Ubisoft’s latest instalment in the Far Cry series drops tomorrow (written on March 26th) and we’re reyt excited to see what’s in store for us. To tide you over until you get your mitts on a copy, we’ve put together a little taster of what you can expect from Far Cry 5.
Setting
The series has become synonymous with the idea of exotic locations, whether it’s the lush ‘paradise’ of three or the expansive Himalayan Mountains of four, Far Cry has given us many a beautiful landscape to explore. The fifth however swaps the mysterious other-worldly destinations in favour of a more familiar setting, the fictional region of Hope County in modern-day Montana, on the frontier of the United States.
Don’t worry though, this rural town may look like the American dream, but it’s just as brutal and unpredictable as any island of lunatics – complete with a twisted doomsday cult and not too cuddly bears, eager to ruin your day. But the new map looks gorgeous from every quaint piece of farmland and remote valley to the sprawling lakes and towering mountains, previous games have given us exquisite playgrounds to get lost in, and this one looks to continue the trend.
Plot
But it’s not all pretty views and scenery. In Hope County, a charismatic yet radical preacher has risen to power using his ‘congregation’ (or militia, depending on how you look it at) to forcibly convert residents to his teachings, using violence and fear to deter locals from calling for outside help. Leader Joseph Seed has been chosen (or so he says) to protect the citizens of Montana from the ‘inevitable collapse’ and he along with his family serve as the games main antagonists. The story isn’t pulling any punches in dealing with, shall we say, ‘current’ topics in terms of ideologies taken to the absolute extreme, with clear religious concepts and separatist themes.
Ubi seems to have had a knack for creating captivating villains ever since the introduction of the psychotic Vaas in Far Cry 3, but although Seed is definitely a few bevvies short of a six-pack, he’s certainly not all foam and no beer. He’s a complicated character, who has very real and very understandable motivations for the horrible things he is doing, which is what makes him so dangerous and close to home. You enter the fray in the shoes of an unnamed deputy sheriff tasked with arresting Seed; who has now given himself the understated title of ‘The Father’.
Gameplay
The Far Cry formula is tried and tested at this point, and we don’t expect the new release to reinvent the wheel as far as open-world games go, but it’s sure to be blast nonetheless. The standard selection of weaponry will be offer, including assault rifles, SMG’s and Shotguns; as well as some impressive explosives to give your buck a bit of bang. Similar to the old faithful, the world will be littered with compounds for you to infiltrate. The action gives you the freedom to approach a fight in any way you see fit; the more cautious of you can grab a sniper and inflict damage from the safety of your nest, the resourceful (or sadistic) can get up-close and personal with a knife, or the clumsy (such as myself) can run in guns-blazing and improvise as things spiral out of control.
Reminiscent of the ‘Guns For Hire’ system in Far Cry 4, players can bring back-up in the form of companions who have a skill-set which compliment your varying play styles. For example; Nick Rye can fly over you in his personal plane offering strafing runs and bombings, or, my personal favourite, Boomer: the fangs for hire (and good boy) can distract enemies as well as scout an area.
The usual vehicles will be scattered about for you to tear your way across Montana, but the introduction of fly-able planes is a first for the series; and offers the possibility of dog fights – which will never, ever not be fun!
Far Cry 5 releases on 27 March on PS4, Xbox One and PC. Keep your eyes peeled for our review, coming soon!
