This time around you play as a sheriff’s deputy, part of a task force sent into the fictional Hope County, Montana. Rural America may not be quite as exotic or exciting a playground as a tropical island or a secluded mountain, but it’s a gigantic open world where things are constantly blowing up, wild animals are pouncing, and a never-ending supply of cultists are lining up to be your target practice. The mountains, valleys, plains, forests, rivers, lakes, and caves of Hope County make it a place where there’s never a dull moment.
With all of that scenery and action, Far Cry 5 is a nice-looking game, but it isn’t on the same level as, say, Horizon: Zero Dawn. Even comparing it to another recent open-world Ubisoft game, it’s not quite as attractive as Assassin’s Creed Origins. It’s generally good enough, but I was sometimes distracted by the pop-in caused by the density of the landscape. Even on the PS4 Pro, it’s hard not to notice all the magically appearing trees as you stroll through the wilderness. In fact, other than resolution on a 4K TV, there isn’t a stark difference between the PS4 and the Pro at all.
You can also count the number of unique cultist goon faces on one hand, so expect to be shooting the same faces over and over. Rounding out my technical complaints would be long load times – upwards of 60 seconds – on both PS4 and PS4 Pro, a couple glitched missions I had to restart, and the one time Far Cry 5 completely froze on me.
This dark corner of Montana is controlled by a man named Joseph Seed, a zealot leader who hasn’t left quite the same impression on me that Vaas or Pagan Min did in the previous two Far Cry games. He doesn’t have any particularly memorable lines, and his motivation for wanting to end the world is murky. But the story ends up in an unforgettable place, making this an open-world adventure that is worth seeing through to completion.
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I like that, for the first time in a Far Cry game, you can choose between a male or female protagonist and do some light customization. Alas, it’s merely a cosmetic decision, as either way your character will be mute (so there’s no custom voice acting) and most people will refer to you as “The Deputy.” And for a series as bonkers as Far Cry, the customization options here are a little conservative. You unlock more as you progress, so it’s not as dire as it initially appears, but they are few and far between and rarely much more than a shirt or jeans. The one exception is a Far Cry Primal-style caveman/woman outfit, which is fun – I wanted to see more of that. But this being a first-person game, you won’t see much of yourself in the campaign anyway... unless you die a lot.
While most of the original soundtrack is the pretty standard action movie stuff you might hear in an episode of 24, the menu music is a very pleasant bit of acoustic Americana that I would listen to even if I weren’t playing. There are also a few original gospel songs sung by the cult choir that are both catchy and creepy.
Now, is Far Cry 5 an especially political game? I don’t think so. There are a few things you can point to as commentary on rural America’s relationship with guns and the Second Amendment, and I’ve encountered one character who is a satire of a stereotypical Trump supporter (he has a mission called Make Hope Great Again). But the story doesn’t seem to be making any grand statement about current events or political ideologies. The vibe is more like an ‘80s action movie that happens to be set in a conservative state. Rural America isn’t being ridiculed or laughed at here. Instead of leaning on stereotypes, the people you encounter are well-written, and most are charismatic and funny.
That story takes place on an open-world map that, in true Ubisoft fashion, is packed with so much to find and so much happening at any given time it’s easy to get distracted from the mission at hand. That’s not a complaint – I like games with big possibility spaces. One of my funniest moments was when I rescued a woman being held hostage by the cult and, just as she was thanking me, a wolverine jumped on her face out of nowhere and mauled her to death. Hey, I tried.
To complement the combat, some light environmental puzzle solving is required to find lucrative treasure stashes. On one of these sidequests, called Long Shot Lockpick, the goods are locked away in a shed high up on stilts overlooking a lake. The name of the quest is the clue, and after swimming to the other side of the lake you’ll find a sniper perch placed just right for peering through a back window in the shed at the lock which can be shot off, providing you access. It’s not The Witness, but these simple challenges allow for quiet moments of thought amidst all the chaos.
While Far Cry’s emergent gameplay recipe remains addictive, there is a certain amount of sameness to it. The tasks required of you, the weapons at your disposal, and the now-cliche supernatural dream sequences are all so similar to Far Cry 3 and 4 that there isn’t much by way of surprises in store. It’s still a blast to play, and the brutal combat remains ever so satisfying no matter where you are (thanks in part to the amusingly unrealistic ragdoll death animations) but Far Cry 5 doesn’t feel like a revelation because it doesn’t do a lot to set itself apart.
The structure of the main quest is a little different, in that in order to get to Joseph Seed you need to draw out and eliminate his three lieutenants (his siblings) first. Each rules over their own area of Hope County, and to get to them you’ll need to build up Resistance Points by liberating outposts, freeing captives, and otherwise killing their vibe. It’s a fun progression system that gives you a constant visual cue of the progress you’re making as you watch that resistance meter slowly fill. It also provides a very “video game” path through several bosses on your way to the final boss. Hope County is truly open, and you can make your way through the three different areas and bosses in any order you like.
