Top 5 Far Cry Games

Far Cry is a long-standing anthology franchise that tells the stories of characters in deadly and exotic locations around the world. A typical Far Cry game usually includes an open world environment, hunting, a story surrounding the unrest in a territory, stealth and Rambo type action. Here is my personal list of the top five Far Cry games from the main series and spin-offs:

Far Cry

far cryFar Cry is the original game that started it all. Never before had there been such a detailed open world set almost entirely in the depths of a tropical jungle. It had exploration, environment, and adventure at the forefront and put a unique spin on the saturated FPS genre. The only problem is that it has not aged gracefully. It was first released back in 2004 and although it was mind blowing at the time, it is difficult to convince yourself to go back and play it today

 

Far Cry 2

After years of pseudo sequels to the original Far Cry we eventually got a true follow up with Far Cry 2. This iteration moved awayfar cry from the feral mutant powers of earlier games and instead focused more on realism. You explored a war torn African location, your weapons could degrade and jam, there was a responsive environment that could be set ablaze as a tactical maneuver, and you had malaria that you needed to treat. It is fun to play as one of a collection of playable mercenary characters and the realism contributed to making Far Cry an even better experience, but although guns jamming and malaria incapacitating you is realistic it is not necessarily a great mechanic if it’s required to be managed with unrelenting consistency.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

far cryBlood Dragon is a spin-off and standalone narrative DLC from Far Cry 3. This game takes a non-traditional approach, to put it lightly, that presents an over the top 80’s action mash-up with dragons, robots, crazy weapons, tons of upgrade, and visuals that bathe in neon. It has hilarious self-aware writing, and even goes as far as casting action movie star Michael Biehn as the lead character, Sergeant Rex Power Colt. It may only be a spin-off but it has a fairly lengthy campaign that lasts around 8 hours, and it is one of the most enjoyable experiences in the series.

Far Cry 4

Far Cry 4 is the most recent instalment in the franchise and takes you on an adventure through the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat. This game continues thefar cry trend with fast paced, sometimes acrobatic combat, vicious animals to hunt, conflicting factions, and a massive landscape that is even larger and more detailed than any before it.  The story delves into the protagonist Ajay Ghale’s ancestral connection to Kyrat and features some fantastic characters both hilarious and unsettling, but unfortunately didn’t showcase enough of Troy Baker as the main antagonist Pagan Min. It was a great game, but it didn’t really feel like a major step forward from Far Cry 3.

Far Cry 3

far cryFar Cry 3 is by far my favourite game in the series because of its compelling mature story, excellent nuanced characters and creepy villains, dark psychological moments, and a beautiful tropical location that reminds us of the series roots while improving it in every category. Jason Brody is the most interesting and engaging protagonist in the series. For the first time you are not a mercenary, a soldier, or a trainer killer of any kind, and you get to witness his transformation from a frightened, out of place tourist into the vengeful warrior we see in the end.

 

What are your expectations for the upcoming Far Cry Primal? I have high hopes for a sequel that strips you down to the most primitive of weapons and partners you with beasts of the wild.

*Far Cry Primal will release February 23, 2016 for Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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