Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Platforms: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC

Released: November 18th, 2014

 

The Himalayan country of Kyrat in Far Cry 4 is arguably one of the best locations to date that you'll ever explore in a video game. Kyrat is a vast and diverse playground that players will easily get lost in as it offers unbridled freedom. Ubisoft’s series has always encouraged exploration and freedom of choice but Far Cry 4 takes it to another level.

In Far Cry 4, you play as Ajay Ghale who’s returning to his hometown of Kyrat to scatter his beloved mother’s ashes. Unbeknownst to Ajay, his parents founded the Kyrati rebel organization known as the Golden Path, then his mother fled with her son to America. Upon arriving in Kyrat, Ajay’s bus is ambushed by soldiers and he soon makes his first encounter with Pagan Min who’s the king of Kyrat. Min takes Pagan away with him but he soon escapes and this is when the mayhem starts. As the story progresses you’ll encounter two characters named Amita and Sabal, the leaders of the group The Golden Path. At some point in the campaign you’ll have to decide whether to side with Amita or roll with Sabal. Whatever choice you make will affect the way the story plays out and what missions you’ll have to complete.

Aside from the main campaign, Far Cry 4 offers so many distractions to lure the player in, that more times than not you’ll veer of course. There are animals to be hunted and slayed, gear to be made and fortresses and outposts begging to be conquered. The crafting system is similar to the one found in Far Cry 3 where you’ll need to stash the skins of Kyrat’s generous animal population in order to upgrade useful items like ammo pouches, loot bags and weapon holsters. You won’t find it easy hunting the animals nor overrunning outposts as the game’s A.I. is pretty clever. If enemy soldiers find you have the drop on them they will retreat and some animals will attack you when your back is turned. There were a few occasions where I was circled by a pack of dogs which led me to becoming virtual dog meat. The larger animals apparently know they are bigger than you because they attack relentlessly. Far Cry 4 also has a co-op mode which will allow you to tackle the vast terrain of Kyrat with a friend. For the most part I found co-op pretty fun and some of the fortresses are really tough to handle so having a friend along becomes a necessity. Sweetening the pot even further, upon purchasing the game you get ten co-op keys to give away to your friends that allow them to play with you (for a limited amount of time) without even owning the game. Pretty smart move by Ubisoft as it can lure in potential buyers who may have been on the fence about purchasing the game. If there was one knock against Far Cry 4 it would be the minimal presence of Min throughout the game. After capturing you with a great opening thanks to a dope performance from actor Troy Baker, it felt like we were about to witness one of video game’s greatest villains but he makes far too little of an appearance in the campaign.

The XXL Endgame

Far Cry 4 shines in the sense of freedom it gives the player as they travel through its environment. Kyrat is stunning and there is a vast breath of gameplay content available to go along with a cast of lively characters. Despite Min not having more of an impact throughout the game, Far Cry 4 is still worth your 15 to 60 hours of play time. –written by DJRhude (@DJRhude)

XXL Rating: XL (Excellent)

The product in this article was sent to us by Ubisoft for review on the PS4

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