REVIEW: Far Cry 4

My first experience with the Far Cry series was the third game, which I grabbed on the Xbox 360. I went into that game with little or no familiarity and so no expectations. I was blown away at the time, both by the scale and the depth of storyline. As a result I watched the development of Far Cry 4 with great interest. As the game production moved on, it became clear that the size and scale of the game had been ramped up massively to take advantage of the new hardware.

At the same time, the previews and info started to cause me some concerns. For all the updated graphics and new features, Far Cry 4 was looking a lot like its predecessor in terms of tone and style. I started to wonder if I was only really looking at a slight update on the previous incarnations rather than an amazing new title. Nevertheless Far Cry 3 was good enough that I was willing to dive into the fourth outing and give it a chance.

So the question is: Is Far Cry 4 a brilliant and unique new title?

And the answer is… yes and no. This game is evolution, not revolution for the Far Cry franchise and it is at times very similar to the titles that came before. Having said that, it’s no small evolution; This latest title improves on the mechanics and features in every way, as well as providing a broad range of new ones of each.

The plot is going to ring a few bells with fans of the series, seeing a Westerner thrown into a remote Far-Eastern setting which features a raging civil war in hostile territory. However rather than being an adrenaline-chasing city boy who’s survival instinct somehow gives him the stealth and combat skills of the Predator, our new protagonist (AJ Gale) is actually the son of a Kyrati national, returning to the remote island of Kyrat to scatter his mother’s ashes.

In a playable prologue (now staple fare for Ubisoft) we get introduced to both AJ and the main Villain of the piece; Pagan Min. Min is a perfect baddie, equal parts psychotic, polite, sociopathic, hilarious and terrifying.

It becomes apparent that your father was linked with the rebel army in the area (the Golden Path) before being killed in mysterious circumstances. Your goal then becomes to join the Golden Path and fight Pagan and his army across the whole island. That mission is made more complicated by the fact that the two leaders of the Golden Path have very different methods and goals, and your game will be shaped by which you support and which missions you choose to take.

The map is huge and densely populated. You are presented with rich and varied selection of missions. You’ll travel all over the island for the main story, but will also be given a wide variety of side missions, instances and just a general option to explore and collect.

There are a number of different characters dotted around the place for you to find and interact with, and they will send you on chemical trips, arms deals or even to Shangri-La. You also have the option to track down masks, tear down propaganda, free outposts and …yes… capture towers to unlock areas of the map. You can also pick up various minimissions around the map, like assassinations or revenge attacks (which are actually remarkably similar…)

The vehicle count has been massively upped now, so that you have a number of options to traverse land, sea and air. Cars and vans; boats, jetskis and hovercraft; Hang gliders and minigyros. You will use these to get around quicker, but mostly to avoid the insane amount of deadly wildlife that can be found in every bush and field. Elephants and Rhinos, tigers and leopards, eagles and BLOODY HONEY BADGERS.

The animals aren’t just there to be hunted (their skins can be used to craft items like loot bags, wallets and ammo pouches). They are a living part of the environment. Of course if nature isn’t acting the way you want it to, you can always use bait to help persuade them to go where you need them.

A gunfight can change in an instant when it’s interrupted by a tiger or a pack of wolves. On more than one occasion I found myself high on a cliff, hidden in a bush and carefully lining up the crosshairs of a sniper scope. I was ready to take the shot when my surround sound delivered to me the warcry of an angry badger to my immediate left… and in a moment everything went to shit. A carefully planned assault became a scream-filled chase through a group of (admittedly surprised) enemy soldiers.

Your character’s skills are customisable and upgradable by spending XP points, so you can chose to improve your combat, stealth, crafting and more. There is also an inordinate number of weapons to collect and customise, some of which need to be unlocked through game progression. You can customise your loadout to complement your play style, whether its sneaking, run’n’gun or all out demolition.

Co-Op returns in Far Cry 4, but in a much more open and full style. Now you can join someone else’s game mid-session, to help with a fortress assault, or just for a wing-suit race. You bring with you all your weapons and your character progress, so it feel much more like genuine coop gameplay, rather than the limited hoard missions of previous titles. What you can’t do once one of your friends joins your game is actually progress the main story. You can undertake assassinations and hunts as much as you want, but you cant move the plot on at all. It’s a shame because it would be a lot of fun to run through the whole campaign with a friend. It isn’t a major problem tho, and the coop is great fun.

There is also a deathmatch mode (up to 5v5) including three game modes and a map editor. Unfortunately it’s almost impossible to find a game, even with the minimum number of players. I suspect this is more due to the recent influx of shooters (CoD:AW, Halo MCC and more….) than a comment on the multiplayer, as it is basic, but works well enough.

Far Cry 4 is a great game, and is well above the standard of other recent Ubisoft titles that have hurt their reputation a little. However, it can at times feel a little too much like more of the same we’ve had before. Even then, the strength of the writing, characters and voice acting still keep the game fresh and push you to keep playing.

In summary, Far Cry 4 doesn’t break any moulds or tread any new territory, but what it does, it does well. It improves on its predecessors in every way and if you liked the previous titles or exploration shooters (like the most recent Tomb Raider) this may even be a must-have.

^HooksaN