Which is the better game? I've played a little bit of Far Cry 3 and really loved it but I can't run that on my computer.

So Which would you guys recommend?

As far as I know, Far Cry 1 would be the better option. I think Far Cry 3 is pretty similar to the first one, at least in terms of humour and story.

Far Cry 2 has a lot of flaws. It's still a great game (someone made a thread about it on here which pretty much says it all), but if you have to choose, I would say go for Far Cry 1.

FC1

I would say Far Cry 1. Then when your finished with that, get 2. Or even better wait for a sale and get both at the same time ;). Word of warning though. Far Cry is difficult even on easy or normal difficulty. Far Cry 2 can get repetitive also, but still a fun game.

Avoid the frist . Broken game of a pretty tech demo for the Crysis engine. Bullets go through doors and walls, soldiers shoot you from miles away etc.. Frustrating piece of real crap.

The 2nd. A thread is going on here for its merits, so yeah, get the second better.. 3rd is best from what I know, but I have yet to install and play it, same for the Blood Dragon. A 4th just got announced BTW.

Both are very different games, and both are excellent. Even though it's sufficiently open for different tactical approaches, FC1 is more straightforward in terms of storytelling, progress and exploration. You keep pushing forwards to new areas and chapters. In FC2, you have one wide map, accessible from the beginning, and missions popping up here and there, so it's more quest-driven while FC1 is more like a traditional shooter.

I might marginally like FC1 better, for the green-and-blue setting and its refreshing feel of freedom whin you dive from a cliff to a very blue transparent sea. FC2 is more yellow-and-brown, having you swim through muddy rivers and run through dry bushes. FC1 is more basic fun, but it's plagues by mutant creatures after a certain while, while I prefer sneaking around humans with human abilities.

Generally speaking, I really can't relate these two games. Their styles and gameplay are too different. They should be played both, just like one would play both Borderlands and NOLF. Don't approach them with the same line of questionning as "should I play thief 1 or 2" or "hitman 2 or 3", because these two Far CRy games really don't feel like belonging to the same series.

I never played #2 but I love #1 if for no other reason than it manages to kind of separate itself from other FPS games. It doesn't separate itself A LOT mind you, but just enough, and it also looks great IMO.

FC1 - bullet sponge/magnet simulator
FC2 - roadblock raider simulator
FC3 - butcher and gut all animals simulator

I've only played the demo of 1, but I've played FC2 and it's one of my favourite games :D

I'm little surprised here, It's like we both played different game. But I can agree that FC3 is the best from these three.

As for FC1 vs FC2 I would pick 1st one, it's much closer to FC3 and, for me, it was more enjoyable than second one.

Both are pretty good games, but if i had to choose one i'd stay with the first FC.

The 'shooting through doors and tents' was introduced in the latest patch, unfortunately you can't downgrade the GOG version. I occasionally play it and am currently past the first half in the game (Archive level now). The issue bothered me yet only twice: At the start if you sneak into the first mercenary camp, and in the mission where you have to steal a vehicle from a camp and the gate of a tent opens and a 4WD will follow you - here the people shoot from within the tent on you from a far distance. I tagged the guys with the binoculars, remembered the position and shot at the positions of the tents.

Both mercenaries and trigens spot you fast, but you are still in advantage by not getting taken under fire if you get into the view if the distance is far enough (but it is already possible for you to shoot). This makes driving around not always fun as you are in the open and especially for rockets a big and easy target if on a small track, but I enjoy it like it is.

I'd personally start with 1, but don't dis-regard 2. While a bit different I think the sequel would be a fine addition to your collection :)

Well, that's explain a lot, as I have old boxed PL version and I never patched it.

As said, they can't be directly compared. To me the first game was more of a generic FPS game (which gave you a nice expansive area to roam, but you still needed to advance linearly through checkpoints), while the second one reminds me more of GTA games, only in first person view.

I liked both, but in the end maybe I appreciate FC2 a bit more. The first one has much better music though, one of the best game theme music I've ever heard.

I guess both games have flaws (first one has mutants and ultra-perceptive enemies, second has a game-y way of respawning enemies, etc.), but at least I could still really enjoy both. I would get both.