Far Cry 2 bugs squashed on 360, 'Hardcore Mode' added
by Ben Gilbert 
{ May 12th 2009 at 11:30AM } 
Our bitterness is somewhat assuaged by the arrival of the promised "Hardcore" multiplayer mode, advertised on the developer's forums back in February. The team has also added the ability to play Rank matches, employing some of the more ... well-developed user maps created over the past half year. Unfortunately, while the (likely malaria infested) save bug has been squashed, the fix isn't retroactive and thus, those who encountered it are out of luck. As for you folks playing FC2 on a PC or PlayStation 3, the patch should be headed your way soon. Not 203 days ago-soon, but soon none the less.
Gallery: Far Cry 2
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
acefondu @ May 12th 2009 11:34AM
Wow, never knew this was an issue. I plowed through 50 hours of that game doing all the quests I could on the PS3 version and never once had an issue.
DosPelones @ May 12th 2009 7:10PM
I had heard about the problem, and I had made extra save files to cover my game. But ut never had the problem.
This game has multiplayer!?!
Smoke_me_a_Kipper @ May 12th 2009 1:29PM
It called the 88% bug OR the F*&^%ing marina bar door won't open.
Obie @ May 12th 2009 4:54PM
Yup, happened to me too. Luckily I am a save-fiend and had a few other files to fall back on.
Shmil @ May 12th 2009 11:48AM
So they decided not to do anything about the spawn times for enemies at guard posts? damn, I mean I'm no programmer but I figured that could be fixed in a patch.
Jerk Face @ May 12th 2009 11:49AM
The one huge blemish on an otherwise near-perfect game! I still loved the shit out of it.
Perhaps I'll give Hardcore mode a whirl later tonight..
Rabidkeebler @ May 12th 2009 12:52PM
I'm with you there. I played the game through the first mission, and put it down when I saw that problem. I mean, I just walked over a hill, turn around to walk back, there are guards back at the %$#@ING POST! I JUST KILLED THOSE GUYS! I will probably go back to the game this summer, but that was just ridiculous
Neuromancer @ May 12th 2009 2:08PM
Agreed, great game but that should have been patched. A day or two's time between killing all the guards at a checkpoint and having it repopulate would have made getting from A to B less irritating. Funny because I know for a fact the developers realized a lot of people were mad about this issue.
The Dark Wayne @ May 12th 2009 2:09PM
That was one of the reasons I sold it. I really wanted to like it, but first it was too slow driving back and forth, the gun gameplay wasnt so hot, but then when I realized what was going on with the guards it was the last straw. Maybe ill pick it up used or rent it over the summer when I have enough time, it seemed like maybe if I played it for a few hours straight it would be better, but im still pretty wary of it
Jerk Face @ May 12th 2009 3:06PM
I would have settled for one day in game, you know? Or even eight in game hours or something. It was just rough when you would take out a post, round a corner to get a mission from a cell tower, and the have all the dudes ready for you literally 45 seconds after you took them out!
It does get better later in the game when you're more bad ass and you have tons of ammo and good equipment.
Despite that issue, Far Cry 2 is on my all time top ten list of the decade, just for the crazy level of immersion you feel moving through those beautiful environments. The combat, though difficult at times was really satisfying; even when you had to kill the same dudes over and over!
Vincent060 @ May 12th 2009 11:49AM
I just hope they fix the multiplayer on the PS3. Being able to play only one match then getting kicked back to the main menu is annoying. I'm sure the community is mostly dead now, but it would be nice if they still fixed it.
Anticrawl @ May 12th 2009 3:24PM
Thats called ranked matches. Several games do this. Try public matches.
Vincent060 @ May 12th 2009 4:18PM
It's not being kicked by the host, it's being kicked by the game. I would host a game and as soon as the match ends, everyone gets sent back to the main menu. It has nothing to do with ranked or unranked matches.
Anticrawl @ May 12th 2009 6:53PM
Yes.... it has everything to do with Ranked and Unranked matches....
It's to keep the same group of people from cutting deals to abuse raising ranks, several games do this to thwart players from trying. Blame the players.
Vincent060 @ May 12th 2009 8:19PM
Then why allow us to make a playlist of maps if everyone, including the host, gets kicked out at the end of the match?
Anticrawl @ May 13th 2009 2:02AM
The host doesn't get kicked. I've been hosting ranked matches in Far Cry 2 since launch and I've never been removed from my own room. Maybe you're doing it wrong.
