The Far Cry series has certainly had a bizarre yet wonderfully diverse and exotic history. From fighting off wildfire and malaria, necking back shots with your ‘bros’ and getting gnarly sleeve tattoos, embracing neon and cyberpunk in Blood Dragon, then most recently, venturing through the cultural Himalayan mountains and riding elephants.
Quite the journey, right? Well that is perhaps why skepticism arose after the announcement that Far Cry 5 would put you in the shoes of a sheriff’s deputy in fictional Hope County, Montana. A county battling through a war of hate, embodied in a right wing religious cult taking the law into their own ‘enlightened’ hands. Though this may seem like a commentary on very real political issues in the world, the game doesn’t lose its humorous and goofy charm, and it certainly delivers an experience any Far Cry fan would expect.
Far Cry 5 sets up a brutal religious overtone, that for better or worse it doesn’t deliver on. Hope County is still a tremendously fun sandbox to explore though.
For the first time ever, Far Cry 5 lets you create a protagonist, shaped in your image. The creation tool is rather basic, but you can play as a female for the entire game which is a nice change. The biggest downside to creating a character for your adventures down in Hope County is that you never actually get to see them. You will spend 30+ hours with a brilliant view of their hands and forearms, but not much else, and it makes dropping a few thousand on a snazzy new outfit a tad pointless when the only people who can appreciate your new look are the murderous cultists. Though there are occasional wanted posters dotted around Hope County, which will feature a headshot of your character in their latest attire; and you will also get a good look at your hero whenever you are killed or blown up, as the hilarious rag-doll physics entertain you with 15 seconds of a black and white, slow-mo shot of the deputy soaring through the air.
Far Cry 5 dramatises the introductory moments in quite a ghastly way, feeling more akin to Outlast 2 than Far Cry, you may feel certain that you have buckled up for one of the most potent social commentaries on hate, religion and politics in our modern world, but for better or worse the game doesn’t really deliver on that opening. Apart from the occasional gruesome cutscene and snide dig at nameless political figures, Far Cry delivers on what it does best, open world chaos. Joseph Seed, the game’s primary antagonist, does deliver a chilling performance, made all the creepier when he is backed up by his family of fanatics, providing for a diverse and all-round entertaining roster.
Hope County is a luscious playground full of quests, wildlife, and mad cultists.
Hope County is split into 3 expansive areas, each ruled by one of Joseph Seed’s tyrannous siblings. Free captives, blow up trucks or armoured convoys and, of course, liberate outposts. Once you begin causing a raucous in an area, that sibling will eventually try to stop you, with an exhaustive list of death crews, gun runs in planes and ‘bliss’ darts to knock you out to take you back to their leader. This can sometimes be quite intrusive, especially when you are trying to enjoy some side missions or perhaps a spot of fishing, then suddenly a small army turn up and really turn up the heat. This is where Far Cry flexes its muscles and feels significantly harder than previous instalments. You will die a lot, but at least you can then look at your cool character outfits, right?
This spike in difficultly is easily combatted with the plethora of allies you have at your disposal in game. A giant bear, a literal cougar and a truly ‘good boy’ called Boomer can be called upon at any time you want. This is before the diverse range of mission specific buddies you can unlock, such as a bad-ass with a sniper and a red-neck with a plane. You can also call upon almost any Hope County local to fight by your side, and they even have unlock-able perks to boot. You will slowly claw your way towards an area boss, with satisfying destruction of cult property and taking back the towns and homes that the locals had taken away from them, while a progress meter tracks how much closer you are to forcing the leader to meet their maker.
Some areas stand out more than others, Faith Seed’s area certainly stood out for its use of the hallucinogenic ‘bliss’, creating some really warped moments.
Hope County is a beautiful rendering of some of Montana’s most picturesque scenery. Each area provides for a slightly different lay of land in which you can enact your deputy’s duties, and the world constantly feels alive with an abundance of fires, wildlife attacks and cultist kerfuffles. A healthy variety of guns and weapons, accompanied with an abundance of vehicles, spanning the roads, rivers and skies mean you have almost everything imaginable at your disposal. The shooting feels great, and though the game doesn’t always provide ways for a satisfying stealth attack on an outpost, it is always fun to go loud and let loose some of your arsenal. The gameplay does get sometimes get repetitive, but the diverse range of missions should keep you entertained.
