Ubisoft is on the ropes in 2014. Last year, Ubi had two games that nearly made our GOTY list: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon and AC IV: Black Flag. This year they have bungled the ever-loving shit out of Watchdogs, tried to sell us a $60 broken commercial in the form of an Assassin’s Creed game, and I can assure you that The Crew is not being considered for GOTY. That means there can be only one last shot for Ubisoft: Far Cry 4.
Ubisoft has taken the Far Cry franchise away from its familiar island setting and tucked it away in a fictional Himalayan country, named Kyrat. Although the President of Kyrat assures the world that his regime is a Democracy, it is instead a pure military dictatorship with all the trimmings: forced labor, sex slaves, a brisk drug trade, gladiator matches, and a heavy-handed disdain for the good old days. There are a few brave souls, called The Golden Path, who fight for freedom and tradition under the mighty heel of authoritarian oppression. If only they had a symbol to rally around...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CjZTdDVZGQ&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Ajay Ghale, American raised son of Kyrat, is bringing his mother’s urn back to Kyrat to fulfill her dying wish. Things go very bad very quickly when Ajay is kidnapped by the President of Kyrat, the flamboyant Pagan Min, and forced to eat crab rangoon in a palace while his “plus one” is tortured for information. Terrorists, led by the traditionalist Sabal, soon storm the palace and liberate Ajay from his meal, but leave Ajay’s friend, Darpan, on the rack with electrodes on his nipples, with the assurance that he would understand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvabDMybIUI&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Ajay eventually finds refuge in the hometown of the local resistance and is shocked to discover that his father founded the Golden Path before his murder at the hands of Pagan Min. The locals convince Ajay to fight for a land that isn’t his in the name of a father that he never knew. Okay, it’s a video game, not a Hollywood blockbuster, but it’s enough to get shit started.
A Tried and True Formula
Not much has changed in the way of gameplay from the last two Far Cry games. Players scale towers and put them out of commission to remove the fog of war and highlight points of interest on the map, as well as landmarks, animal hunting grounds, and the locations of helpful herbs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBgMIQe_BhA&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Securing outposts from the opposition is another task that Far Cry veterans will immediately recognize. Each enemy outpost taken will provide another fast travel point on the map and open up side quests, like hunting, assassination missions, hostage rescues, and game hunts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztwd4xnmhwA&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
The new part of the outpost and tower formula is the fort. There are 4 fortresses to claim in Far Cry 4, one for each villain: De Pleur, Noore, Yuma, and Pagan Min. These are very heavily fortified with platoons of reinforcements at the ready, making these a very good opportunity to flex your co-op muscles. If you don’t have any friends, assassinate the fort leader to cripple the defenses, or hire a mercenary or two. Taking out the fortress will stop the attacks on all outposts in the area and net the player a nice chunk of change.
Pagan Min runs a robust policy of propagandization on his subjects. The local pirate DJ will reward the player with a sack full of attaboys for taking out Min’s propaganda centers with extreme prejudice. Removing any propaganda posters that litter Kyrat will also reward players with extra little goodies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xt4Ly3wLTWA&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Tools of the Trade
Ubisoft has kept the weapon selection from the last couple of games: assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns, grenade launchers, bows, rocket launchers, hand grenades, Molotov cocktails, pistols, etc. Using the bow on hunts will double the usable hides for crafting. Players must craft their own holsters, wallets, grenade pouches, etc. Ajay is obviously a very inept and wasteful seamstress: it takes 5 Rhino hides to craft a single wallet. Who in the hell is going to use the world’s most gigantic and endangered wallet?
Besides the endangered Rhino, players will also hunt goats, deer, bears, tigers, leopards, and fish for crafting purposes. Oh yeah...don’t forget about the fucking Honey Badger.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdAJD4PPv3U&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
All of the familiar travel options have returned: jet skis, four wheelers, gliders, shitty cars and trucks, gun trucks and boats. Ubis has added a crappy 3-wheeled taxi thing and a gyrocopter. Don’t expect any racing cars in this game, but expect to race anyway.
This Ain’t Rook Island
As expected, Far Cry 4 is a much better looking game than its predecessors.Ubisoft has taken the feedback from Far Cry 3 and have done their best to create another bad guy to be remembered. Pagan Min is stylish, well spoken, dignified, and deceptively violent. He has his foot on the throat of Kyrat and he’s having the time of his life. Pagan will occasionally contact Ajay, through the radio, just to let his personality shine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGLHqLuqhrs&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
The outpost and fortress sieges required a bit more of a tactical approach than before, and I liked the fact that bonuses are rewarded for being stealthy and not setting off alarms. If the player is not satisfied with the result of the assault, it can be replayed at anytime.
The wildlife is a bit more aggressive and deadly in this game. There were several times that I was attacked by animals while attempting to sneak up on an outpost. Tactics change very quickly when tigers are attacking, alarm bells are ringing, and reinforcements are en route. Since Kyrat is landlocked we did lose sharks, but we gained Eagles. Be wary traveler, death may come from any direction, even the sky itself.
You Knew it Was Coming
The biggest gripe I have about the game is its willingness to sacrifice suspension of disbelief over stupid shit. Ajay can fix trucks with smoking engines by welding the door handle. The Golden Path does not assist Ajay in taking an outpost, but they should be able to defend it, right? Nope, drive 100 feet from a newly liberated outpost and a panicky voice will come on the radio to inform you of an attack that they cannot repel on their own. How did these people get along before Ajay arrived?
This lack of self reliance permeates the entire game. Ajay continually has to break off from what he’s doing to help in a firefight, protect civilians and soldiers from animal attacks, and singlehandedly respond to any emergency that happens to occur in Kyrat. I’m kind of busy here, send one of those useless Golden Path guys to do it...but have him change into a red shirt first.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2GJkedXH-A&list=UUeUIaIHNJKlpTBo0iXuaLA...
Keep in mind that this is not a kid’s game. The game slathers on the profanity and violence like butter on cornbread. There are multiple depictions of drug use and drug references. Kyrat’s entire agricultural industry is dependant the heroin and opium trade, so drugs are a perpetual and pervasive theme. There are also some wild naked titties.
Sarcasmo Says
Despite the contrived shooter genre plot devices, Far Cry 4 is a lot of fun to play. The gunplay is tight, the driving is bumpy but exciting, and I never got the feeling that any place was entirely safe. Co-op and multiplayer modes are icing on a familiar but favorite cake. If you liked Far Cry 3 or Blood Dragon, then this is likely more of what you like. Far Cry 4 is huge fun, and gets our highest rating and due consideration for GOTY.
