Where Should the ‘Far Cry’ Franchise Go Next?

Ubisoft’s latest entry in the Far Cry franchise has been released several weeks ago, and – for the most part – everyone agrees it’s yet another successful title in the ever-growing series. Our own Nathan Manning gave it an impressive 9/10, calling it “an absolute delight to play.” But is Far Cry 4 really a full-blown sequel, or more of an enhanced Far Cry 3? Plus, seeing its success, it might be safe to assume a follow-up will eventually hit the stores in the future. If so, where should it be set? Editors Vlad Pintea and George Sinclair are here to discuss these burning questions, in addition to several others. Obviously, the below conversation includes spoilers.


What are your thoughts on Far Cry 4’s story and characters? Are they better than those found in previous instalments?

Vlad – Overall, I think Far Cry 4 presents us a better, more personal story, although the characters have remained the same. And when I say the same, I mean I wasn’t really attached to anyone. Sure, Ajay is a somewhat better fleshed-out protagonist than Jason, but just like the rest of the cast, because I only interact with them during cut-scenes, the game’s overall narration still feels stiff. A perfect example would be the gun-totting “priest” Longinus, which is fun at first, but his citing of biblical verses gets boring after one or two missions. On the other hand, I have found Sabal and Amita to be much more interesting characters, simply because they each have a different future planned for Kyrat. The fact that one of them gets to rule the country in the end is a satisfying conclusion directly influenced by whom you chose to support.

George – I find the characters in Far Cry 4 to be an odd mix. Characters like Amita I can find relatable and very human, whereas characters like Yuma and De Pleure – characters built up to be these horribly evil people – get almost no screen time, and it just renders them rather pointless. I found Far Cry 3 to have much better characters across the board. More believable, more entertaining, and more relatable.

Ever since the third entry, it seems like every game in the Far Cry series now needs to have a “mentally-unstable” villain. Looking at Pagan Min – is he a better villain than Far Cry 3’s notorious Vaas?

Vlad – Pagan Min is certainly more stylish than Vaas. Although he clearly has more class but he’s still just as insane as the infamous pirate of Far Cry 3, what’s really annoying is the fact that he barely shows up during the entire campaign. You get to see him in the beginning of the game, one or two times after several hours, and then in the end. Yes, those moments in-between when he calls you a “naughty little sh*t” and whatnot over the radio are fun, but – just like Vaas – Ubisoft barely expands on his character. I definitely let him live in the end, though.

George – In my review of Far Cry 3, I stated how stupidly underused Vaas was as a villain. With Pagan Min, it seems as if they’re trying to recreate Vaas, while at the same time giving him his own identity. The result works in a sense; I like him, and he’s a good character; but, ultimately, he’s a capitalisation on Vaas.

Many have stated Far Cry 4 is more of an updated Far Cry 3, rather than a full-blown sequel. What are your thoughts on that?

Vlad – Far Cry 4 is definitely “Far Cry 3.5.” Don’t get me wrong – while I don’t consider this latest entry a full-blown sequel, Far Cry 4 is without a doubt worthy of your time and money, especially if you enjoyed its prequel. The reason I’m saying it’s more of an enhanced Far Cry 3 is because Ubisoft’s tried and tested formula is covering almost the entire gameplay. One of these formulas is the whole “climb a tower, ‘synchronise’, – or in this case, hijack a radio – thus revealing a part of the map and more side-activities to partake in” affair. On the other hand, improvements like climbing various ledges using ropes, the eagles’ attacks or the usage of the wing-suit almost from the get-go are nice incentives for veterans of the franchise to come back. Additionally, I am loving the game’s arena. It makes me feel like I’m part of The Hunger Games, as I continue to receive medicine from my fans above me.

George – Absolutely. Far Cry 4 is really good; quite a bit better than any of Ubisoft’s releases this year, but still it feels like this could be another Assassin’s Creed type of gig here. Far Cry 4 is so similar to Far Cry 3 that it borrows almost everything from animations to animals. It’s good, but Far Cry 3 was just so fresh. Like many of Ubisoft’s games, this one bears too many similar features of it’s predecessor to make it really stand out.

What platforms have you played on, and how was your experience?

Vlad – While I plan on experiencing as a “PC Master Race,” as well, my initial play-through of Far Cry 4 was on the PlayStation 3. While nothing on the scale of the current generation consoles or the PC, the last-gen. versions look decent; in some cases, even good. Alas – as I feared – the frame-rate can get annoyingly low during more hectic moments. Another low point which is quite noticeable is the rendering distance, which makes the foliage suddenly pop-up as you get closer.

George – I’ve been playing the game on PS4, and it looks really, really good, in addition to running a lot better than I thought it might, even when the game gets crazy. There’s great attention to detail in things like scuff marks on your weapons, and the fur on animals.

If Ubisoft were to create another Far Cry game, where would you like it to take place, and what enhancement would you expect?

Vlad – I actually wish Ubisoft would return to Africa. While I’m a huge fan of snowy-themed games, I also loved Far Cry 2‘s African theme. As for the enhancements – a possible next entry in the series really needs a better story, and if the studio plans yet another fun but psychotic villain, I really wish we’ll see him/her more than a few times across a 20 or so hours campaign. Maybe even add air-planes besides the recently-introduced in Far Cry 4 helicopter. Outposts should make a comeback – obviously – and if we’re talking immersion, let’s see those protagonists and maybe even villains outside of main missions and cut-scenes. Can you imagine meeting with Pagan Min out of the blue during free-roam? Maybe he’ll outright kill you. Maybe he’ll ask you to join him on a village-raid. Or maybe he’ll just call you naughty for skipping lunch and be on his way.

George – I’d like to see the use of a South American rainforest setting with really dense forests, Mayan ruins, and that kind of thing. They made Far Cry 3 look great with it’s South Pacific setting, so I’d be very much interested in seeing what they could do with it. But I would like to see a bit more time put into it, as I don’t think Far Cry is the type of game that’s a yearly franchise, which I get the feeling Ubisoft is going to do with it.

That’s it, folks. Let us know your thoughts on Far Cry 4 in the comments below, and don’t forget to tell us where you would like the next entry to be set. Until then, for all your latest news on psychotic villains or otherwise, keep it locked to Analog Addiction.