Toop @ May 12th 2009 11:58AM
Hmmmm I wonder if this will fix my problem... if not maybe I have a save that is far enough back to work. I barely got to play the game before I hit the bug. :(
jbentertainment00 @ May 12th 2009 12:05PM
A save anywhere feature would have saved this game from going back...
WiredKnight @ May 12th 2009 12:20PM
gb2pc
Shmil @ May 12th 2009 12:22PM
Really? Every fucking 50 ft there was a save station, or you could fast travel and then save, or accept a mission and then save.
Alex @ May 12th 2009 2:51PM
Fast Travel?
Were you playing Oblivion or something?
Anticrawl @ May 12th 2009 3:25PM
Fast Travel = Busses.
modified @ May 12th 2009 12:07PM
The multiplayer part could have been great if they didn't make so many dumb design choices. For example, the host of a ranked match has the ability to kick people. It's common for the host to boot one or two people from the opposing team in order to guarantee a win and farm xp. I think Ubisoft is unable to create a party system like Halo, COD, and Gears of War 2. Instead you get the tired set up of finishing a match and being booted all the way back to the initial multiplayer screen. It's really sad that the only game with a real map editor has so many flaws.
superklye @ May 12th 2009 1:25PM
I absolutely hate the way Ubi does multiplayer. The things you mentioned + getting kicked back to the main menu after every ranked match is absolutely ridiculous. It's like that in the R6: Vegas games, too.
And when playing Vegas, I end up with at least 60% of the same people I was just booted from being in a lobby with so...save everyone time and frustration, eh? Yeesh.
Tess @ May 12th 2009 12:11PM
Downloaded patch yesterday. Saves still broken.
George McBain @ May 12th 2009 12:17PM
I am guessing that the save game problem fix will only apply to NEW save games. Old save files that have already been corrupted won't be fixed.
That said, I sent it back to Gamefly yesterday because my saves were all corrupt. Sucks.
WiredKnight @ May 12th 2009 12:19PM
"the fix isn't retroactive and thus, those who encountered it are out of luck."
Um, thanks for checking?
Tess @ May 12th 2009 12:24PM
That occurred to me right after I posted. Blame it on posting before lunch.
The wording from the patch notes is "reduce significantly the probability of having a corrupted save game". Heh.
Shmil @ May 12th 2009 12:33PM
Its after 12 oclock, your blood sugar was low. You should stay sharp by eating emerald's nuts.
Ben Gilbert @ May 12th 2009 12:45PM
I, however, had put in over 25 hours when I got a corrupted save file -- 93% done with the game. Talk about a kick in the genitals. Guess who's never playing the game again? I loved it so much, too. Oh well.
WiredKnight @ May 12th 2009 12:48PM
@ Shmil
Who's Emerald?
chenry @ May 12th 2009 3:45PM
The patch acts as advertised; it said the patch WILL NOT fix broken saves. So... yeah. Real shocker, huh. Even UbiSoft said waaaay back that it was likely the patch would not fix the broken saves.
So sucks to be you.
zaglis @ May 12th 2009 12:15PM
Still no on screen map and unbalanced AI? tsk tsk
WiredKnight @ May 12th 2009 12:21PM
Why on earth would you want an onscreen map?
Being able to look at a handheld map and having a freaking GPS in every single vehicle isn't enough for you?
Shmil @ May 12th 2009 12:24PM
Unbalance AI? did the smart ol' computer outsmart you? or are you talking about how it takes more than one bullet to kill a dude? Because frankly, you should try to aim for the head.
Johnny Neat @ May 12th 2009 12:51PM
Major reason I quit this game before getting really into it was how many bullets it took to down a tank-top or shirtless moron. Sorry but that kills me. To make me more annoyed, check points are horribly annoying cause the re-spawning is out of control!
If they fixed those two issues maybe I'd take this game serious enough to waste time on it. I don't even want to touch foot in their Online MP.
AwRy @ May 12th 2009 1:00PM
I hope the bug they're "fixing" is the infamous "88% bug". I got hit with this one, and it pretty much sent my 30+ hours of game time straight down the toilet.
I loved this game until I wasn't able to finish it because of the save file bug, so I promptly sold my copy and will be forever skeptical of Ubisoft.
Smoke_me_a_Kipper @ May 12th 2009 1:38PM
I had to cheat to get around it. Of course PC version only. You get a trainer, load an earlier save game and set a teleport spot inside the bar, then continue until you need to go to the bar and teleport to it. At least I finished the game, uninstalled and sold it.
