Friction is important in video games. The act of playing them is not always meant to be fun, instead asking you to master a range of mechanics, systems, and ideas to earn the full experience. Sometimes it can be nice to slip into something deliberately forgiving, but mostly, I’m all for games that kick my butt if I refuse to play by its rules.
In first-person shooters, this friction must strike a balance between power fantasy and player perseverance, making it feel like we’ve earned the onslaught of eventual bloodshed. For this to matter though, the guns and equipment we used have to feel realistic and nuanced. While it was bogged down by a perpetual case of malaria that made exploring the open world a bit of a chore, one thing Ubisoft’s Far Cry 2 got right was the feeling of its firearms.
Far Cry 2 Understands The Importance Of Good Feeling Guns
When I played Far Cry 2 as a kid I did not get on with it at all. Ubisoft had yet to settle into its now generic open world template, and this sequel wasn’t afraid to take risks even if it meant turning the majority of people off. There’s the aforementioned malaria, which takes effect in the opening hours and remains a constant obstacle unless you seek out medication. But its most fascinating mechanic comes in the guns you wield, and how each one is a character in itself.
Far Cry 2 was also unintentionally hilarious thanks to its gleeful murder of wildlife. I will never forget actually backing over a Zebra with a jeep only to open my car door to murder another. Oopsy daisy…
Taking place within an Africa currently in the throes of civil war, you choose a character that is tasked with taking down a mysterious mercenary known as the Jackal. You’re meant to be operating in secret, thrown onto the continent with nothing but a false passport and your own ingenuity. This means you will constantly be purchasing weapons from black market dealers or picking up rusted firearms from enemies in order to stay alive. There’s no loadout to toy with, meaning you will have to think on your feet to stay alive.
I remember being stuck with some absolutely awful guns for several hours, most caked with rust so thick they would struggle to reload. Far Cry 2 presents this dilemma through realistic and aggressive animations where the player frustratingly manhandles each weapon as they pull bullets from the chamber or throw magazines aside in the hope it fixes the problem. If a weapon jams too much, sometimes it can be easier to ditch it and adjust your strategy.
Fun fact – Far Cry 2 animated all of these weapon malfunctions from a left-handed perspective because they are more interesting for the player to watch.
Enemies suffer from similar problems, making combat encounters more fascinating as you are in a constant state of push-and-pull where anything can happen. It’s similar to when your weapons break in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You’ll curse out in frustration, but then replace that anger with innovation as the strategy pivots to something utterly wild since each gameplay system encourages experimentation. They want to be a source of friction, and for the most part, Far Cry 2 offers the player enough means to push back.
Stalker 2 Continues The Tradition Of Jamming Weapons
Far Cry 2 and Stalker 2 actually have a lot in common. Both are shooters taking place in a vast open world that players can explore at their leisure – even if that means wandering into an area they aren’t remotely prepared for and paying the price. Stalker 2 also focuses very heavily on weapon jamming, with the upkeep of your equipment being essential to survival.
You begin the game with a measly loadout, and every human enemy you kill is likely to drop a gun you can scavenge for ammo or parts. If it’s in better condition, and you haven’t tried to upgrade your own equipment, sometimes it’s easier to swap them out entirely. Whenever my weapon jams, it annoys me, but also invites an extra layer of mechanical complexity that I have no choice but to account for. Stalker 2 is a ruthless game that butts heads with the player at every turn, but only because it wants them to be smarter, harder, and ultimately better.
Weapons in Stalker 2 and Far Cry 2 will decay over time as well, with guns showing a fairly obvious visual downgrade the more abuse you put them through. Fail to repair or swap any of them out and you’ll pay the price. This is the sort of friction I love in video games, where systems are immediately defined, and you’re experimenting not only to learn from them, but having fun with what many would define as unfair restrictions. It’s also just really cool to see weapon animations where the aim isn’t to look cool, but to let everything fall apart.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the long-awaited follow-up to the apocalyptic first-person shooter. As a Stalker, you must venture into the deadly Exclusion Zone, contending with mutants and warring factions alike, in search of valuable artifacts.