Summary
Far Crywas a big part of the start of an era in open-world FPS titles during the early-to-mid-2000s. The series' exotic locale sandboxes and FPS gameplay broke new ground and were the beginning of publisher and later developer Ubisoft’s presence in the genre space. With six mainline titles and multiple spin-offs under its belt over 20 years,Far Cryhas long been a standard of AAA open-world action titles.
Presently, though, the IP has seen its longest gap between new releases and very littleinformation regarding the direction of the nextFar Cryprojects. Though nothing is confirmed so far, some indications could point to the seventh entry possibly looking deeper into the franchise’s past for inspiration, specifically with some potential similarities to ideas seen in 2008’sFar Cry 2.
Far Cry 7leaks and rumors were variously reported in the course of 2023, and continue to surface, while Ubisoft remains largely tight-tipped on its plans.
Far Cry 7 Could be Calling Back to Some of FC2’s Major Designs
Far Cry 2 Was Its Prototype, Warts and All
Far Cry 2was a generational leapin a few notable ways. Some of the aspects that made audiences originally take notice were its focus on immersion and realism. Having elements like players' guns frequently jamming or misfiring, as well as needing to manage their malaria level, added to its atmosphere and grittiness. Other mechanics and designs were strictly kept in the diagetics of the world, like the map only being viewable from an in-game perspective versus a pause screen or standard UI mini-map.
While mileage certainly varied on their fun factor, the second installment served as the start of the series attempting to set itself apart by experimenting and innovating on earlier open-world FPS designs.
Far Cry 2felt much more organicat the time in terms of freedom of exploration. It also had a more complex faction system than many contemporaries, wherein players could choose to support or subvert various organizations throughout, adding a wrinkle to its mercenary tale of a war-torn fictional African country. Finally,FC2’s villain, The Jackal, was an early iteration of the iconic larger-than-life baddies the series strove to associate itself with afterward.
How Far Cry 7 Looks to Be Channeling FC2’s Elements
According to an Insider Gaming report from late 2023,Far Cry 7’s biggest change might be its inclusion of an in-game timer. A major structure shift like this would indeed mark a drastically different direction than the free-form and bombastic style of the previous few games, instead leaning more into some ofFC2’s more restrictive/realistic and subdued designs.
This could be an indication that Ubisoft is also thinking of incorporating other previously seen and related ones, such asFC2’s aforementioned weapon/item behavior, compared to ones likeFC6’s backpack abilities. Something likeFC7having warring factions players can interact with alongside this rumored timer could be a possibility too, if it is going to be drawing more heavily fromFC2in general. Other interesting details have also been noted, such asFar Cry 7potentially featuring a cult of antagonists on a tropical island—highly evocative ofFar Cry 3’s setting mixed withFC5’s setup.
Ubisoft might be considering hopping back to some of the design philosophies behindFC2in conjunction with iterative twists on others seen since. Though this vision, if accurate, may pose a bit of a risk by potentially restricting some prior aspects,Far Crycould hopefully see itself rise from the middle-of-the-road status that it has acquired in recent years, and deliver a satisfying seventh title that takes the best cues fromFar Cry 2in addition to any fresh surprises it brings to the table.
Far Cry 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as Dani Rojas, a local Yaran and become a guerrilla fighter to liberate the nation. Welcome to Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time. Far Cry 6 immerses players into the adrenaline-filled world of a modern-day guerrilla revolution.