Petebot330 @ May 12th 2009 1:01PM
I always see a lot of hate for this game. I love it. Granted, I never had a save file corrupt on me in the game--I had some of my morrowind saves bite it, so i can empathize. It's like people have the opposite problem with this game that people did with Bioshock. Personally, I like the challenge. The other complaint is that it's repetitive. It's a shooter. You shoot people. That's the game. I feel like they did so many things right in this game that I can overlook any flaws. Again, if my saves had all been shot to shit, I would be pissed. I can't believe it took them this long to come out with a patch.
Neuromancer @ May 12th 2009 2:12PM
What I like about the action in the game is it really is like a sandbox, if a mission tells you to go to a fort and kill a dude there are a ton of different ways to approach it unlike Call of Duty and that kind of game. This really is a great game.
Petebot330 @ May 12th 2009 2:38PM
I agree--I've been doing things the stealthy way with snipers, silenced weapons, and ieds so far, but if I wanted to, I could launch a bunch of rockets and charge in with an assault weapon.
I think it's greatt that you'll never know what will happen. One of the guards could accidentally shoot a propane tank, or your gun might jam, or they'll need to reload, or another jeep hears the shots and pulls up to the action. It's different every time.
Valdimar @ May 12th 2009 1:30PM
I ran into that game-breaking bug. To be precise, after 60% or so completion of the story mode, all saves corrupted except for those saved at a certain few safehouses, including all automatic in-mission saves.
I had to find out which safehouses were, well, 'safe' through trial & error. Woohoo.
Still, I persevered and finished the game by playing for longer sessions and always making it to one of those safesafehouses, because I'm frakkin' insane.
I know a few friends who simply gave up on the game when it started happening to them.
I'm amazed this hasn't been talked about more, because everywhere I find discussion on this bug there are a lot of people that encountered it. Perhaps most people only finished half the game before moving onto something else.
Valdimar @ May 12th 2009 1:33PM
I guess I should add that I really liked Far Cry 2, it was one of the most engrossing and entertaining games I played last year, and that really surprised me.
I just don't think publishers should allow themselves to release a game with such a horrible save-bug.
JH @ May 12th 2009 2:06PM
I was so pumped for this game, but ultimately it was a huge let down. The graphics were first XBOX quality (and I play at 1080p on a new 1080p plasma and it still looked awful), gameplay was terrible, A.I. again was complete garbage. All in all not as smooth and polished as it could have been. Maybe they will get it right with Far Cry 3 which is obviously in development.
Neuromancer @ May 12th 2009 2:12PM
"The graphics were first XBOX quality"
You've got to be fucking kidding me.
The Dark Wayne @ May 12th 2009 2:18PM
i certainly dont agree with that, but they didnt seem as phenomenal as everybody else seemed to think. To me they were the kind of graphics that are just screaming to be on the PC
Shmil @ May 12th 2009 2:32PM
sounds like you played this game for an hour and then quit
whylekat @ May 12th 2009 2:33PM
It's true. Many reviewers said at time of launch that this game looks way prettier on a jacked up PC rig.
chenry @ May 12th 2009 3:43PM
You clearly don't remember what XBOX graphics look liked. You sir, are a moron.
Anticrawl @ May 12th 2009 4:04PM
I won't even justify this outrageous claim with a response.
Far Cry 2 for the 360 and PC brought a level of detail in the world, animations and actions that has never been seen before in any game, much less a FPS which pulled the player in to the character and heightened their sense of urgency and danger when trouble reared its ugly head. Gunplay was truly superb with being one of the only console shooters featuring aim acceleration, the only true way to simulate on the fly DPI changing that PC gamers have been enjoying for over a decade. Such a feature also helps weed out the chumps relying on auto aim and those who've played the game frequently and developed some level of skill with the game. Far Cry 2 brought a persistent world, dynamic lighting/weather/day and night cycle and real-time fire propagation. Far Cry 2 was also one of the first games for me to actually find a healthy balance between the mystical take cover and heal gameplay feature found in most shooters today and the health bar of days past. Visually the game is stunning, and be it played on maximum settings on my PC or on my 360 it's one of the best looking games I've ever played. I'd have to say I enjoy the visual flare more than that found in Crysis or Crysis Warhead on my PC, both of which I can play on Very High/Enthusiast settings without slowdown.
I think I'm going to fire up some Far Cry 2 on the 360 and play some multiplayer with a more mature crowd of gamers (thankfully all the hate surrounding this game keeps the typical children found in Halo and Call of Duty away and my ears are always feeling better because of it).