Far Cry 4
Players: Single-player
and Co-op campaign, Multiplayer
Genre: Action
Adventure, First-person Shooter
Distribution: Optical
Disc, Download
Platform: Playstation
4
Release Date: November 18,
2014
My experience with the Far Cry
series is admittedly very limited. I played Far Cry 2
for a bit, but didn't own a computer or a console that would run Far
Cry 3, so while I heard good
things I never got to experience it for myself. With little in the
way of preconceived notions I got to jump right in and see what the
fuss was about.
The
opening cinematic immediately illustrates to the player the war torn
country of Kyrat. The player comes face to face with the sadistic
leader of the country's government, Pagan Min, and is set on a course
of direct opposition. Pagan Min is an exciting villain, one I was
looking forward to thwarting at every turn and seeing his reaction.
He's voiced by the tremendous Troy Baker, whose work I always enjoy;
he brings to life a character that truly seems to find glee in the
suffering he causes. Sadly, the players interactions with Min are
lacking. Almost all of the player's interactions with the antagonist
take place via radio in very one-sided conversations. It's
disappointing that a character with so much potential was so
underutilized.
The
land of Kyrat is beautiful. Every inch is highly detailed and full
of things to do. The lakes, rivers, mountains, and forests that make
up the country are filled with enemies to slay, animals to hunt, and
items to collect. Exploration is encouraged by a plethora of items
intended to supply the player with interesting tidbits regarding the
history of the land you're currently rampaging across. Liberating
enemy outposts open new fast travel locations to the player, cutting
down on the amount of time required to traverse the wilderness.
Finding and deactivating the radio towers responsible for spreading
the corrupt government's propaganda reveals some of the points of
interest in their region. They're also often the highest point
around, making them excellent places to test your wingsuit prowess.
Far Cry 4
is loaded with missions, it feels like there are hundreds of things
for the player to tackle. The main campaign missions are decent; I
felt myself seriously considering the ramifications of the the plans
presented by Amita and Sabal, the leaders of the Golden Path. One
values the traditions of the past and the other longs to drag Kyrat
into the present by any means necessary. The campaign missions
varied enough that they never got too repetitive. The same cannot be
said for some of the other missions scattered throughout the
landscape. The side characters that send you out into the world with
tasks to complete were all written in the most stereotypical way
imaginable. Their missions often seemed to be the same as the last,
with a change in location the only variety to be found
When I
started to find myself bored with my third strange drug trip, hostage
rescue, or assassination I'd go search for a piece of a thangka
that's kind of a family heirloom. Finding those pieces leads the
player to the mystical land of Shangri-La. In the Shangri-La
missions the game changes completely, having the player take control
of a warrior striving to rid the land of evil. The landscape is
eerily beautiful and the player gives up his trusty firearms for a
magical bow that slows time and can eventually fire multiple arrows.
You also gain the ability to summon a tiger to fight at the player's
side. The change of pace allows the player to time their breaks from
Kyrat to coincide with the occasions when the regularly available
missions seem to be bogging you down.
When
my tickets to Shangri-La were all punched and I needed a respite I
found myself setting goals for myself, instead of seeking out the
next mission. There is little more satisfying in Far Cry 4
than successfully taking a stronghold without the alarm being
sounded. Almost as exciting are the moments when all your plans fall
apart and you have to adapt on the fly. Packs of wolves can expose
you before you're ready, the single guard you missed after five
minutes of scouting the enemy base can sound the alarm while you
watch helplessly from across the outpost; those are only examples of
the several complications that can arise. When you're on the brink
of death and finally victorious, those are the moments that really
shine looking back on them.
Conclusion:
The lack of face time for the villain and the poorly conceived side
characters with repetitive missions don't do too much to mar the
game. In addition to the amazing world the developers built, the
sheer number of things to do will keep most gamers busy for quite a
while. Accomplishing many of the goals is possible with several
different approaches, which increases the fun to be had and the
replay value.
Rating:
8.5/10
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