I don't know why Far Cry 2 is getting a bad rap. I've been playing it for the past 4 hours and I must say that as good as FarCry was Far Cry 2 is way better. Of course the Graphics are amazing (I was playing it on High and had no hiccups, but then again I'm running it on an 8800GTX).
The game itself only has the title in common with it's predecessor. It's kind of like GTA in that you can go around the map and take jobs. Currency is in African Blood Diamonds. One thing I've really liked about this game is that after the initial load time, there are no loading screens. There is no stopping from going from the outside to the inside of a building.
I'll edit this post after more playing time.