It seems that, for all intents and purposes, Far Cry 4 is the best game Ubisoft released this year. What are your thoughts?
Far Cry 4 has all the hallmarks of the ‘Ubisoft Open World Game’ — the towers, the climbing of the towers to unlock missions/side-mission/collectables — but it also has elephants. And eagles that swoop down and hilariously scoop things up. In fact, from all accounts it basically has its own food chain going on. More games need food chains.
The biggest complaint I’ve heard levelled at Far Cry 4 is that it’s too similar to its predecessor in terms of its mechanics, but I think that’s something I can live with. I’m okay with incremental updates to video games as long as it isn’t too stale. I mean I loved Dark Souls 2!
What were your thoughts on Far Cry 4? Let us know in the comments below.
Comments
39 responses to “Community Review: Far Cry 4”
Only played a couple hours so far. Very Deja-FC3, but fun nonetheless. But goddamn, I HATE EAGLES!
Is it really just Far Cry 3.5 on a new map? Because that’s what I keep getting from the internet.
Kiiiinda. Same good things from FC3, but with more dynamic new stuff. The more I think about it, the more unfair that call seems, because no one gets all uppity and calls things Assassins’ Creed 2.5 or whatever and those games all do the same thing, too.
The accusation baffles me, too.
The thing that people are apparently disappointed by sounds pretty much like everything I could ask for. 😛 If the Internet is saying, “Oh it’s just Far Cry 3.5 with a new map,” I’m not really sure they’re using the word ‘just’ correctly.
That’s kind of like saying, “Yeah, my new fuckbuddy is just another supermodel, only a little hotter and knows a couple new tricks.”
“Really? Like what?”
“Well, when we’re outside and…you know…she suddenly swoops down on me, alerting all nearby guards to my presence.”
“And then she picks up my limp body and flies me away up the mountains.”
Oh, wait…
“She’s an aggressive bird, that one.”
“Are we still talking about a woman?”
“Oh hm? What?”
“OK, I’ll leave you to your avian fantasies…”
Aaaaand now I’m reminded of Tycho from Penny Arcade.
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/01/18
(Edit: Actually meant to be http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/10/20 but that works.)
I’d still hit it.
Its been refreshed basically. Open world co-op, brand new multiplayer suite (nice take on it actually). Singleplayer is similar but still lots of new mechanics. Very fun!!
I’m too tired to get super into it (the review, I mean), but: it’s really fun. People have been saying it’s Far Cry 3.5 or whatever, and that’s fine. It uses a lot of the same mechanics that were amazing in FC3 and have upped the ante everywhere else – the AI is much better, the animals are incredible, the story is far more interesting, and the characters are more dynamic.
I have been faffing about on the first part of Kyrat, doing as much of the little grindy things I love (spinning Mani wheels, destroying the masks of Yalung, pulling down posters), as well as liberating outposts and taking back the radio towers. I played the Blood Ruby DLC which was tiny, but super fun. I’ve not gone back into the Arena since I first had to (it overwhelms the hell out of me), nor have I completed Shangri-La (I started the mission by accident and got freaked out, haha, so I’ve not gone back to redo it). I’m just starting to do Noore’s story mission so that I can open up the next part of the campaign.
Mostly, I’m really enjoying it. It lets me zone out, or get super focused as I want. Oh, and the music is so so good! Holy moly, it’s really beautiful.
3 paragraphs, that’s a pretty good effort I think for a community review! 😛
It is FC 3.5 in the same way that Halo2 is Halo 1.5
I don’t understand the criticism to be honest, it plays in a very similar way, but the dynamics are totally different, it is great fun and I love the new world. Well worth it if you like FC3 at all, or have never played a Far Cry game before.
I did like FC3, I intend to get it but am hoping it somehow ends up in my hands on Christmas day!
Haha, once I started, I could not stop. I really really want to get that crossbow, dammit.
Game of the year for me
Love it. Not in the least concerned over it’s similarity to FC3 (which I loved). The Farcry series has easily turned into my fav mayhem simulator. The jaunty music played while driving, never fails to bring a smile to my face either …
But I’ve got some strange bug that’s makes building interiors so dark they are unplayable except on somewhat suboptimal settings..
There’s a 3 gig patch I haven’t downloaded yet, so that might fix it..
The only Ubisoft game that is out at the moment without Micro-Transactions. This gets my vote.
Oh, I think you meant the only good game ubisoft has released.