Series staples, such as crafting and perks, are still here, albeit in a slightly different fashion. There is less of an emphasis on crafting, so you won’t spend hours collecting herbs, leaves and hides for a new back-pack. Instead road signs will indicate where you can find certain animals in order to collect perks points and sell their hides for cash, and herbs will allow you to craft medicinal items. Perk points can be earned from killing certain animals, completing challenges, working with the residents of Hope County or found in secret stashes. This perks system lets you invest your points into the play style you want, perks should stand out to you as a must-have for your type of play style, then simply complete a few challenges and you’re golden.
Far Cry is as bonkers as ever, you will consistently be laughing at the crazy ways in which this world comes together.
Stashes are littered around Hope County and can be found either by word of mouth from citizens you have saved from the cultists, or just from exploring the world. Each stash will contain some money, maybe a weapon, some magazines to sell and some perk points. These stashes will range from a basic shed you can simply walk into, a full on animated haunted house, or a series of locks and secret doors to reveal a bad-ass 4×4 hidden away somewhere. Seemingly like mini treasure hunts, they are a neat little break between the missions and exploration, and more often than not you will fill your map up with the little icons, before you then stumble across them in the wild.
Accompanying you throughout this mission to restore order in Montana, you will definitely note a strong musical presence in the game, more so than previous Far Cry games. Whether it be classic rock ‘n’ roll bangers that will make your erratic driving down a tight country road seem more intense, country songs that will leave your toe tapping as you put the pedal to the medal or the in-game religious soundtrack that will hauntingly draw you in to singing along. The original soundtrack sung by gospel singers really sets the tone when you’re messing around in Far Cry, it is angelic to hear, but then you remember what exactly the cultists are doing to these people. I can’t lie, however, after a few of the gospel songs I had seriously considered joining their musical cause.
Far Cry can be played through to completion entirely in co-op, so it’s just you, your friends, and a giant bear called Cheeseburger.
This is the first game in the series to offer immersive co-operative action from start to finish, and it is honestly the best way to play through Far Cry 5. We can definitely see this becoming a staple for the franchise going forward, because everything mentioned in the review thus far, is double as fun with friends. It is important to note, however, that the player joining your game will not receive any of the completion bonuses, and so will have to do it all again back in their own game. If you don’t have friends that are ready to blast through the game in co-op, just link up with any of the in-game buddies and characters, even if it is just a random NPC you met in a bar, they will have your back at all times and it will still enhance your experience with the game.
Another new addition to the series is Far Cry Arcade, a separate mode accessible from posters and arcade machines in me, but also from the main menu. Pitched as a means to create missions, shoot your way through your friend’s or the community’s best levels, and just let your creativity run wild, it certainly feels like an after thought. It feels as though Ubisoft expected the community to take to this mode, like a fire in any Far Cry bush, and run with it. The mechanics and controls at your disposal to create these levels is ample enough, but a lack of interesting textures and various other tools at your disposal make Far Cry Arcade feel like a great idea thrown into the mix at too late a stage. We have no doubt the community ‘will make it great again’, but for now it is a disappointment.
While Far Cry arcade is not quite there yet, it has laid the groundwork for what could become a stellar game mode for creations and extra play-time.
Our Verdict:
Far Cry 5 is a familiar recipe, albeit served up in a slightly different dish. The ingredients are all there, including a sprinkle of Blood Dragon mixed in, as Far Cry 5 delivers up everything you have come to expect from the series, but this time in America’s backyard.
Far Cry delivers an unforgettable ending with chaos, laughs and tremendous fun to be had along the way. It is a joyous experience, brimming with entertaining missions and enjoyable gameplay. Though the game can sometimes feel repetitive, Far Cry 5 maintains the series’ hook and takes it into a new exciting environment full of vehicles, buddies and pure madness.
Have you had a chance to play Far Cry 5? What are your thoughts on the game? Let us know in the comments below, and be sure to like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter. Until next time.
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Far Cry 5
The Good
- Co-op fun
- Vast open-world to explore
- Gameplay had me gripped
The Bad
- Sets up a theme that ultimately falls flat
- Far Cry Arcade has promise but is currently disappointing