Game Review: Far Cry 4

  The image above belongs to its respective owner, not me

Hello Enthusiasts,

Today I will reviewing the forth game in the popular Far Cry series. I will try to keep spoilers to a minimum, but there may be some Mild Spoilers Below.

Far Cry 4 is an open world first person shooter, with a focus on action in the environment. It takes place in the fictional Himalayan country of Kyrat, which is in the middle of a revolution. The player takes the role of Ajay, who is just trying to pass through to scatter his mother's ashes, per her last request. As it turns out, Ajay is the son of one of Kyrat's most famous freedom-fighters, and is brought in to the Golden Path (the rebels). The game features a lot of exploration through jungles and mountains, with a variety of wildlife (most of which is out to kill you). Surviving will require using a variety of weapons, vehicles, and items.

There are a lot of good things to say about this game. The dialogue in the game is hilarious, very few of the jokes fall flat. The dictator of the country, Pagan Min, is particularly funny throughout the game, never seeming to lose his cool despite the progress that you make. I really enjoyed the diverse environment, and the various settings really instill a sense of the people's culture. The unlockables in the game are useful and can be challenging to obtain. The unlockable wing-suit ends up being incredibly useful, though difficult to get down at first. There is also a system of unlocking larger pouches for things like ammunition and heath, which can be a real game changer, but to get the highest upgrades for each the player will need to complete "Fashion Week" challenges, which require killing a stronger version of some of the more dangerous animals in the game (like those damn Honey Badgers). The variety in weapons is impressive as well, with just about every type of firearm included (as well as a great bow). Each weapon also has upgrades and attachments that can be unlocked, purchased, and equipped.

Something the game does very well is allow the player to use creative ways to take out enemies in a stealth fashion. Throwing a piece of raw meat into an enemy area will attract a carnivorous animal, like a bear or a large cat. Shooting a bee hive in an enemy area will cause the bees to swarm at the enemies as well. The player can shoot a flaming arrow and set areas on fire without giving away their position, and the radios can be destroyed to prevent the enemy troops from calling for backup. You can always rush in and try to gun down everyone, but that can easily end poorly and I personally don't think it ends up being as fun. Plus, the game does steadily get more difficult (appropriately so), and I felt like I was rewarded for taking the time to take over areas in a covert manner. The style of movement also feels like it caters toward a stealth-based system, although that could just be me using the mechanics to my style. However, as much as I like going in stealth-like, I can't deny that I took great pleasure in bursting into an enemy base on the back of an elephant and just decimating an entire squad of soldiers.

The game does have a few downsides though. Some of the side missions can be a bit lackluster, and I found myself avoiding things like the drug-induced missions, as well as the missions where you travel to the past to fight demons. I know, it sounds like a lot of fun, but it's actually kind of boring, especially when compared to the rest of the game. The ending also feels kind of dull compared to the rest of the game, as Pagan Min doesn't put up much of a fight on his own, it's just difficult to get to him, This comes after hours of fighting far more difficult soldiers and animals, so it's disappointing that I can just shoot Pagan once and be done with it. It's definitely a case of the journey being better than the destination.

Overall, I really liked this title. It's not the best in the series in my opinion, but it is an enjoyable (if not frustrating) game that did a fantastic job of keeping me engaged. Between the gameplay, the setting, and the dialogue, the game really comes together as a comprehensive story. I look forward to the next installment of the series, but this one does well enough for me for now.

I give Far Cry 4 an 8 out of 10.

Sincerely,

The Bored Enthusiast