The original Far Cry title was an instant hit with gamers across the world thanks to the new take on first person shooters it introduced. Far Cry 2 looks to extend on what has the potential to be considered a legacy left by the Far Cry series in years to come.

Far Cry some how seemed different from your average first person shooter title, when in fact the actual game play of the title and the basic plot itself have been seen time and time again within the genre in some way or another. Perhaps it was the environment you found yourself fighting your way through, or the general aggressive nature at which the world around you and those in it suddenly seems to turn on you. With all things considered, what set Far Cry apart from similar titles in the first person shooter genre is actually hard to put your finger on - but the fact remains, it is different, and in a very good way.

This trend looks set to continue with Far Cry 2, which brings an incredibly vast open game environment to your living room, or wherever it is you personally do your game time - a game world arguably unlike anything you have experienced before - to scale, the Far Cry 2 game world equates to a 50 kilometer squared area, and that is one hell of a battle zone.

Many aspects of Far Cry 2 remain the same as they were in the original title. This includes the beautifully detailed environment that you find yourself fighting in, the highly capable and intelligent enemies scattered across the environments that are overly keen to take you down, and the overall feel of open plan carnage as you cut your way through the countless obstacles placed in front of you. Needless to say not everything is the same, though, and the changes that have been made are all without doubt an improvement on Far Cry such as the story line and the characters you play as and come across.

Fans of the original Far Cry will soon pickup the controls in Far Cry 2, as the game plays very much the same as before which can only be a good thing, as the control system was certainly not something which needed to be changed. It's easy to pickup, yet gives you the ability to perform a large number of commands throughout the game which all bring great advantages to the game experience. I would even go as far to say that even the younger gamers out there will be capable of mastering the controls in Far Cry 2, even though most of you playing it probably are not legally old enough to be doing so - shame on you.

You take the role of a mercenary with the challenge of taking down The Jackal, which is not his real name believe it or not. The Jackal is an arms dealer who is rolling in cash whilst orchestrating conflicts in the African Savannah, which is the location you find yourself in this time around, and you will truly feel like you are there yourself such is the detail that surrounds you. Needless to say a number of sub plots will come in to play as you progress through the game, which you must negotiate your way through or around - with the impressive array of weapons at your disposal of course, none of this talking crap you see on TV.

Ultimately you will find yourself with countless hours of gameplay from Far Cry 2. The game world is so big that you will constantly come across sections of the map that you have not seen before, and will find all sorts of things - both good and bad - along your way. The huge environment you play within is not just big, it's also largely destructible which allows you to manipulate things around to use to your advantage in various ways, such as knocking things down to use as cover should you need it.

The enemies you come across are completely unscripted in Far Cry 2, and instead are entirely artificial. They will react to each unique situation on the fly, and you will notice great little touches like medics dragging wounded soldiers into safe places which add to the game's depth and realism - and with a game this real that is no lean feat. You don't always have to battle computer controlled opponents though! If you prefer to take realism to another level, simply head online for the fantastic multiplayer game modes which will satisfy the most blood-thirsty first person shooter gamers out there.

Far Cry 2 has an impressive range of modes when you do go online, most of which you will have come to expect from a game like this but once again it somehow feels different simply because it is Far Cry and nothing else. The game engine, which has been custom built for Far Cry 2 this time around, truly sets it apart from other newly released titles like Crysis Warhead and even Call of Duty.

Without doubt, Far Cry 2 is a must own game if you have even the slightest interest in shooter games and even if you do not typically enjoy these kind of games, Far Cry 2 is likely to have something that you will truly love as a game experience - whether it's the environments, the intuitive and highly addictive gameplay, or the intriguing storyline and numorous sub plots that you encounter throughout the game as you move through the huge African Savannah game world.

Final thought, buy Far Cry 2