TheFar Cryseries has come a long way. Ever since the original title released in 2004, there has been a newFar Crygame every two years or so, and it is a major franchise for Ubisoft. However, ever since the release of the popularFar Cry 3, the franchise has a problem with repetition that may be severe enough to require a revolution or the retirement.
While modern Far Cry mechanics and Ubisoft’s regular format can be traced back to the earlyAssassin’s Creedgames andFar Cry 2,Far Cry 3set the trend for all the other titles to come. There’s also an argument to be made thatFar Cry 3was the game that set the tropesof AAA open-world development for years to come. It was so successful that Ubisoft has kept the formula intact with few adjustments over the years. While the setting and characters of each game are different, most everything else feels the same. Thus, it might be time for Ubisoft to really try something new.
RELATED:The Original Far Cry’s Unofficial Sequel Explained
The Ubisoft Open-World Blueprint
Players of Ubisoft franchises likeFar CryandAssassin’s Creedhave come to recognize a familiar pattern of gameplay with bases to clear, points of interest on the map, a familiar narrative structure, objective markers, and more. The games are meticulously crafted from an environmental and sound design perspective, with each differing wildly in this regard. But when it comes to gameplay and expectations, after the first few hours players can become apathetic,especially if they’ve played aFar Crygame before.
These are just some aspects of the formula, yet they are so pervasive in the franchise thatFar Cry 4,5and6could arguably be labeled the same game with a different setting. This isn’t necessarily bad, as some are no doubt happy with the formula; it has cemented itself as the de facto technique for AAA open-world game development. But if sales figures and review scores are anything to go by,Far Cry 6performed worse than its predecessors, despite having acelebrity villain in Giancarlo Espositoat the helm. Much of this is attributed to repetitiveness that theFar Cryfranchise is overstuffed with.
Elden Ring Represents a Changing Landscape
What doesn’t help theFar Cryfranchise is how open-world games are reinventing this tried-and-tested formula. The extremely popular,Elden Ringhas seen much praise and successbecause of its approach to leading the player through its massive open world - or more accurately, how it doesn’t lead the player.
There are no objective markers inElden Ring, only vague clues on where you are meant to go. Players can put down notes on the map, giving them agency over what they think is where, and when to engage with it. The open world is huge and dynamic, begging to be explored in every direction just to see what’s there - and most of the dungeons would never be discovered just by following the “main” path itself. If anything,Elden Ringis the antithesis ofFar Cry’s open-world design.
Similarly,The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, one of the bestselling games of all time, utilized non-linear gameplay to excellent effect. But it also encouraged experimentation through its unstructured, interactive world.Far Cry’s open world, while littered with opportunity, shoves objectives in players' faces. On top of that, anything found around the world is likely something players have done before - either in the game or previous titles.
RELATED:A Live-Service Future Seems Inevitable for Far Cry 7
The Definition of Insanity
The problem with the modern-dayFar Cryfranchise isn’t just with its approach to open-world design. There are some genuinelypositive aspects of allFar Crygames, namely their villains, gunplay and DLC in games likeFar Cry 6. But these are often overshadowed by just how much “game” there is in each entry.
Far Cry 6is a great example of this, which is perhaps why it was reviewed worse than previous entries. The game bombards fans with familiar content, be it saving civilians to taking hostile areas. The cumulative nature of this could create massive value for players if it wasn’t for the game feeling like it is stretching itself out rather than making each moment memorable. While it could be considered optional content, players will find themselves at a disadvantage in the main story if they don’t pursue some of these extra activities. Worst of all, nearly all of these optional activities are things that players done before even in previous games going back toFar Cry 3.
WhetherFar Cryas a franchise should be retired is up for debate. There are solid foundations to build on, and not every entry is so similar in nature.The excellent, yet flawedFar Cry 2is a good example. But if recent trends in the gaming community are anything to go by, players seem to be looking for games that have open worlds but don’t give players overt instruction and guidance on how to move through it.
The one thing thatmay kill theFar Cryfranchise is repetition. If the aforementioned poor sales figures for the latest entry are anything to go by, gamers are waiting to see ifFar Crywill reinvent itself before pre-ordering or buying the game at all. If Ubisoft isn’t willing to reinvent the wheel, it may just have to retire its classic franchise and make room for something new.
Far Cry 6is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
