Also, we really need a re-release of Rogue Spear + All Expansions + OST - regardless of the amount of technical issues it currently faces. Easily my favourite in that series.

I think some Silent Hunters may also be DRM-free, at least that's the impression I got from their listings on Amazon.

Do the games work on Win 7 64?

The humour might get lost in translation for people who don't understand english very well ;)

Bought Far Cry 1 again, despite owning it already on Steam. Just can't let pass this discount.

Far Cry 2 is the kind of game that you have to play yourself in order to have any idea whether you'll like it or not. I loved the game, and I can't understand the bitching about some "annoyances", like the malaria. What was the problem with that? Oh no, I have to press one button once in a while in order to curb the malaria effects, and a few times even go on a mission to get more malaria pills. :)

I find it about as annoying as having to switch on wipers when I'm driving and it starts to rain. Ie., not annoying at all.

To be more precise, the enemies will not respawn until you drive off the corner of the map. So if the checkpoint you are visiting is near the border of the map, then yeah it may feel they respawn very often (because you just drove off the map before re-visiting the place). But when you know this tidbit, it is much easier to anticipate the respawns, or even avoid it. It could have been implemented much better though, e.g. respawn only after each mission, or after certain time. The current way is a bit cheap respawn mechanic, I suspect it is due to the game's console roots (maybe takes less RAM when the game has to track the enemies and items only in the current map, and reset all the other maps).

But there are a few things to remember with the enemy respawns:

- The game certainly needs respawning enemies, in one form or another. If the enemies would not respawn, quite soon you'd be driving in a completely empty and barren world, with no enemies. In that sense I don't consider Far Cry 2 different from e.g. GTA games: there you also get respawning enemies or angry policemen, sometimes much more often than in Far Cry 2.

- While the enemies respawn (when you re-enter that map), so do all the goodies (ammo, grenades, healtpacks) in those bases and checkpoints. So you can use the respawn also to your advantage, if you feel you are getting low on ammo or health packs.

I think the purchased weapons don't wear off nearly as quickly, and you can also buy upgrades for your purchased weapons so that they last longer and are more reliable.

If you mostly just use weapons you pick up from dead enemies, yeah I think those wear off quite quickly. I guess the game is trying to nudge you to buy some weapons of your own with those diamonds you got. If the picked up weapons were as reliable as bought weapons, I guess there would be very little reason to buy any weapons.

I still don't understand why people find it overly annoying. All it meant that every now and then (like once an hour in real time) you'd get some sickness effects (even during combat, which gives the game a bit more "urgency" and having to be on your toes), and you curb them by pressing one button to take a malaria pill. And a few times during the whole game, you have to perform some special mission in order to get more malaria pills.

Sounds pretty normal to me, just one more mechanic for certain special missions. A bit like having to take your girlfriend out to eat and dance once in a while in GTA San Andreas, or having to defend your turf from rival gangs once in a while.

I actually enjoyed the driving in Far Cry 2. And since I consider Far Cry 2 a "GTA-clone in first person view", I felt driving around a lot kind of fit there fine, just like in GTA games.

But if one is expecting to be mostly being on foot and shooting, then no. I think it helps to think of the game as a GTA game, instead of a straight first person shooter (like its predecessor, Far Cry 1).

isn't there a mod that converts Far Cry into a more "Minecraft-y" open ended survival sandbox?

vaguely remember someone mentioning something like that over on the RPS forums when discussing games like DayZ and Rust. I don't think think anyone ever mentioned the name of the mod but, I remember adding these games to my mental wish list for it though.

No questions asked, I just got these games. Been wanting them for some time and the price was right, so yeah. As soon as I get my computer up and running or whatever, I'm gonna enjoy all these games I've been buying (oh, goodness the backlog).