By the way eb games is selling watchdogs for $35 today…
Love it, FC3 was my GOTY 2012, my only gripe is I intended to coop allot/most of the side missions with a mate, but found out the hard way after 5 or 6 hrs the non host players progress doesn’t save 🙁
I really enjoyed FarCry 3 but I feel like I am forcing myself to play through 4.. I honestly don’t think it is as pretty either.
This is the first Farcry game I’ve played, so for me it’s brilliant. It’s just dam fun to play. Plus there’s a squirrel suit! All games should have squirrel suits
I’m really enjoying it, FC3 was fantastic and even though there’s a feeling of “this is just a reskinned version of FC3” about FC4 I think the story is different enough to make it engaging. I’m loving the buzzer’s , am terrified of the eagles and enjoy the wide variety of wildlife to be attacked and killed by. My only criticism is every time I’m set on heading to a specific destination to obtain a lost letter or spin a mani wheel or whatever, one of the outposts nearby always comes under attack and I have to detour to help fend off the Royal troops. Now I just ignore the call for help and haven’t noticed any negative side effects of this. Also Yogi and Reggie are hilarious characters. Actually all the characters are really well fleshed out and the over arching story is very well written. Funnest game I’ve played all year 9 out of 10 rubber chickens
one of the outposts nearby always comes under attack and I have to detour to help fend off the Royal troops
Oh man I hear you on that. I have almost stopped fast travelling to outposts because whenever i seem to leave them they come under attack.
That said if there’s an elephant nearby, jump on, charge back in and you tend to make mincemeat of them and get your great damage XP.
If you take the fortresses the outposts near that fortress no longer come under attack fyi. I was a little daunted by attempting to take them out at an early stage of the game but a bit of patience and a silenced sniper rifle work wonders!
Awaiting the inevitable Steam sale on this one, DA-I currently has my full (limited) playtime. Be as I enjoyed FC3, guessing I will enjoy this one too.
About 20 hours in, definitely my favourite shooter of the year after Wolfenstein. I’m so close to that platinum I can just about taste it.
Similar thoughts here. Wolfenstein was just such a solid experience though.
10/10 game does load
I enjoy your standards.
It puts it at the peak of Ubi’s releases this year.
Seriously don’t get me wrong I love FC4 but with the track record this year for Ubi… it hasn’t been good. Watch dogs was bland and repetitive, AC:U was broken, The Crew seems to drive like you’re in a boat no matter the car.
I’d say it’s my favourite current gen game. Ubisoft took all of the great things from Far Cry 3, polished them up and gave it a really good setting. I’m nearly 25 hours in and I think I’m about 75% of the way through the main story. I think it’s very easy to become overpowered and I had my basic load out of bow, sniper rifle and grenade launcher hasn’t encountered any issues with enemies.
All the characters are pretty awesome and fleshed out. The addition of the hunter enemies make a decent change for outposts. The majority of the animals are pretty cool, although screw eagles. All in all, definitely worth buying
It is way to similar to Far Cry 3, don’t get me wrong I loved FC3 (platinum trophy and collected every single loot case in the game). I think I’m 20 hours in and 50% through the game, so far I don’t really feel that I have achieved anything story wise, I have just been running around collecting loot cases, masks, books and doing side quests. Definitely not worthy of the game of the year from what I have played, but I haven’t played a game that I think deserves game of the year yet.
Far Cry 5 will have to make some major changes to the game if I am going to buy it.
Not sure what I can add that hasn’t been said already, but I’d thrown in my 2 bobs worth. I’ve put in a little over 35 hours so far…or it could be getting close to 40.
It is very similar to Farcry 3, and to be honest, that is what I was hoping for. I loved 3, I loved the freedom, I loved the scenery. FC4 is even more beautiful and allows for even more freedom. By more freedom, I mean things like the buzzer for flying around and the grappling hooks places around to make some climbs easier.
At first I thought the mountain scenery wouldn’t impress me as much as the tropical location that 3 was set in, but it’s beautiful. Oh is it beautiful. I still find myself standing on a ledge staring off into the distance, or hovering in my buzzer checking out the scenery.
Sound wise it’s pretty amazing too. As much as I hate the animal sounds, as it usually means I’m about to get mauled, they are very convincing (F-off you friggin eagle!). The wind whooshing past as you fly along in your wing suit is great too. Quite relaxing until you come face to face with a tree or rock face. Guns sound nice and meaty too, just wait until you have a mortar explode over your head. It makes you run.
