Far Cry 2 is a beast of a game. It is a building block from which the contemporary games in the series have constructed the most "fun" versions of themselves, at the expense of the quasi-realism and seriousness which defined the 2008 game.
Enter History Respawned, a YouTube channel which looks at games through a historical lens. Employing a number of historians in conversation with either themselves or contemporary experts, it is a lovely channel that employs a different perspective than some would expect on videogames.
Their latest episode, which is on Far Cry 2, focuses on the game's African setting. Speaking with Dr. Charlie Thomas, the discussion revolves around everything from the landscape, displaced persons, contemporary conflict, and ideologies, all of which can be found in some form or another in the game.
It's an enlightening listen, and especially heartening because it really shows how much a game can utilize historical events to impact gameplay and story. There is also a podcast version of the episode, found on SoundCloud, which clocks in at almost twice the length of the YouTube video.
