Far Cry 4 (Video Game Review)

On November 18, Far Cry 4 unleashed its madness onto PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One from publisher/developer Ubisoft. The game is the fourth release in the Far Cry series with a campaign that takes place in Kyrat offering up players the adventure of a lifetime in the fictional regions of Nepal. Read on.

Far Cry 4 is a single-player journey through the eyes of Ajay Ghale who has suffered the loss of his mother and must return to his homeland where he is placed in the middle of a fierce war between Pagan Min and the Golden Path organization. Players are given the opportunity to choose an alignment with their preferred party with each choice reflecting a series of events and alternate endings.

The biggest different in Far Cry 4 and the previous title is that the story and open world gameplay are in sync and offer an overall enjoyable experience. Far Cry 4 contains a lot of extreme violence which is minimized by the slight instances of humor throughout the campaign. The developers want players to assume the role of Ajay Ghale fully, so voiceovers have been minimized, in order to give gamers the sense that they are literally in the shoes of the character.

The best part of Far Cry 4 is the return of the map editor which allows players to form their own maps by placing trees, animals, buildings and so forth into their world for their own unique experience. In order to publish maps, gamers will need to link their accounts to Uplay in order to fully access everything that the mutiplayer and co-op modes have to offer.Far Cry 4's open world is just as huge as Far Cry 3 but a lot more dense with about the same visuals and physics. While certain parts of the new release have been tweaked for a better gameplay experience--players can expect about the same feel and look that they enjoyed from Far Cry 3.

Far Cry 4 contains a well-written storyline that is very dramatic and intriguing. The game starts out with the ability to either play the campaign game or the Chronicles. The Chronicles are the multiplayer portion of the game and allow players to play 5 vs. 5 multiplayer matches online with the ability to create their own map or user generated maps. However, before starting your journey, gamers need to remember the words of Pagan Min which are "You don't text for help, you cry for it."

The single player portion of Far Cry 4 allows gamers to play online which will allow other players to join via co-op or the option for offline gameplay to try out the open-world adventure on your own. Ajay is fulfilling the last wishes of his mother by taking her remains to Lakshmana which puts our character on a filthy bus through the war-torn lands of Kyrat. You haven't been in the land for less than two minutes before everyone is killed and you are shot laying on the ground with a gun to your head. Of course, the action doesn't really get intense until Pagan Min arrives with his over-the-top performance. Pagan's voice over performance is beyond incredible and reminds you a little bit of the legendary Heath Ledger's performance as Joker in The Dark Knight movie.

After a creepy dinner with Min that included a four-headed monkey centerpiece, it is soon revealed that Ajay's mother had a ludicrous affair with Min before she fled to the United States with him, which explains why he isn't torturing you as we speak. Did your mother ever tell you that texting for help at the dinner table is rude? While Min goes off to torture his other dinner guests, you are left to hear the screams, while being tasked with exploring the De Pleur mansion. Players can now look their list of menu options that includes Tactics, Collection, Progress, Crafting, Skills and the Map. The Tactics section allows you to gain insightful information about Kyrat, battles, choices and more. As you venture across the 32 campaign missions you will come across collectible items, outposts, fortresses and bell towers. There are a ton of collectibles in the game that includes lost letters, propaganda posters, Masks of Yalung and so forth which adds a great deal of replayability to Far Cry 4. Ajay's father soon sends the Golden Path organization to rescue him from the mansion and you are in a high-speed car chase risking your life to only find yourself crashed in the woods before you can even figure out what the hell is going on. The creators of Far Cry 4 have done a terrific job of keeping the game interesting with non-stop action which really adds a whole other degree of immersiveness to the title. Players will utilize a wide array of mechanics to make it across the campaigns which often involve stealth or head-to-head battles. Far Cry 4 employs a high degree of realism which requires players to heal themselves by resetting their own broken bones, cauterizing wounds or even gathering bait from animals to lure predators during combat.



Far Cry 4 isn't just about surviving the clutches of Pagan Min or the war that is taking place in Kyrat. It is about surviving the vast wilderness ahead of you and keeping your sanity in place while you do it. However, Far Cry 4 offers up an exciting experiences for fans of the franchise despite the game's wonky controls and camera on occasion. Far Cry 4 isn't visually over-the-top in comparison to Far Cry 3, but the game does look and sound great. The interesting story and great characters really make Far Cry 4 a memorable and exciting adventure this holiday season.

Far Cry 4 is now available from all major retailers for the MSRP of $59.99 and can be purchased for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4,  Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Far Cry 3 is rated M by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content & Use of Drugs. For more information on the game, check out the official Far Cry 4 website.

Game Features:

Single Player

Online 5 vs. 5 Multiplayer

Co-op Campaign

Online Leaderboards

DLC Support

Trophy/Achievement Support

Game Information:
Developer & Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, & Xbox One (reviewed)
Release Date: November 18, 2014

Score: 9 out of 10