Far Cry 5 Review: A Satisfying Adventure In The Sticks

Far Cry 5 Review 

Ubisoft

Ubisoft’s FPS survival franchise ‘Far Cry’ has been in the forefront of gaming since it blew us away in 2004 with a large emphasis on exploration, allowing players to explore wild landscapes and tackle missions with their leisure. In the later years, it became a household name with various sequels taking us to groundbreaking locals including Pacific islands, Himalayas and Africa. I have always enjoyed these titles immensely because they transported me into crazy situations on beautiful landscapes without the price of a real flight but it's been a wild, bumpy ride for fans with spin-off Far Cry: Primal not hitting right nerves, with strange mechanics and a less than an impactful story.

Ubisoft’s next entry is looking to shake things up with a western setting, pushing us into Hope County which is led by cult leader Joseph Seed (another wild villain). An entirely recreated version of the famous All-American country, allowing players to delve into fishing and other pastimes. Far Cry 5 succeeds in making an open-world that feels immersive, with day circles and random battles which transports the player into Hope County.

At the beginning of Far Cry 5, players create their rookie cop who is sent to Hope Country with a warrant on Joseph Seed, leader of the Christian Eden’s Gate cult, for his arrest. Who has acquired much power and one heck of a following in Hope County, Montana, that not only has been accused of kidnapping but murder as well? But, in evident in typical 'Far Cry' fashion everything goes wrong, and you become stranded within Hope Country relying on friendships to defeat each member of the seed cult. All who follow The Father's twisted religious beliefs, and views on the current American climate.

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This might sound like heavy writing to many, but Ubisoft pulls it out the park making audiences rethink decisions with incredible lessons about sin. The bosses all each bring about their unique characteristics, making players hate their views from vastly distinct reasons. Being crazy and disturbed is just the tip of the iceberg. They can and will be their self-contained campaign. Each one of the bosses, questions your killing sprees and hatred for the family - making the gameplay directed linked to their personalities. Their insanity makes for some great dialogue sequences, parallel to Vaas in Far Cry 3 who broke into new territory for a video game.

It never comes across preachy and unearned, with comedy balanced throughout the dark tone, structured similarly to (arguably) best game in the series Far Cry 3 with few breaks in-between. Making for a substantial storytelling experience, which should stand amongst the brilliant events in prior games. Hope Country glitters with wacky personalities, which all offer varied missions from taming wolves to collecting cow testicles for a festival. Ubisoft Montreal makes sure that players can experience tasks at their own pace, taking various elements from the favorite Ghost Recon: Wildlands - with each side mission leading towards one big boss showdown.

Far Cry 5 gets rid of the mini-map, in favor of player exploration allowing their fully realized setting to be unlocked through progression. These elements make you feel like a citizen instead of tourists, with the sights all having unique character traits from the Rocky Mountains to farmland. Throughout the map, you can find cult hideouts, which contain rare items that require players to complete small puzzles with the in-game mechanics. I love these as they split me away from the frantic gun battles and car chases, reminding me heavily of the Watch_Dogs 2 building hacking missions. Outposts return but do not disrupt in-game progression, instead allow you to experience the neat gunplay and conventional stealth techniques in small encounters.

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Hope County is split up into three sections with each one being controlled by Joseph Seed’s family. These areas will have separate allies that call Montana home and have vendettas with the Seed family. During your adventure, you'll discover that many citizens have issues which all are linked to the cult. Allowing for some original missions, which lead you in exploring the beautiful but dangerous Montana.

Companions return from Far Cry 2, with each having different attributes some have guns or claws with the most interesting being animals which can aid you in combat. These are apparent additions to support players attempting to clear out Hope County alone, without the help of a co-op partner (you play Far Cry 5 with friends). I did not have time to give the co-op features a check, but buddies can team up throughout the 25-hour campaign and defeat cult members in style.

The world building tool also returns in Far Cry Aracde, a fancy renaming of map editor for Far Cry 5. What was a series staple since Far Cry 2, disappeared for Far Cry 4 and Far Cry Primal, but now makes a triumphant return. Allowing for gamers to experience community created maps, with the various asset from Far Cry 5 and other Ubisoft titles - delivering another several hour of gameplay. Levels can be violence free with most of my fun, being felt in the upside-down maze levels created by the good folks at Ubisoft.

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All in, Far Cry 5 does not change the genre, in fact, embraces what made it a favorite series with the audience creating their adventure within beautiful surroundings. The story is engaging and questions the player's choices, with solid villains that do not feel like cookie cut bad guys. But without a doubt the most significant entry in series history, with an intriguing story filled with twists and substantial gameplay additions.

Many, people might dislike the massive landscapes and often repetitive pace, but long-term fans will respect the attention to detail and revival of older mechanics. It doesn't reinvent the wheel but instead brings all the franchises best offerings in one all-American package, with hours of high content that should last us several years. Hope County is a picturesque location, filled with some impressive vistas and characters. Ubisoft Montreal did the series justice, making Far Cry great again.

Far Cry 5 releases tomorrow, March 27, 2018.