When writing reviews, I usually try and at least finish the game, so that I have a full understanding of how a game works. But with Far Cry 4, I had zero inclination to continue past the 4-5 hour mark, as I was so bored by everything (barring the views and the animals), that I just couldn't force myself to go further. But alas, I am a huge fan of Far Cry 3, and Far Cry 5 was super dissapointing, so, after watching hours of gameplay footage of this game, I feel confindent in saying this:
Far Cry 4 is a near-perfect example of how souless, but still technically good and fun Ubi games can be. It's world is empty and hard to be immersed in, but driving around and occasionally burning down tigers and swats of enemies is fun. The shooting feels ok, and gliding feels fantastic. The story is bland as hell, but functional and not offensive at the very least. You can hear how little I care even about the positives here, and that's because nothing in this game was made with a desire to make a game that challenges you in any way whatsoever.
"The game is a challenge", and when all you do is mindlessly mow down braindead goons, watch talking heads deliver boring dialog in the most fake way possible, and fail to feel any way about the cool-looking villian...it's not that you're not challenged, it's that you have zero meaningfull decisions to make and zero stuff to care about. What guns you bring in, what approach you take in tackling your objectives, what fraction does what, - it's all meaningless. And it's not just nostalgia talking: Far Cry 3 did everything this game does better and with less mechanics and a smaller world. I don't think that a bigger map or the ability to fly in a little copter were added in order to make Far Cry 4 a better game, but to market it the way all AAA blockbusters are marketed today: more, bigger, prettier. And I don't want to appear like a boomer that hates modern gaming, but this very game is, again, a prime example of souless open-worlders that flooded the market in the 8th generation
Far Cry 4 is a near-perfect example of how souless, but still technically good and fun Ubi games can be. It's world is empty and hard to be immersed in, but driving around and occasionally burning down tigers and swats of enemies is fun. The shooting feels ok, and gliding feels fantastic. The story is bland as hell, but functional and not offensive at the very least. You can hear how little I care even about the positives here, and that's because nothing in this game was made with a desire to make a game that challenges you in any way whatsoever.
"The game is a challenge", and when all you do is mindlessly mow down braindead goons, watch talking heads deliver boring dialog in the most fake way possible, and fail to feel any way about the cool-looking villian...it's not that you're not challenged, it's that you have zero meaningfull decisions to make and zero stuff to care about. What guns you bring in, what approach you take in tackling your objectives, what fraction does what, - it's all meaningless. And it's not just nostalgia talking: Far Cry 3 did everything this game does better and with less mechanics and a smaller world. I don't think that a bigger map or the ability to fly in a little copter were added in order to make Far Cry 4 a better game, but to market it the way all AAA blockbusters are marketed today: more, bigger, prettier. And I don't want to appear like a boomer that hates modern gaming, but this very game is, again, a prime example of souless open-worlders that flooded the market in the 8th generation