Far Cry 5 (PS4, Xbox One) Review - Far Cry 5 Controversy gone too far?

Blog post by Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24

Far Cry 5 - Was Joseph Seed and Co. too much?

Far Cry games have been a prominent feature within the gaming world since the last generation of gaming. I often hear gamers talking about the immersive jungle environments of Far Cry 2 or first being able to fly a helicopter in Far Cry 4. I could type for days on the intricacies and beauties of the Far Cry Games.

Far Cry 5 is set in present day Montana and has a dark cultist backdrop which has drawn significant parallels in to the current climate of certain portions of the U.S. Is this a mistake some ask? Of course not. A source of at alphr.com explain how Far Cry 5’s director “is based on how real-world cults spread their roots”. In this article the author went on to quite the Far Cry 5 director in his efforts to explain the link between Far Cry 5 and the controversial cult setting: “Imagine that you own a farm and a good portion of land. One day, you realise that the neighbours have sold their land to a bunch of eccentric people. The day after, hundreds of eccentrics are settling down. Their presence impacts the nearby landscape, your farm too. Business is going south and the presence of the eccentrics has devalued your property. Nobody wants to purchase it anymore, except the eccentrics who will buy on the cheap. That’s an example of how some cults have operated to acquire a targeted area and spread.”

It is understandable at how Far Cry 5’s current social relevance can be offensive to some people. In the terrible light of numerous gun tragedies, racism, bigotry and in fact all forms of discrimination; the notion of Far Cry 5’s social relevance can seem a little brutal. Ultimately there is no denying the link between certain climates seeming parallel to Ubisoft’s latest Far Cry adventure. How do I feel about it? I believe relevance to be a wonderful thing and social relevance can be displayed in a video game then surely that is down to the gamers themselves on whether they want to play it right?

What is it the drives the Far Cry 5 experience? Is the controversy? Is it the essence of the Far Cry brand? Far Cry 5 is a Far Cry game. The basic premise is the same as pervious Far Cry games in that you play a single protagonist that meanders across a large map. There a re a ton of quests to complete along the way which take you closer and closer to the bad guy. In the case of Far Cry 5 the bad dude is Joseph Seed. He is the mastermind. He is the guy Ubisoft portray to be some crazed out maniac. Ini Far Cry 5 he is not alone as Joseph Seed has three siblings. Each sibling has their own area of Hope County and each sibling needs to be defeated in order to liberate areas of Hope County. You get the idea.

Whilst I do not believe Far Cry 5 brings anything revolutionary to us gamers, by way of story or mechanics, Far Cry 5 simply perpetuates the franchise in a positive direction. It is not the controversy that drives Far Cry 5 (albeit the settings are certainly intriguing) but it is feelings of isolation, the panic of being low on ammo and stuck in the middle of nowhere, it is the vibrant colours, the eccentric characters, the expansive world that can be adored by land, sea and air! These are the components that make Far Cry games a rewarding experience to play.

One change I really loved was the lesser emphasis on crafting items. This meant that I spent less time scavenging for items and seamlessly running around the forest looking for badgers to kill! That’s right in Far Cry 5 I felt as though I could absorb the missions more without needless distraction. I certainly hope this is something that continues in to future Far Cry games.

If you are new to the Far Cry series then brace yourself for an insane ride in to the deep crevices of Hope County. Far Cry 5 feels explosive for newcomers to the series and I can assure you that the controversy does not amplify Far Cry 5's immersion. Maybe it helped to provide more of a spotlight from critics but bad news sells papers right? Sure it does. Far Cry 5 is a game driven by deceit, power, kinship and more. 

Blog post by Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24

Fire your Magnum in to this and catchup on more gaming goodness from TheGebs24