The near-complete source code for the original Far Cry has randomly found its way online, via the Internet Archive.
As spotted by Twitter user Vinícius Medeiros, the source code is for Far Cry version 1.34 and includes the corresponding CryEngine v1.34 software the game was built on. It appears the source code was uploaded to the Internet Archive in late June and, at the time of writing, remains live on the site.
Far Cry launched in 2004. Published by Ubisoft, it was the first game developed by Crytek and used the company’s own proprietary engine. The game was lauded at launch for its then cutting-edge visuals. It is also, to date, the weirdest mainline Far Cry game of the lot, involving an all-American action hero trapped on an island overrun by Dr Moreau-style genetic experiments gone wrong. The DNA of the series — finding yourself alone in an incredibly hostile place and situation and using the tools you have on hand to overcome any obstacle — can certainly be found in the original game, but its science fiction flights of fancy were abandoned in Ubisoft’s much more realistic, survival-centric sequel.
Source code drops like this are always fascinating because they detail the building blocks of how everything in a game was made. There are many reasons that publishers don’t often want source code finding its way into the public domain: sometimes that information is sensitive, or contains proprietary tech that publishers would prefer to keep away from the eyes of their competitors. Sometimes, as in the case of the CD Projekt Red hacks, swiped source code can create serious system vulnerabilities for the company affected.
On the other hand, source code leaks of older titles are often like mana from heaven for video game preservationists, modders, and those that love to study the craft of video game design. It’s a chance to get a peek behind the curtain at how (occasionally famous) games were made and reverse engineer its lessons in your own projects. In the case of Far Cry, now almost 20 years old, I can’t imagine either Ubisoft or Crytek is terribly worried about a leak like this, but who knows? It may yet get taken down. You can sus the source code for yourself right over here.
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