So I rented the PS3 version of Far Cry 2 recently and I've been wondering something.

While everybody's mileage will obviously vary (and I'm basing my experiences on 4-5 hours worth of gameplay), I'm trying to find out if playing the game to see an ending is even going to be worth it. After the hotel escape at the start of the game, the game starts showing it's true colors and dear lord, playing it hardly feels worthwhile. So far the game has felt bland and quite boring while the graphics and environment are nice and show lots of details which has me thinking that Ubisoft managed to pull off another Assassin's Creed. Still, at least the story and actual assassinations in Assassin's Creed were exciting and made me want to keep going. 

To start things off, I haven't seen any reason why I should care about anything I do during the game. From your BFF's to the hostile armies, there's no compelling reason to engage you into the struggle of the country. I'm not looking for Metal Gear Solid length dialog sequences, but I'd like something to help get to know the characters and why you should assist them. Will your buddies play a larger role in the game? Right now the only things they seem to do is revive you if you're taken down (which is already weird because they use their nose wiggling powers to appear right next to you), one will give you alternate objectives to a mission, or they'll just stand around looking like they couldn't give a crap about you.

The next part is the open world aspect. Sure, it's interesting in that you travel on your own throughout the environment and it gives you a sense of freedom to get to your objectives which feels cool if you're somewhat close to your objective, but it's just repetitive and frustrating when you have to traverse from one end of the map to the other or when your objective just drives around in circles across areas of the map. The prime suspect here are the guard posts in that the enemies respawn way too soon after you take them out. To get to an objective, I'll be forced to clear a guard post as I'm passing by so I can repair my car so I can continue to drive. Once the objective is completed, I might have to pass by that guard post again and like magic, it's packed full of enemies once more. There really needs to be an ability to fast travel to unlocked safe houses or double the bus stops.

Speaking of guard posts, the combat and enemy AI is leaving a lot to be desired. Enemies can take a lot of hits before they go down even on the easiest difficulty setting. While the environment looks great, it can be difficult to see your enemies and I'll have to stand still and take hits just so I can see where the shots were coming from and many times the enemy is behind grass and brush or in shadowed areas so their shots are literally the ONLY thing I can identifiy them with. Lastly, their ability with cars is a mixed bag. They always seem to instantly spot you and then rush you with cars and force you to have to stop your car and engage them which I suppose is a good tactic, but it makes traversing the open world (especially during a mission) so frustrating. Not only that, the AI soldiers love to hop in a car just to close a gap of 20 feet and then hop out again.

Again, is the story worth dealing with this crap?

I know, long rant full of gripes.

To answer to your question: Never, I came close to finish it but I couldnt be bothered. Boring!

Yes, it is quite a boring game, but the real fun for me came after i'd finished it. I just felt compelled to explore, kill people and blow things up, as it's such a beautiful engine two do all three. A bit like GTA, but in africa. obviously not enough vehicles, bad multiplayer, and boring story. but the setting is nice.

Its one of the most boring and pointless games ever. So the answer to your question is.. It doesn't. Although you're probably further into it than I ever came.

The ending was one of the worst parts of the game, along with AI that goes from never being able to find you to knowing where you are no matter if its pitch dark and you are behind large rocks in the woods in tall grass.

But if you are not having fun after 5hours you are not going to have fun playing more of the game.

Welcome to the club. I got about two hours in and just gave up and cleared the game data to free up hard disk space. A few days ago, I decided to give it another try, but there wasn't enough space to install, and I'm sure as hell not clearing hard disk space to play that CRAP again.

EDIT: You summed up the bad parts pretty well. The good parts...well, the explosions are nice. And grass catches fire! That's about it.

The multiplayer is even worst than the story

its a very very boring game so it wont get any better.

Don't worry, it only gets worse. You know you are only on half of the map at the moment and the missions get more tedious and longer. Nothing really happens with the buddies untill the end which is nothing special and the ending frankly sucked.

In my experience the game really starts to take off a couple minutes after you put in a different disc.