Postcard-perfect scenery with lots of explosions: The protagonist of Far Cry 5 is a US Marshal whose goal is to arrest Joseph Eden, the charismatic leader of an apocalyptic cult, and finds himself stranded in enemy territory in the process. — Ubisoft/dpa
Postcard-perfect scenery with lots of explosions: that might be the best way to describe the Far Cry series from Ubisoft. Previous editions have been set in the jungles of Central Africa, in the Himalayas and on Caribbean Islands.
The latest version of the first-person shooter, Far Cry 5, takes place in the US state of Montana. The setting is a beautiful, but dangerous wilderness full of voracious predators and gun-toting cult members.
The game's protagonist is a US Marshal whose goal is to arrest Joseph Eden, the charismatic leader of an apocalyptic cult. The arrest attempt goes badly awry and the player soon finds himself stranded in enemy territory without reinforcements or contact with the outside world.
Far Cry 5 is quite topical with themes such as blind fanaticism, gun lovers and the chasm between the US coasts and its hinterland, but in the end political issues are really only background noise in a game that largely follows the format set by its predecessors.
The essence of the game is, like its predecessors, an open world where the first-person player has to shoot, drive, fly, climb and sneak around while liberating villages and gathering new weapons.
However, in contrast to the rather rigid structure of parts 3 and 4, Far Cry 5 offers much more freedom. Where players go and what they do there, they are largely free to decide for themselves.
As well, uncovering the map and discovering new treasures, destinations and other interesting places is much more organic and fluid than before.
Even so, it's essentially the same checklist, albeit prettier and with a bit more diversity.
One major change is to the companions that players can call on for help. These existed before but now instead of being merely cardboard cut-outs, they're real characters with their own stories and tasks. Animals such as dogs are also included among these helpers.
One thing that's worse in the fifth edition of the game is the way in-game purchasing options are constantly being put before the player – even though the items such as weapons and clothes are not really necessary for successful game play.
Nevertheless, Far Cry 5 provides plenty of fun thanks to the general framework of the series and the entertaining action that comes with it.
However, there's a sense that Ubisoft has wasted a lot of the potential of this new scenario and relied too much on the same old content. The wilderness that Far Cry 5 takes place in is a bit too tame.
The game costs around US$60 (RM234) and is available for the Playstation 4, the Xbox One and PCs. The action is often quite brutal so the game is really only suitable for those aged 18 and older. — dpa
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