Far Cry 2/The Lost and Damned

I'm about halfway through the GTA 4 DLC expansion "The Lost and Damned", and Far Cry 2.

I started Far Cry 2 two week before The Lost and Damned was released so I could complete and get it out of the way, but to be honest I've struggled a bit, hence why I'mplaying both at the same time. The problem I found with Far Cry 2 is that there's not much of game there.

Technically it's astonishing. It really looks and sounds like you're roaming across the plains of Africa, and the weather (although not real time) is marvellously well implemented. The fire effect, too, is unlike anything I've seen in a game before. The AI is a bit dumb and buggy and as a consequence ruins the illusion slightly, but the big problem I've found so far is the lack of game. It feels more like a tech demo than a game to me.

The small towns, settlements, guard posts and open plains are very realistic, but I wonder how much input the design team had in the environment. It feels like realism was favoured over fun, but I suppose videogames have been going that way for some time now.

That said, I am only hafway through so maybe I'll feel differently when (if) I manage to finish.