Beautifully designed graphics, an array of weapons, co-op mode is a lot more involving. Is this the best Far Cry title in the series? We find out.
Game makers Ubisoft have decided to improvise their successful script for the Far Cry series. Usually you, the protagonist, accidently get caught up with some serious nefarious characters. But this time around in Far Cry 4, Ajay Ghale travels to the fictitious Himalayan kingdom of Kyrat to scatter his mother’s ashes. As expected, nothing goes according to plan as you are smack in the middle of a rebellion, The Golden Path, against the autocrat Pagan Min. Now this is where the plot starts to go all Bollywood, as Ajay finds out that his late father was the mastermind behind this revolution and to make matters worse, the colourful villain Min and his mother had an affair many moons ago. It does sound tacky, but believe me there is a lot more in the game to play than this flimsy plot.
Being an open world game a lot of decisions you make shape the game and the missions you take up. The rebellion is divided into two faction leaders, Amita and Sabal, and you have to support one. There are some familiar faces like Willis, the undercover CIA agent from Far Cry 3, who provides Ajay with important family background intel and is an asset during missions. Then there is Longinus, who was in business with Min and was paid in blood diamonds, but now he has decided to turn a new leaf and follow the path of truth. What we truly love about this game are the Hurk missions. Hurk is a co-op partner, who has your back in missions, at the same time has a killer sense of humour. You can also play solo in Hurk missions.
There are a variety of animals in the game – Bengal tigers, bears and yes, even honey badgers – but do not underestimate what mayhem these creatures can create and mind you, they are very difficult to kill. You will have to stay alert at all times as eagles will come swooping down on you and attack you. These sudden attacks can be quiet deadly. And here is a beast that can be your ally, the mighty elephants. Instead of trying to kill an elephant, unlock the skill to ride them. They give the enemy a devastating blow by stamping all over them.
Far Cry 4 features two skill sets: Tiger Skills, which is the lethal mode, and the Elephant Skills, which lets you ride these big creatures and increase your life span. So how do you earns these skills? You need to collect XP, which can be earned by killing enemies and animals.
Far Cry 4’s graphics are breathtaking as the kingdom of Kyrat is inspired by landscapes in India, Tibet and Nepal. The towering Himalayan mountain range upon you and with the untamed forests surrounding you with all sorts of blood thirsty wildlife, it does manage to give you the chills. Attention to detail is brilliant, especially the environmental variety. A special mention goes to the sound effects. This makes the game more captivating and brings the wildlife into your living room, while the graphics in Far Cry 4 remain the most realistic amnogst all the games in the series. I just wish Min had a larger role to play as he is the one who is the most impressive character in the game. All-in-all this game is definitely worth a buy.
