Far Cry 3

Thanks for the tip Doc, I actually got the trophy doing pretty much just that. Only two co-op levels left for the plat. I'm doing them with my brother so we're both getting exactly the level we need with no re-runs. It's a fairly well developed co-op but I'm finding it the buggiest part of the game. Nothing game-breaking but causing a few irritating restarts.

I've played Just Cause 2. I don't remember my overall game completion percentage, but it's in the high 90's, because 100% is basically impossible. The point is, I've played it. It's still one of my favorite games, which is why I've still got it kicking around. I couldn't possibly make the argument that it's objectively better than Far Cry 3, and I don't think it is. I would say the music, sound effects, gun feel, gun selection, gun customization, graphics, story, voice acting, graphics, and animations are all objectively better in Far Cry 3 than in Just Cause 2. Speaking of weapons, did you just say Just Cause 2 has a better weapon selection? Far Cry 3 has every weapon Just Cause 2 has and more. Then you can customize each weapon. Just Cause 2 has the vehicle selection though. Although 95% of the vehicles in Just Cause 2 control like shit. I think the Cougar and the sports car thing were the only land vehicles that I could stand to drive. It did have jets though, which was awesome. The boats worked fine, too.

About the size of the map in Just Cause 2, it's big, but so what? 7 main missions and 49 faction missions in JC2. 34 main missions and 12 side missions in FC3. Just Cause 2 takes a long time to finish because it has a small number of things to do, then lets you do that same thing dozens or hundreds of times. Most (not all) of the collectibles are just a matter of going over and getting them because they're out in the open. That's what they have to do because there's just so many of them. It's takes a long time to get them, but the process of obtaining them is not exactly interesting. Far Cry 3 has a lot of hidden collectibles, mostly relics, that can actually take some thought to figure out how to get to them. And a lot of the times the process of getting them is actually interesting and different.

JC2 has a lot of racing missions, but since the driving is garbage, I wouldn't call it a good thing. Whenever I saw that I had new racing missions to do, I'd always groan because they sucked. I remember one race that has you going around the entire big island, and it was so long and boring and uneventful. The game had a lot of those faction missions, but they got repetitive after a while, too. The shooting in that game is not too varied or difficult or anything. It's like GTAIV where you're really only shooting guys because there's guys that need killing and guns will do it. The fun doesn't come from the shooting directly. You occasionally have fun moments happen that are indirectly caused by your killing of the enemies. Ragdoll physics and such. You can't really put much strategy into your assaults on bases since there's not a lot of variety in the ways you can kill people. I mean, there's lots of ways to kill in that game, but not effectively. I think later on in the game, it was just a matter of getting a helicopter with guns and mowing down the outposts.

So Just Cause 2 has a big world with lots of filler and simplicity strewn about it. You have to make your own fun, which I did gladly. I can see how someone can make enough of their own fun to like Just Cause 2 more. Like if they literally did not care about gameplay mechanics or story or characters or anything. I have the ability to do that sometimes. That's why I was able to enjoy Dead Island while so many others rightfully did not. I just don't agree with the sentiment that spending a lot of time in a game makes it better. I've spent way more time in much worse games than Far Cry 3. Dead Island, for example.

Anyway, I'm not trying to convince you that Far Cry 3 is the better game. I just don't agree with your reasons for JC2 being the better game. If you had just said you had more fun in Just Cause 2 or you prefer games with more game time, then I wouldn't have a problem. You make it sound like Just Cause 2 is obviously superior by a large margin. I think the length of Just Cause 2 makes up for its various gameplay shortcomings and Far Cry 3's gameplay makes up for its length. And if Far Cry 3's length is its biggest glaring problem, then that's not really that bad. It could've had a lot more problems like Skyrim.

In regards to the “Skyrim with guns” thing, I hate that comparison. Many of the things I've said about Just Cause 2 can be applied to Skyrim, with many more things left unsaid.

I was trying to catch up before the return to MP3, man! Now this game'll be completely overhyped by the time I get to it Just Cause 2 is awesome and I was actually hoping for essentially a First Person, smaller but smoother version of it with a tense masterpiece of a story. There'd be no huge explosions or crazy scope but that's all I want from it. So is it basically that, Doc? 

Seibei4211 said:

If you had just said you had more fun in Just Cause 2 or you prefer games with more game time, then I wouldn't have a problem. You make it sound like Just Cause 2 is obviously superior by a large margin.

I never said JC2 was a better game, or try to make points that i think make it better… I was only explaining to Scotty why I personally would play JC over FC given the chance… That's the only reason I also never mentioned any of the negative aspects of the game… It was a biased opinion, but only because scotty asked for the reasons as to why I'd rather play it and they're naturally all going to be positive…

I don't think it would be fair to objectively compare the two on any aspect, at the heart they're very different games and years apart(FPS/3rd person – 2010/2012)… It's just that the general feel of FC reminded me slightly of JC… And then JC3, so perhaps i got a little excited… I'm sorry if it came across a little hyperbole  

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I know you didn't ask me, but do I actually think, pros and cons, that JC2 is better… Personally yes…

I wouldn't agree with all of your opinions on JC2, but I'm not sure if you were trying to overtly negative as a direct comparison due to my comment? I didn't mean to compare, but if i had to then for me it's still JC2, and some of JC2 was very, very frustrating for all the wrong reasons; the plane challenges spring to mind, all the things you mention, taking into account what your saying about the weapon selection, the driving (was it that good in FC3?) the older effects etc., but was it worth it for all the content and other epic sh!t, indeed!!

FC3 is pretty basic when you think about it, the repetition, when you get better weapons (sniper)and takedowns (stealth kill heavy guard)the outposts are really easy… Some of the arguments you make against against JC2, could be levelled at FC3 also? There's just a lot less of it… Most of the things you mention are due to tech. advancements and not even that new, that's not really fair on FC2?

It just looks and plays really nice, but and I'm not as sold on the story as some… After all that 'explore your insanity' stuff and the emphasis on insanity, I thought a 'Shutter Island' style storyline would've been cool… With his friends and Vaas being parts of his subconscious or something…

I guess it just depends what you think makes a game 'good' or 'better', I just personally prefer fun over performance… And I had much more fun in JC2 even with it's negatives, where as FC3 almost had no negatives but just lacked that little something, for me anway…

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And sorry, but the grappling hook was awesome!!

@ em

Did you try switching the driving controls? That's was the aching problem when I first started the game and once I switched to R2/L2 method, it felt right at home  All I can say is, give it a bit more time to settle in since some of the upgrades evolve the gameplay. One of the sweet elements I quite enjoyed with the game is that it doesn't force you into the story, side missions, etc. it just lets you play at your own pace which is quite nice compared to similar games such as Saints Row 3 were from what I remembered forced you into side missions to progress further into the plot

@ Seibei

At the time a good portion of people wouldn't stop moaning about how great SR3 was and how much fun it was, along with the first few missions I played, I wanted a bit more so I played it. That's where it ends exactly. The first 2 missions I had played beforehand were the only two good ones in the entire game for me, so I just finished the rest of the game to nab a few trophies. Then when Plus assigned that SR2 was being released free for Plus, I opted to give that one a spin and hopefully change my opinion on the series as a whole, but again, I was DEAD wrong.

There were a few gripes with SR3 though as a whole that concluded in being the entire game. I honestly thought it would be awesome and the story would be hilarious – Not one single part after the first two missions did I enjoy myself or laugh.