Why do I come back to FC2 all the time?!
I just wrapped up Far Cry 5. Honestly? The world is amazing, the whole cult concept is insanely good, and the scenery is just beautiful. But the gameplay? Man, it’s lacking. The gunplay feels shockingly bad. You literally just need an early-game LMG and a silenced sniper, and you can breeze through the entire game on any difficulty without a single issue.
Right after the credits rolled, I immediately jumped back into Far Cry 2 and spent 2 hours just clearing out random camps. And it made me wonder... why does this feel so much better?
FC2 was my first Far Cry, though I easily dumped the most hours into FC3 and FC4. Personally, I think Far Cry 3 nailed the perfect balance between the world, gameplay, and quests. But the newer the games get, the more unnecessary mechanics they shove in. FC5 just feels incredibly bloated. Crafting is cool and all, but what’s the point when the weapons are already OP, you're a walking tank, and the game is a cakewalk even on the hardest difficulty? It just holds your hand way too much.
FC2 was bare minimum, yet it felt like so much more. The immersion is unmatched:
- The Minimal HUD: No massive intrusive UI.
- No Power Fantasy, You're Just a Cog: In FC5, you're a superhero with infinite stamina, wingsuits, and a grapple hook. In FC2, you're just a sick mercenary who gets tired after sprinting for 10 seconds, has to deal with malaria attacks, and is actively hunted by a world that doesn't care about you.
- The Map: You actually hold a physical map in-game instead of pausing to look at a magical world map. Truly one of the best features for immersion ever created.
- The Gunplay: Weapons have brutal, realistic recoil. You don't get fully automatic silenced snipers—your only option is the dart rifle, which gives you exactly one shot before reloading.
- Weapon Degradation & Jamming: Buying a gun actually matters. If you pick up a rusty AK from a dead enemy, it will jam in the middle of a gunfight, you have a problem.
- The Stealth: No silly arrows showing you exactly who is looking at you. It’s way harder, simpler, and makes the atmosphere so much tenser.
Don't get me wrong: The quests in FC2 were absolutely terrible, and the overall story wasn't great. Pretty much every sequel improved on that front. I'm not saying FC2 is overall a "better" game than the rest, but the world-building and vibe were completely unrivaled. Everything felt balanced.
Do we actually need a million different weapon and player skins, infinite stamina, and insanely overpowered helicopters? To me, it feels like less is definitely more.
I'm no gamedeveloper so my words don't mean anything. Maybe I'm just too oldschool for the "newer" Far Crys (: