Far Cry 5
THOUGHTS
This one really irked me.
It's hard to put my finger on why it did - not in the sense of pointing out the flaws, of which there are many, but in the sense that I should've known better than to expect anything but the vapid, lifeless sleepwalk of a beyond stale open-world formula that Far Cry 5 is.
There's so much confusion and backpedalling in the design of this Far Cry. They clearly didn't want the story to say, well, anything, or be ripe for any sort of critical dissection, and yet for some baffling reason it's impossible to avoid it. Minutes after minutes of aimless, circular, sleep-inducing monologuing from a parade of the type of villain so generic they'd be seen in one of those fake videogames invented for TV crime procedurals. A lack of any charm or charisma from those you're meant to be allied with. Then most head-slappingly of all, forced interruptions to any sort of fun one might attempt to make in the hollow beauty of digital Montana. If you're not drugged, you're being captured in one of the multiple sequences that take control away from the player. That's multiple sequences per villain that you have to clear out.
It's hard to put my finger on why it did - not in the sense of pointing out the flaws, of which there are many, but in the sense that I should've known better than to expect anything but the vapid, lifeless sleepwalk of a beyond stale open-world formula that Far Cry 5 is.
There's so much confusion and backpedalling in the design of this Far Cry. They clearly didn't want the story to say, well, anything, or be ripe for any sort of critical dissection, and yet for some baffling reason it's impossible to avoid it. Minutes after minutes of aimless, circular, sleep-inducing monologuing from a parade of the type of villain so generic they'd be seen in one of those fake videogames invented for TV crime procedurals. A lack of any charm or charisma from those you're meant to be allied with. Then most head-slappingly of all, forced interruptions to any sort of fun one might attempt to make in the hollow beauty of digital Montana. If you're not drugged, you're being captured in one of the multiple sequences that take control away from the player. That's multiple sequences per villain that you have to clear out.
It's wretched, painful game design that seems to take advantage of the fires stoked by what could have been an incisive and intriguing setting. They don't want to tell you a good story, but they figure if they put on airs enough then this sheep counting exercise will pass as prestige drama.
There's a fair point to be made that the Far Cry games have never been the height of storytelling, but it makes it hard to ignore when they're so determined to place it front and centre. Jacob, John, Joseph and Faith lack any of the charisma or gravitas of Vaas, The Jackal or Pagan Min. What we're left with is like a fun story being told third-hand that you've already heard multiple times before. Watered down, confused and nowhere near as good as it was the first time.
That, sadly, extends to the gameplay as well. A big deal was made out of the removal of climbing radio towers to unlock the map (the game even takes a rather hollow dig at itself in an early mission), which is all well and good. Unfortunately, outpost capturing is simpler than ever and the shooting feels far worse. The fire tech that was so impressive in Far Cry 2 amounts to little more than a limp puddle when using a flamethrower here, while apparently tarps and chain-link fences are bulletproof now. Maybe there's more than Faith's drugs in the water in Montana. The gun selection lacks oomph and feels samey, and the addition of prestige (aka weapons you buy with real currency) weapons is cynical beyond belief. Some of the best parts of Far Cry 4, such as the wingsuit, feel neutered.
Maybe all of the real development time was spent on the graphics, which are lovely. Montana is beautiful and when you first emerge into it, there's definitely a sense of quiet awe. There are a few nice little touches; the prepper stashes are simple puzzles that add a bit of variety to the game, while fishing feels like a natural fit and does the same. The soundtrack is also fantastic and is worthy of a far better game.
There's a fair point to be made that the Far Cry games have never been the height of storytelling, but it makes it hard to ignore when they're so determined to place it front and centre. Jacob, John, Joseph and Faith lack any of the charisma or gravitas of Vaas, The Jackal or Pagan Min. What we're left with is like a fun story being told third-hand that you've already heard multiple times before. Watered down, confused and nowhere near as good as it was the first time.
That, sadly, extends to the gameplay as well. A big deal was made out of the removal of climbing radio towers to unlock the map (the game even takes a rather hollow dig at itself in an early mission), which is all well and good. Unfortunately, outpost capturing is simpler than ever and the shooting feels far worse. The fire tech that was so impressive in Far Cry 2 amounts to little more than a limp puddle when using a flamethrower here, while apparently tarps and chain-link fences are bulletproof now. Maybe there's more than Faith's drugs in the water in Montana. The gun selection lacks oomph and feels samey, and the addition of prestige (aka weapons you buy with real currency) weapons is cynical beyond belief. Some of the best parts of Far Cry 4, such as the wingsuit, feel neutered.
Maybe all of the real development time was spent on the graphics, which are lovely. Montana is beautiful and when you first emerge into it, there's definitely a sense of quiet awe. There are a few nice little touches; the prepper stashes are simple puzzles that add a bit of variety to the game, while fishing feels like a natural fit and does the same. The soundtrack is also fantastic and is worthy of a far better game.
Plus/Minus
+ Beautiful landscapes
+ Great soundtrack
+ Prepper stashes and fishing are neat
+ Cluster rockets are cool? Planes are neat?
- Shallow, cynical storytelling
- Forced removal of control
- Weak gunplay
- Really, we've done this all before. So many times.
+ Great soundtrack
+ Prepper stashes and fishing are neat
+ Cluster rockets are cool? Planes are neat?
- Shallow, cynical storytelling
- Forced removal of control
- Weak gunplay
- Really, we've done this all before. So many times.
Overall
I pushed through to the bitter end with Far Cry 5, and I will give a modicum of credit to the mildly insane ending. It wasn't worth it though. I loathed my time with the game and I strongly suspect even those who love the series won't be able to shake the feeling they've done this before far too many times. This was the one that finally soured me on the cookie-cutter manufacturing line open worlds that Ubisoft pumps out, and the series is in desperate need of an Assassin's Creed Origins esque reboot and revitalisation. If you really want more Far Cry, just replay one of the previous 3 numbered titles. Even if you've played them to death there'll be more of interest to find than here.
4/10
Technical Stuff: Purchased on a PS4. One full playthrough, about 25 hours.
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