Far Cry 2 is a 2008 first-person shooter developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. A top-down shooter version for mobile phones was developed and published by Gameloft. It is the second mainline entry in the Far Cry series. Set in a fictional African country engulfed in civil war, the storyline follows a mercenary who is assigned to kill the Jackal, a weapons dealer inflaming the conflict. The player navigates the open world, completing missions for factions and allies called Buddies while managing their health and equipment. A competitive multiplayer mode allows players to fight in teams or as individuals. Production took three and a half years, with concept work beginning during the production of Far Cry Instincts (2005). Director Clint Hocking conceived the setting and design, which he wanted to be more realistic than the original Far Cry (2004). The narrative and tone, inspired by Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness and Dashiell Hammett's novel Red Harvest, focused on the lengths to which people would go to survive through terrible circumstances. The game was built using Dunia, a game engine created by Ubisoft based on the original game's CryEngine. In pursuit of realism, the developers added real-time and reactive elements for enemies and the environment. The music, composed by Marc Canham, includes vocals by Senegalese singer Baaba Maal. Far Cry 2 received positive reviews from critics, with praise for its setting, open-ended gameplay, Buddies, world design and visuals; however, its writing, artificial intelligence and technical issues received negative attention. It received multiple game award nominations. By January 2009, the game had sold nearly three million copies worldwide. Far Cry 2 has continued to receive attention for its ambition and survival mechanics. The team used feedback from the game to develop Far Cry 3 (2012).