Gaming
Games
Far Cry - From Past to Present
A short recap on one of gaming’s most popular franchises
Whether you heard about it from the leaks or Sunday’s Ubisoft Forward reveal, its official - Far Cry 6 is coming. The ninth major title in the well-known series lands February 18th 2021 and is still generating plenty of hype for a now 16-year old gaming franchise. It got me thinking - Far Cry has come a long way since its roots, with all of us having our different favourites, so I figured a little retrospective was in order. We’ll take a look at the games from then and now, what worked and what didn’t, and what we can probably expect will await us for the future.
Far Cry 6
© Stevivor
Let’s dial things back to March 2004. Far Cry released for PC and was met with immediate positive acclaim, praising the stunning visuals (for its time) as well as the gameplay that was offered in the newly-designed CryEngine. This was designed by Crytek specifically for the game and included the dynamic AI system that made enemies react more realistically to player actions. The game also kicked off what Far Cry is well-known for at this point, that being its lush, tropical settings. It performed well commercially, becoming a financial success and securing the way for sequels to come. After a couple of iffy spin-off console releases, Ubisoft finally published Far Cry 2 in 2008, and fire propagation was never the same again (I’m kidding, but also not really). The game was a large departure from the first, moving over to a Central African setting with a mixture of savannas and jungles, as well as opening the world up to become what remained as Far Cry’s open-world formula. While the game performed well critically, it polarised some fans due to writing changes and certain game mechanics and difficulty, such as the ever-annoying malaria your character could become infected with. Far Cry 2 took realism to the next level, and while it worked for some, it really missed the mark with others.
No, malaria isn't fun
© USgamer
In 2012, Ubisoft took a step back from that approach and introduced what many consider to be the best game in the series. Far Cry 3 returned to the dense tropical setting that was so loved in the first, but added on the technological improvements to the open-world, a pretty solid line-up of characters, and one of gaming’s most iconic modern villains- Vaas Montenegro. The emphasis on storytelling whilst maintaining tight, fun gameplay played a big part in making Far Cry 3 the success it came to be. Its spin-off, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, only rode that wave further, becoming a fan-favourite with its wacky 80’s action theme and even less of a serious tone- something that became more and more prevalent in the franchise’s future. Far Cry 4 arrived soon after in 2014, and while it had more of that solid gameplay, gorgeous world design, and a convincing antagonist in Pagan Min, it seemed like the world was starting to tire of the Far Cry formula just a little. More of the same is what it was often written off as, which is a bit sad considering its up there as one of the series’ stronger titles. Far Cry: Primal didn’t help that narrative- despite the stark change in timelines and setting, series critics just weren’t feeling convinced that Far Cry had much juice left in the tank.
Far Cry New Dawn
© The Verge
Then 2018 arrived, and with it came Far Cry 5- a slightly new take on the traditional formula. Set in the fields and woods of the USA, your now nameless and voiceless protagonist (that you design yourself) was tasked with taking on a cult lead by Joseph Seed and his family. I personally had loads of fun with this particular game, but it was evident that it wouldn’t do much to change your mind if you already doubted the series. The game had a freeform story approach, letting you take on mini-bosses in your own sequence, and embraced the silliness with its NPC’s and companion systems. It wasn’t a game to be taken seriously, it was a fun joyride- but understandably not hitting narrative heights. I’ll barely touch on 2019’s Far Cry: New Dawn since myself and many other fans consider it to be a shallow continuation of FC5’s story that didn’t really need to happen- it had some cool easter eggs sure, but also had some of the worst villains in Far Cry history as well as very little change in gameplay. It was alright, but its reason for existing is hard to justify. At least it was pretty.
So, where does that leave us with Far Cry 6? After a journey over 16 years featuring multiple highs and lows, lots of lessons learned and mistakes made, the potential is there for FC6 to shape up into a stellar title. Convincing, charismatic villains are key to Far Cry games and they’re off to a good start here- Giancarlo Esposito (of Breaking Bad/Mandalorian fame) portrays dictator Anton Castillo and is already receiving glowing responses, so that box should be checked. It also seems we’ll be playing a named protagonist (male or female), so with voice acting, this could be a step in the right direction. Once again, it is set on a Caribbean island, which is where most believe the series shines- so that’s three-for-three already. The cinematic reveal trailer has put high expectations in everyone’s minds, so let’s hope they can deliver here. Far Cry has the potential to be an industry heavyweight. Its shown that it can nail various aspects that make the single-player experience a great one- all it needs to do is marry them into one contained offering and prove that Far Cry 3 wasn’t the greatest height it was capable of reaching.
