E3 2014 - Far Cry 4

Over the last few days, I have been amazed at what The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2014 had served on to our gaming plates. Yes, a tasty menu of games is upon us and Far Cry 4 was amongst some of the most exciting titles I had seen.

So what do we know? I want to take some time to answer that question and hopefully excite you as to what adventure lays before you from DEEP within the jungle. Far Cry 4 is set against a Himalayan backdrop within a place called Kyrat. Game play footage from E3 showed just how delicious Kyrat looked with its fluttering prayer flags that added a splash of tasteful colour as we passed by. Himalayan Mountain ranges naturally stood in the distance. I wondered how far we are going to be able to venture, up to, in to or over them? This was a great tease from Ubisoft.

As I have many stamps in my own passport from South East Asia I am used to seeing both Buddhist and Hindu shrines and temples littered within the Angkorian jungles of Cambodia and on the busy roadsides of Bangkok. As Far Cry 4 adopts a Himalyan setting, I was expecting to see the boastful, glowing sandstone structures of temples and BOY DID WE SEE THAT! Yes, it would appear to me that Ubisoft have, yet again, captured an enchanting environment for gamers to explore. I am excited to see more in November.

So who exactly are we and why are we traversing the mysticism of Kyrat? We are Ajay Ghayle, a man who had traveled to his native home to scatter his mothers ashes. But that is too easy! Ajay finds himself caught in the middle of a civil war. HERE is our gaming formula:

Himalyan beauty + Civil War and jungle Warfare x Innocent civilian = Far Cry 4

Here I am assuming that the story shall evolve with 'revenge' as Ajay's motivator to progress, explore and develop his skills. Yes, revenge!! Ubisoft showed us footage of Ajay's bus being ambushed by (of whom I perceived to be) Guerrilla fighters. With a few rounds being pumped his way, a nasty bastard in a bright purple suit talking rather sadistically and a few items set on fire, I predict Ajay will be incredibly pissed off!

 The game developers of Far Cry 4 have announced new features from the games predecessor, Far Cry 3. We will now be more under threat from nature (as if we weren't already) as aerial attacks pose a threat to the player. Naturally, we'll need to be more vigilant. I like the sound of this as it equates to A challenge! What else, a grapple hook, a cross bow, the ability to kick items toward an enemy, drive and shoot AND (my personal favourite) driving takedowns. To top this off, I want to mention a point that struck me as I analyzed the game play footage. Sound effects. These have been an integral part of my likability of previous Far Cry games. The sound of the rope tightening as Ajay clings to it mid-swing or the delicate parts of a clip clinking against other parts of a gun as Ajay reloads his weapon. In my opinion, THIS aspect is an under-reported yet satisfying trait of Far Cry. I instantly noticed this in Far Cry 4 and I LOVE IT!

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Far Cry 4 had pushed my expectations beyond belief with my next point. A point that received the loudest roar from the crowd at E3! Players will be able to invite their PSN friends in to their game EVEN if they do not own a copy of the game! Erm...mind blown! This point also had a good reception when I announced it on my 'TheGebs24' Facebook page. So I guess that is minds blown right?

Far Cry 4 is set for Worldwide release on November 18th 2014 and will be available on Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC and I cannot wait!

Gemma ~ Juicy Game Reviews