not only do you have access to pretty much everything the level designers had to build the game, but you can also share these maps with the world. Multiplayer maps will never be the same again. I would go on about it, but I think I’d be here all day, so instead I suggest you watch our video on the map editor. You really won’t be disappointed.

Far Cry 2 is an exceptionally well-made game and, despite the weapon issues and inconsistent AI, should be seen as a success for Ubisoft. The Far Cry team has achieved what it set out to do and redefined not just the game, but the brand too.

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