LeWildKnight

Ever since Far Cry 3, sneaking my way through outposts eliminating enemies one by one has been one of my favorite things to do in video games. I’m happy to report that systematically taking down murderous thugs is just as fun in rural America as it is in the Himalayas and that Far Cry 5 is another great game in the open-world series Ubisoft seems most willing to have fun with. It may be playing a familiar tune, but all of these combat, physics, and wildlife systems all mix together to create unexpected moments of intense and hilarious action. 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. Being stranded and hunted by the well-armed militia was a very cool moment. 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 the 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 of 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. 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. 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. 5/5 would play again.

Doesn't have even a fraction of the units they promised