Overall a great addition to the Far Cry franchise, with smooth gunplay, an interesting story line, and a fantastic soundtrack.
Taking players on exotic journeys is what Ubisoft does best, but this time gamers will go on a little field trip that’s closer to home. Taking the insanity that defined previous installments, we go to Hope County, Montana to experience an atmosphere that captures the unnatural essence that’s beyond us.
Storyline
We play as a rookie Deputy that is tasked alongside his team to arrest self-professed prophet Joseph Seed. Seed’s a charismatic leader that leads The Project of Edens Gate and is confident that the apocalypse is near. The game opens up with an incredible opening scene that only Far Cry knows best. The tone is set up beautifully that shows that John Seed is an unnatural force from beyond. To further spread the “holy word” Joseph is accompanied by his Lieutenants John, Jacob and Faith Seed. Each is taking their role to enforce the beliefs of the cult.
As the story unfolds, we see that Joseph Seed truly believes that what he is doing is holy in the eyes of God and make one reconsider whether or not one has the right to interrupt this mans beliefs. Each character is not as disciplined as their leader which in turn reveals what indeed makes them tick.
The Story is concise enough that it keeps the player engaged on what will happen next. Politics is not at the forefront here but the cult’s beliefs. Insanity, religion, morality, and tragedy are what hold together the story which grips you to the very end. Far Cry captures the feeling of something uncanny that is always lurking on the shoulders of those who see the truth. The game also has a bold ending that allows the game to stand above the rest. There is no hope for those who do not believe.
Gameplay
The mechanics for Far Cry 5 such as the gunplay, exploration, vehicle handling and interaction with the world in general, run smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed gunplay because of level design and difficulty. AI response is exceptional during firefights, however, sneaking to take out cult outposts is a bit frustrating.
Customizable weapons such as silenced pistols and rifles were at times useless because enemies quickly find your position. There isn’t much of a selection of weapons to choose from which only included a count of 6 or so weapons for categories such as rifles, pistols, and rockets. Different weaponry within categories handled the similarly except for sniper rifles that had automatic and bolt-action functions.
Exploration of the world is fantastic and rewarding. Talking to characters in a liberated outpost, out in the world, or during main campgrounds reveals new side mission that one can tackle. All these characters are expertly interwoven with every single personality connecting within the main story. To help in this wild journey, we have guns for hire and animal buddies. Boomer the dog scouts the area to see enemies beforehand,
Cheeseburger the Bear is, in essence, a living tank and peaches the cougar who is pure a wild beast. Many activities can be done like fishing and hunting which gives the player a bit of time to take a breather from The Project of Edens Gate. There are so many over the top moments that provide the title with its signature Far Cry feel but its the stark contrast with what the main story is portraying.
Sound
I can’t stress enough how much Far Cry 5’s soundtrack elevates this game. With his expertise in film, Dan Romer captures the creepy, dark, pseudo-religious and blissful feel that is Far Cry 5. During gameplay drums pound to give you a sense of urgency that the fight is blazing. When traveling inside a cult members vehicle, you hear the religious sounding music that cultivates the faith of cult members. Each region has different styles of music such as John Seed’s region being the bare bones of vocals and acoustic guitar and Josephs being a post-rock sound. Stand out tracks are the individual loading screens of every section which all have a calming religious nature. All tracks are genuinely captivating that sell the world of Far Cry 5.
Replayability
There are so many things to do in Far Cry 5 that are joyfully distracting. Once you move on, however, it is effortless to leave many side mission undone, and it is very tempting to return and complete theme. All side missions do revolve around the main story, so the essence of taking out cult members feels pointless upon completion of the game. There are animals to hunt and a world to explore, but a stand out mode is the Far Cry Arcade. I didn’t dive into it, but this mode grants you to create wild levels and share them online. For those creative minds, this is something to check out. DLC will be coming soon for Far Cry 5 which include adventures in Vietnam, Mars and a world filled with zombies.
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Mario Bertrand
Mario's an individual who appreciates the craft of video games as a form of art. This art has become the catalyst of obtaining his dreams in music and video games. Being a nerd till the end of time, he will always expand his horizons by diving headfirst into new types of music, film, TV, anime, manga, and even comics. As long as its entertaining he'll take it, with a grain of salt of course.
