14 Most Underrated Open-World Games Of The Last 10 Years

9. Far Cry 2

Before Far Cry 3 became the surprise sleeper hit of 2012, its predecessor was already building the core gameplay that has come to define open world games ever since.

More than just a practice run for what was to come in later sequels, Far Cry 2 still stands on its own to this day, featuring the same stealth-based gunplay and free-from mission structure that the series is known for.

But it's the little quirks that make this sequel so memorable and interesting. The degradation of your weapons in particular contributes to the game's scrappy and frantic combat, as you always feel just a little under-prepared for every enemy encounter thrown your way.

However, the unreliability of your equipment is brilliantly offset by a multitude of tactical and environmental choices that take the edge off every fight. Attacking at different times of day can stop you from being overwhelmed, starting fires can distract or kill patrolling guards and picking up the right weapons on the fly can radically change the flow of combat. It all works together to make you feel like an improvising badass.

Perhaps more so than the games that followed it, Far Cry 2 relies on spontaneous tactics in the heat of the moment to make every encounter feel like an edge-of-your-seat fight for survival, and for that reason alone it deserves to be revisited today.