Far Cry’s Shocking Move: Ditching Open Worlds Could Revive the Franchise!

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Ever since it first appeared in 2004, the Far Cry series has established itself as one of Ubisoft’s most recognizable franchises. This is largely due to its thrilling combat, captivating villains, and anarchy-filled open environments. Unfortunately, recent installments of Far Cry have not always lived up to the hype.

Since Far Cry 4, each installment in the Far Cry series has faced criticism, with this trend encompassing mainline titles such as Far Cry 5 and Far Cry 6, as well as offshoots like Far Cry Primal and Far Cry New Dawn. Despite adhering to the formula that has propelled the series to success, one key component of the franchise might be hindering its progress.

How Far Cry Could Benefit From Putting Open World Exploration on the Back Burner

The Ups and Downs of Far Cry’s Open Worlds

Exploring a vast, open world has always been a defining feature of the Far Cry gameplay experience. Each installment in the series places you in a wild and perilous setting where you gather resources, fight off wildlife, capture enemy bases, and carry out tasks for local rebels – all while navigating an expansive landscape teeming with distinct ecosystems and challenging terrain. This open-world design was a significant attraction for earlier games such as Far Cry 3. However, the idea of an Ubisoft-style open world has become a deterrent for some players today.

Over time, Ubisoft seemed to grow less innovative in their use of the open-world design concept across multiple games. Regardless if it was a title like ‘Far Cry’ or ‘Assassin’s Creed’, the experience often involved repetitive tasks such as raiding similar bases, scaling numerous towers, and carrying out foreseeable missions. Although ‘Far Cry 7’ is intended to breathe new life into exploration, it might be beneficial for the series to take a pause from its open-world format instead.

What a Linear Far Cry Game Could Look Like

Instead of pouring a significant portion of its resources and time into constructing a massive open world riddled with redundant side activities, Ubisoft might benefit from adopting a more linear approach for future installments of Far Cry. This change would enable Ubisoft to concentrate more on crafting the game’s narrative and enhancing the interaction between the protagonist and antagonist, aiming to surpass the quality of character dynamics in Far Cry 5 and Far Cry 6. Given the pivotal role that villains play in Far Cry games, it’s crucial for Ubisoft to excel in this area.

In addition to the innovations introduced in games like Far Cry 5 and Far Cry 6, such as melee weapons, pets, Supremo gadgets, and RPG-like gear systems, it’s worth considering spending more time refining and enhancing the core gameplay experience of a future Far Cry title. The minute-to-minute gameplay in recent games has felt somewhat repetitive compared to earlier entries. A smaller scale Far Cry game could provide Ubisoft with the opportunity to focus on perfecting gameplay mechanics while potentially reintroducing beloved features from older games, like the healing animations found in Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4, that have been absent in recent releases.

In a departure from its usual open-world style, the Far Cry series has shown it can excel at creating more structured, linear experiences within its games. For instance, some standout moments in Far Cry 4 occurred in smaller, isolated areas off the main map, such as the nail-biting prison escape sequence during the Don’t Look Down mission. The remote setting of the prison and the protagonist’s initial powerlessness added a classic touch to the gameplay, while the compact scale allowed for a tightly controlled and immersive gaming experience. If Ubisoft were to expand this design approach across an entire campaign, it could potentially overcome various challenges and address several shortcomings that have been associated with the series.

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2025-05-05 01:16