In the age of remakes and remasters in the video game domain, one may be valid in accusing game studios of being lazy and lacking in innovation. We’ve had a plethora of remasters and remakes over recent years, so much so it can come across as comical. For reference, a remaster which is when an older game gets a polish-up for modern consoles, often with a higher frame rate and an upscale in video quality, with little to no attention offered in gameplay or assets. A recent example is the launch of the original Tomb Raider trilogy on modern consoles; looks pretty much the same but with a few quality of life changes. A remake, such as Resident Evil 4 Remake or Final Fantasy VII Remake, sees the game get remade from the ground up for modern systems. Ubisoft has been very much part of the former camp, remastering the likes of Assassin’s Creed III but there’s rumours of a remake of Assassin’s Creed IV in the works. But while one of their flagship titles, Far Cry, gets zanier and wackier with each passing entry, I think the studio should consider remaking the most serious and grounded entry in the franchise: Far Cry 2.

Far Cry 2 takes place in a fictional African country and sees you selecting a mercenary avatar who is tasked with finding an arms dealer named The Jackal in the wilds. The country is plagued by civil war, which creates the main threat of the game as each faction will look at you differently depending on which missions you end up selecting. At the same time, your mercenary main character also has malaria, which forces you to abandon your mission at a moment’s notice to procure more medication.

Unlike the Far Cry games of late, Far Cry 2 is a far more grounded game. There’s no charismatically over-the-top villain like Vaas, no animal companions, or “video game moments”. In this game, you have to buy your weapons; anything that you pick up off the ground risks jamming at a moment’s notice. Your map is also built into the game, there’s no pausing and opening up a menu, you physically open the menu while walking or driving and have to navigate your location and your destination without waypoints to guide you.

Fire is particularly impressive in this game, perhaps the best fire ever designed in a video game, and this is a title that was released on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The fire will naturally spread and react to the environment, causing bushes and trees to burn away. So it won’t spread on mud, rock or wet surfaces, but on dry vegetation, it will get out of control, which can be used to your advantage. It was truly ahead of its time and it’s wild that games today haven’t been able to replicate that technology.

One area where the Far Cry series has improved since the third entry is wildlife. To get better supplies, you need to go hunting and the better the gear, generally speaking, the more dangerous the game. Animals in Far Cry 2 were few and far between and offered nothing but the occasional bit of set dressing. If you needed a new pouch and had to hunt some antelope but you would be hunted by a lion or leopard, that would create some tense moments. Likewise, boat trips could become more stressful with the potential of a hippo or crocodile attacking you.

Enemy AI was also very rough in Far Cry 2, and would constantly respawn minutes after an outpost was cleared. Naturally, enemy AI has improved since 2009 so the whole enemy coding would most certainly benefit from a rehauled system. Likewise, they can make the main antagonist and the story more engaging. Far Cry 2 was great for its gameplay but isn’t exactly remembered fondly for its bland story. The game could really lean into a morality system of going to weapon vendors, as you’d be indirectly buying new gear from the same guy you’re tasked with stopping.

It’s wild that a game from 2008, on a technically level, is doing things that Far Cry 6 isn’t doing today. The franchise has become very stale and samey for awhile now, so going back to a more rooted and realistic version in the series could be what’s needed. If Far Cry 2 impressed on the PS3 and 360, imagine what it could do today.

Note: gameplay stills not our own.