At the end of the day, the missions are fun and there are plenty of them, along with side quests, to keep you busy. Hence the reason I’m 35+ hours in and still going…and still loving it.
I’d give it a 9/10. Sure it’s similar to FC3, but it takes all the good stuff (which is pretty much all of FC3) and improves on it. Did I mention how beautiful it looks?
F-you EAGLE!!!
If you loved FC3 you won’t get suckered in a blown away by how great that game is with this. However if you loved or liked FC3 I don’t see how it is possible to not like FC4. Yeah it’s super similar, but FC3 was lots of fun with a good amount of replayability.
I’ve spent many hours, doing a lot messing around and it is fun. Story so far is a bit meh… chracter development isn’t there. This is one criticism. There was more emotion in FC3. You’re trying to save your friends, you’re getting sucked into the world, the way of life.
Here you rock up and just are a bad ass fighter and your motivation, reasons and reactions are not really there.
I think the game also suffers the way the AC games began to suffer. Being so similar you tend to do all the side stuff first. Story second. So you’re not driven by the story. Secondly the damn helicopter. It was fun to fly around to all the towers unlocking the south, however this actually made the sense of mystery and unknown kind of gone. I think for the north I will not do what isn’t directed by story and missions. To keep some mystery and surprises.
Love it.
I miss destroying buildings the way I could in farcry.
I’m about half way through the game however my biggest gripe with the game is the how absolutely boring amita and sabal are. Talking to those two is like watching paint dry it’s so bad also ajay is pretty bland aswell.
Pagan Min is the only character with a entertaining personality and so far he barely features in the game.
Extra credit for the crazy preacher though he offers some humour atleast.
Or might be because I’m playing gta v side by side so the banter between all characters is on another level in comparison to far cry 4.
But it just makes the campaign so boring the world is so beautiful and just demanding a cool story but instead we get a spiritual ride through boredom town
It is definitely a tighter better far cry 3, but I think it lacks a lot of the charm and personality of that game. Lots of the ideas in the game seem to be disconnected from each other, and as a whole its seems a little lifeless. Possibly because we have already figured out how this world works and that takes away a lot of the mystery. Also, I think the lead villain is good, but many of the side characters don’t seem to hit the right notes.
I think I would like to see them push the boundaries a little more with their AI and the way they interact with each other. That is, things like battles that happen between AI troops and animals attacking people, etc. There is all sorts of cool random stuff that can already occur but each base and section of the game is just something to complete and tick off. I would like to see a map where the battle front moves back and forth and you can step in and aid in the war effort. Help some troops take an enemy base. Sneak behind enemy lines and attack supply trucks. You can attack trucks in this game but they just loop around, not going anywhere.
I would like to see a more meta game going on across the map, with real objectives that affect the war… and less a map full of icons that need to be completed. I want to see more than just the illusion of a big breathing interconnected land, I want it to actually be that way. I am not convinced any more by vehicles just spawning on the road in a radius around me and random battle events. I want to feel like an enemy force is actually travelling from one base to another to attack and I could intercept them if I say spotted them leaving. I want a base to be more poorly defended if I just attacked their last supply truck. I want a world that makes sense, and where there is more interactions between events.
That said, it is a good game and I am am probably going to finish it shortly.
40 hours and I’m just about done with it. My only suggestion to anyone who plays through it is to not kill Pagan. It’s just better if you don’t.
I only have one point to add to this topic
– Why is Pagan Min a bad guy?
Since the start of the game, we get told Pagan Min is a terrorist, a ruthless ruler who enslaves the country side, forcing the population to work towards his own gains, yet, after the first interaction with him at the very start of the game, he doesn’t show his head again until about 50% of the way through the actual story line?
After finishing the game, I did not see one aspect of him that made me believe he was the bad guy. If anything, the conflict between Sabal and Amita made me hate the Golden Path more than anything Pagan Min ever did.
Ultimately, Pagan Min saves the player at the very start of the game from being shot. He then invites the player to his home, feeds him and offers to assist with the scattering of the ashes. Only after the Golden Path crashes the party and demands you flee with them is there any indication Pagan Min is the “bad” guy.
I honestly would have preferred to side with Pagan Min, and bring an end to the in-fighting of the Golden Path terrorists and actually bring peace to Kyrat…
Character wise, Ubisoft with have to work their butts of to come anywhere close to beating the evil villain that was Vaas from Far Cry 3.