It's okay, I forgive you :). I just picked up FC1 and decided to leave FC2, a least for the time being. I'll just wait for the next promo to annoy you to buy me something then, BWA HA HA HA :D

I did read through that thread and in the end, I decided to go with your counsel on FC2. The respawning enemies annoyed me to no end in Thief: deadly Shadows and near the end of the game where all the different factions are each others throats, it was quite easy for you to get hurt badly from a stray fireball or run face first into a guy you ran past the first time. Thanks for helping me decide :)

This I can understand. Heroes of Might and Magic 4 the the Postal series for example were popular with some but hated by others. Personally I liked them but I know theres others here who will disagree with me on it. Still, considering I haven't played any of the Far Cry games but was interested, I decided to just pick up the first for now. When I'm feeling brave / bored / rich, I'll definately have another think about FC2.

Annoyances in games are practically a given but the Malaria mechanic doesn't seem like too much of a hindrance. Respawning enemies might be a problem though considering the complaints about them being bullet sponges and sneaking past them only to have to sneak past them on the way back in the city areas of Thief: Deadly Shadows was a pain in the arse to say the least. If I sneak past them in FC2, I'm assuming I'm going to have the same issue

I wonder if we'll ever see Far Cry 3 here, or any modern Ubigame for that matter...

If we do, it will be awhile, FC3 and Blood Dragon are fairly recent games.

Bought.Downloaded. Installed...... is a message about Punkbuster supposed to come up at the end of the install process? (for multiplayer i guess??)

If we ever see a Ubi game which has Uplay on it now ..in the future, it would be a massive breakthrough for GOG :D

Malaria is just part of the story. Your merc character has it and you just have to deal with it. If you're in a firefight when the symptoms hit, you learn to find a spot of cover real quick to ride it out (and maybe reload while you're at it). <g> Then, every once in awhile you have to refresh your medicine supply. Doing that is simply another story mission, doing it is no more of a big deal than doing any other story mission in the game (and they're usually quick and easy to complete).

I found Far Cry 2 to be to a very immersive FPS. Unfortunately, it does have 'gamey' elements that reduce its immersiveness.

The respawning is an oft-noted example. Yes, it isn't done very well, but it's fine that respawning is in as a 'feature'. A lot of FC2's immersiveness comes from its alive world. So places need to respawn to keep things alive.

But it would be nice if after I, say, grenade-bomb the crap out of a base (via a technical with mounted grenade launcher), blowing up a ton of things (that may cause huge fires that may be wind-driven to cause even more explosions as the fire rages through the entire base); that I go and drive 500 yards away, and then come right back (in less than a minute) - and the base is not only re-populated, but it's also completely rebuilt, with no sign of the immense fire that just raged through. Yeah it could have been done lots better. Some games, like Stalker, do respawning a lot better than FC2. But it is what it is, and it doesn't detract that much if you don't let it.

Other immersive things make up for or offset the 'gamier' elements. Like the weather effects. There are heavy rainstorms with high winds; the trees, brush and grass bending and flapping around in the wind. Large fires can start, and the winds may drive them, burning large areas (and perhaps catching an occasional building or vehicle on fire). The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular.

As far as sneaking goes; you can do quite a lot of it. I found it quite fun to sneak around on foot, day or night. You can complete a good number of missions sneakily (and on foot if desired). For example, many (perhaps all) of the assassinations - you can sneak in, eliminate the target of opportunity silently, and then sneak away unseen. Other missions are also sneak-able. Plus, there are gear choices you can make to enhance your stealthiness. It isn't Thief-level stealth and sneaking; but it can be very satisfying in its own way.

Of course, you can also simply blow through many checkpoints. If you get chased, you can often cause them to crash into terrain or buildings; or you can feed them a meal from your pre-rear-faced mounted machine-gun. You can quickly jump up and fire away even while your jeep is still rolling.

Alternatively, you can often choose complete avoidance, perhaps via a 'back route' (of which there are many to discover - along with 'things' to be found out there). If you are careful, you can drive any vehicle over nearly any backwoods path (often at speed).

There is also a complete waterway network - many rivers (with tributaries), large lakes, checkpoints, places only accessible via waterway; that crisscrosses the entire maps. It's fun to learn where the 'good boats' are located; that you might use for getaways or assaults. For many missions you can stay in the water and not even touch the roads or land.

There is a lot of freedom on how to navigate the world. It isn't just 'head down that road and deal with that checkpoint again' all the time. There's choices...