The four cult leaders all have unique personalities and recruitment tactics, and make for perfectly suitable villains. Faith Seed, the one female boss, is probably the most interesting, as she employs a drug called Bliss to cause hallucinations in her victims, and those end up being some of the most visually interesting moments in Far Cry 5. Jacob Seed also won me over by the end of his arc. He’s an ex-soldier who doesn’t necessarily believe his leader actually talks to God, but who is happy to cull the herd and exterminate anyone he sees as weak. But I don’t expect any of these leaders will end up being remembered like Far Cry 3’s Vaas still is today as they’re not that visually interesting and, while much of the writing is good, the villains don’t have any real quotable zingers.
Another significant change is that while Far Cry has always been – and still is – primarily about playing as a one-man (or woman) army, here you spend less time alone than in previous games. There are more NPC allies to meet, all of whom are well-written and acted. My favorite is a bazooka-toting country boy named Hurk whose look is almost certainly inspired by Kenny Powers, and he is straight up hilarious – one of the funniest video game characters in a while. He actually appeared in Far Cry 3 and 4 as a pre-order bonus character and DLC, respectively, but it’s great to see him integrated into the main game this time.
Then there’s the Gun for Hire system, which allows for both companionship and new combat possibilities. Nine different Specialists can be recruited, offering assistance in the form of air support, sniper shots from a distance, or even animals that will hunt and terrorize your enemies for you. For example, when you disrupt an enemy area enough, its boss will send planes to search for and destroy you, and that can be pretty annoying when you’re trying to sneak into an outpost. But when you recruit pilot Nick Rye to your side, he’ll follow you wherever you go in his plane and automatically attack who you attack, and can be ordered to shoot down enemy planes. Pretty handy.
I like how the crafting system is still here, but toned down somewhat so that you won’t spend nearly as much time tediously gathering leaves and branches. Similarly, hunting is also downplayed because now animal skins aren’t the required resources used to upgrade equipment. Instead, you earn Perk Points by completing challenges like getting a certain number of assault rifle kills, traveling a certain distance in your wingsuit, or skinning animals, and you can spend those points on whatever you like. I enjoy how this system allows for more flexibility in progression and regularly rewards you with points just for, you know, playing as you normally would.
Speaking of the wingsuit, I barely used it because there are many more options for getting airborne now. Unlike Far Cry 3 and 4, planes and helicopters are abundant in Hope County. It’s nice to order a helicopter and take the scenic route to your destination. Once you get there, that extra firepower can be helpful, too.
The entire story can also be played cooperatively with a real-world friend, and that’s when Far Cry 5 achieves a whole other level of crazy. Two players generate twice as much chaos, and it’s really fun to galavant around Montana with a buddy leaving destruction in your wake. It’s a drag that only the host player will get credit for completing missions. The guest will have to finish them again on their own (or go through again as host).
Further enhancing the replayability of Far Cry 5 is Far Cry Arcade, an entirely new mode separate from the campaign where you can create your own levels. It aims to keep you playing long after you’ve cleared out the Hope County map, but in its current state it’s a bit of a disappointment if you’re looking to play rather than create. The editing tools are very in-depth and a handful of different mission types can be created, but this isn’t something you can casually sit down with and whip up your own level. Creating something worth playing will take time, patience, and actual level design skills.
As such, much of what is available to play right now in Far Cry Arcade is boring and asinine. There is a level called Resident Evil 7 that recreates the mansion from the horror game, but all you do is walk around the outside of the building. Another is called Ragdolltest where you have to eliminate 216 slowly spawning enemies on a barebones map – oh, and you’re invincible so there is no challenge whatsoever.
There are a few fun levels available at launch, most of which were created by Ubisoft’s developers themselves. There’s a prison break level about busting out of jail with no health regeneration, for example. I can see the potential for a steady stream of new Far Cry content here, but it will need dedicated and talented creators to make it.
The Arcade includes assets from other Ubisoft games like Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed Unity, and Far Cry Primal. But the assets available probably aren’t what you were hoping for and most aren’t even recognizable. For instance, from Primal you can add branches, bone piles, or a bloodied rock. No wooly mammoths, no sabre-toothed tigers, no cave people. That seems like a missed opportunity to let us get really crazy.
The Verdict
Far Cry 5 is another wide-open playground with all the necessary ingredients for causing a real ruckus: loads of enemies and allies, temperamental wildlife, and plenty of explosions. Amidst all the insanity it manages to tell a serious story with respectable characters and a powerful ending, though it’s not the most memorable in the series. The successful transition from exotic locales to America’s backyard makes me excited to see where the Far Cry formula goes next.
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