by Joseph Knoop
Insanity, Defined
For a series that only recently built itself off discovering the definition of insanity, it’s surprising that such an effort would be made, only to end up doing the exact same thing (or close) as its predecessor. Far Cry 4 is a meaningful installment in the franchise, but only by virtue of being a complete package. Whether or not that means you should purchase it depends on your tolerance for a lack of major innovation built on an incredibly solid framework.
It was easy to criticize Far Cry 3 for its biggest flaw: Featuring a white savior/Jersey Shore reject in a foreign land, despite the killer editorials claiming this to be social commentary on Ubisoft’s part. Far Cry 4 makes its most meaningful stride in actually featuring a main character who is native to the region that you crash land into. Sent on a mission to spread his late mother’s ashes in their native country of Kyrat, Ajay Ghale must contend with the violent forces of despot Pagan Min, as well as the Golden Path, his late father’s struggling, segmented rebellion.
However you feel about representation of native ethnicities in games, it becomes clear that most characters in Far Cry 4 are still relatively hollow. Ajay himself is just another cipher to accept missions through. Such clever, repeated lines as “I just want to spread my mother’s ashes,” and “What do I need to do?” will invoke only the most meager of emotions. Amita and Sabal, the two primary leaders of the Golden Path provide for internal conflict, either of them demanding you follow through on a particular mission, ultimately affecting the rebellion in some grave manner. This rift is never properly explained, though. Rather, it’s forced on you, aiming to provide something beyond a barebones narrative, but falls flat far too often. Even in the insanity of war, it’s hard to believe someone might suggest something like “Yeah, forget those innocent villagers. We could probably use that intel on the other side of the map.”
Pagan Min, on the other hand, is a sinister delight, so long as he’s onscreen. Unfortunately, you will spend plenty of time hearing the Chinese warlord’s bemusing rants via radio transmissions, rather than direct interactions. Voice actor Troy Baker manages to capture arguably the most convincing villain this year, lending the trademark Far Cry twinge of instability to his performance. Excellent motion capture carried over from Far Cry 3 goes miles in convincing you of each actor’s performance.
Gameplay largely consists of the series’ refined balance between stealth and violent gunfights, which comes off as more of a negative aspect than a positive one this time around. Scouting enemy camps from afar, sneaking in, and going guns blazing when spotted is still satisfying, but if you’re looking for drastic changes, you’re out of luck. The ability to shoot from vehicles (including an autopilot mode while on established roads) adds an extra layer of strategy to combat, but most vehicular encounters turn into games of chicken on the narrow roads anyway.
Storming enemy strongholds is a thrilling experience, especially on the backs of elephants or the one-man gyrocopter. Calling in a buddy (A.I. or real) to help you out can be a positive experience, but sadly they’re limited to side missions.
Other tools like the new grappling hook and oxygen tanks make some traversals more streamlined, considering half the game’s landscape is mountain. It’s incredibly easy to get around from point A to point B, as long as you’ve got a relatively straight path there. Oxygen tanks force you to be quick on your feet during high altitude excursions, while using the snowy tundras to shield you from enemy sightlines.
It probably sounds like I’m dragging my feet on gameplay, but it’s only because there’s an insane amount of things to do in Kyrat. If there’s one Ubisoft trope that boils my blood more than any other, its their insistence on shoving in a thousand odd collectibles or side missions to fill up the time. While the general variety of them has improved, the majority of these side missions still feel underwhelming. You’ll have a ton of fun ingesting narcotics to battle demons in Shangri-La, or cutting down fellow warriors in a barbaric coliseum, but defending outposts from random attacks, supply runs, and assassinations wear out their welcome far too soon.
If what you want out of Far Cry 4 is more of the same, then you’ve found your perfect game. The series’ playground shooter motif has been refined to its greatest point yet, certainly surpassing the linearity of titles like Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare. The locale is far more interesting than a generic tropical island, though you wouldn’t know it for all the missions meant to distract you. The initial delight you’ll experience (and that pops up during the game’s more cinematic moments) will often be worn down by that minutia. But if you’re looking for that shooter title to pick up during the holiday season, fun is guaranteed in Far Cry 4, whether or not you feel like it’s been a bit too neatly packaged.
Verdict: 8/10
+ Enjoyable playground combat
+ A more engaging cast
- Typical Ubisoft collect-a-thon
- Major renovations/additions aren’t that grand
