Far Cry 5 Review

The Basics

Far Cry 5 is this latest entry in this award winning FPS series, and this time you assume the role of a nameless deputy that is out to arrest a preacher by the name of Joseph Seed, a prophet/cult leader who has largely taken a town hostage. The people are either on his side, brainwashed or cowed, and you come in to set things right. But when the arrest is botched and things go horribly wrong, you find yourself outmatched, wounded, and on your own. With no help coming and an oppressive cult out for your blood, will you be able to survive? 

Story and Flow

Far Cry 5 is set in the small, fictional community of Hope, Montana where the Project at Eden’s Gate (the name of the cult run by Seed) has the community gripped in fear. It's up to you to put a wrench in their plans, winning the dejected people to your side and getting them to rise up against Eden’s Gate. You do this by destroying cult properties, liberating outposts, completing missions and rescuing civilians, and of course, shooting many, many people in the face with a whole lotta guns.

Once you liberate an area from the Project at Eden’s Gate (or "peggies" as the townsfolk call them) some side quests will open up for you. There are also "guns and fangs" for hire throughout the game, which is a great new feature specific to Far Cry 5, but you'll need to figure out which missions to beat in order to get them. The "guns" refer to specialists that range from a pilot who can rain down bombs and gunfire on your enemies from his small, heavily modified plane, to Cheeseburger (one of the "fangs"), a bear that will maul anything that gets in his (or your) way. It's pretty awesome to be ranging around the wilderness with a bear or cougar as your companion, siccing your murderous animal friend on hapless enemies, then calling in a bomb strike to finish mopping up. There are so many great moments like that in Far Cry 5, and the sheer variety of ways to take out your enemies makes the game a thrill every time you pick up the controller.

The guns in the game have been changed this time around, not only in variety but with the introduction of bullet trajectory. Bullets now eventually drop off as they travel, instead of just flying in a straight line, which makes a big difference and will change the way you shoot and fight. I noticed this in a big way with one of my favorite weapons, the assault rifle with a red dot sight for accuracy. Although the enemies are still somewhat dumb (which is kind of a series staple), the AI has improved this go-round, so they aren't just blind cannon fodder. Enemies will try to outflank you, flush you out, circle around and get the drop on you, and generally do everything they can to mess up your day. The game is good at giving you the tools, weapons and scenarios needed to play the game any way you want, so you don't always have to go in guns blazing. Once you master the new bullet trajectory, you can sit back and snipe, send in your animal or human companion then run in from the other direction and finish off your foes, or even take a remotely detonated device, stick it to a truck and drive it towards a bunch of peggies, leaping out and laughing in delight as you detonate it in the middle of a group. 

Once you beat the game, there is still plenty to do, especially in the new Far Cry Arcade mode. In this mode, the community can create maps that are either single player, co-op or multiplayer. The game comes complete with assets not only from Far Cry 5 but from 4 and Primal, as well as a few other titles, like Watch Dogs and Assassin’s Creed IV and Unity!)

Graphics and Sound 

When I played Far Cry 4, I remember being blown away by the graphics, thinking that it would be impossible for the series to ever top them. Turns out I was incorrect by a wide margin, as this game looks amazing compared to its predecessors. The graphics are stunning, the locations are varied and beautiful, and you'll trudge through rolling hills, murder your way through gently swaying forests, and hunt realistic looking wildlife for sport and profit. The sound is pretty solid for the most part, ranging from the serene sounds of nature to the violent sounds of combat with explosions and gunfire. The soundtrack could be better, but mostly it captures the country-esque environment you'll be spending all your time in.