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Far Cry 5 (PS4) Review
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal / Ubisoft Toronto
Publisher: Ubisoft
Genre: First-Person Shooter / Open-World Action
Release: 2018
Far Cry 5 takes the series away from the tropical islands and Himalayan mountains of previous entries and places it in the fictional Hope County, Montana, where a fanatical doomsday cult called Eden's Gate has taken control of the region. The player takes the role of a rookie deputy attempting to build a resistance and liberate the county.
The result is one of the most enjoyable open-world shooters of its generation. The combination of excellent gunplay, a beautiful open world, vehicles, stealth, hunting, side activities and recruitable companions creates an enormous sandbox. However, the story doesn't always live up to the intriguing premise, while the core mission structure can become repetitive.
Gameplay & Mechanics
The shooting is the foundation of Far Cry 5, and it remains one of the game's greatest strengths.
Weapons feel powerful and responsive, with assault rifles, SMGs, shotguns, sniper rifles, pistols, explosives and heavy weapons providing plenty of options. Stealth is equally viable, allowing players to use suppressed weapons, bows and melee attacks to quietly eliminate enemies.
The game also gives you considerably more freedom in how you approach encounters. You can sneak into an outpost, attack it from a distance with a sniper rifle, drive directly through the front gate or call in a companion to cause chaos.
The Guns for Hire and Fangs for Hire systems are particularly enjoyable. Recruiting specialists gives you tactical options, while animal companions such as Boomer can scout enemies and attack them.
The RPG elements are relatively light compared with later open-world games. Instead of constantly increasing enemy levels, progression focuses more on unlocking perks, improving equipment and expanding your available abilities.
Strengths
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Excellent gunplay.
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Strong stealth mechanics.
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Wide range of weapons.
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Useful companions.
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Excellent vehicle controls.
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Plenty of tactical freedom.
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Perk system provides meaningful upgrades.
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Combat remains enjoyable throughout the campaign.
Weaknesses
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Enemy AI can be inconsistent.
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Some encounters become predictable.
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Weapon progression isn't particularly deep.
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Random enemy encounters can occasionally interrupt exploration.
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Some activities feel repetitive after extended play.
Exploration & World Design
Hope County is arguably the game's greatest achievement.
The open world is divided into three major regions controlled by members of the Seed family. Players can tackle these areas in different orders, creating a more flexible structure than some previous Far Cry games.
The removal of traditional radio towers is also a welcome change. Instead, information is gradually discovered by exploring, meeting characters and interacting with the world.
There is an impressive amount to discover:
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Cult outposts
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Prepper Stashes
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Hunting locations
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Fishing spots
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Side missions
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Hidden locations
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Cult properties
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Treasure
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Vehicle activities
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Random encounters
The Montana-inspired environment is beautiful, with forests, rivers, mountains, farmland and small towns creating a convincing rural setting.
Vehicles also make exploration enjoyable. Cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, helicopters and planes allow you to approach the world from different directions.
Story & Themes
The premise is excellent.
Joseph Seed has established Project at Eden's Gate, a religious doomsday cult that has taken control of Hope County. Joseph is supported by his siblingsJohn, Jacob and Faithwho each control different areas and employ very different methods of maintaining control.
The game explores themes involving religious extremism, fanaticism, manipulation, fear and resistance.
Joseph Seed is particularly memorable because he isn't presented simply as a conventional villain. His calm demeanour and conviction make him considerably more interesting than a straightforward action-game antagonist.
Unfortunately, the story is inconsistent.
The three regions contain interesting characters and individual stories, but the narrative sometimes becomes secondary to the open-world activities. The protagonist is also completely silent, which limits their personality and makes some emotional moments less effective.
The ending is memorable, although divisive.
Overall, Far Cry 5 has a fascinating premise but doesn't always explore its themes as deeply as it could have.
Mission Design & Progression
Mission variety is reasonably strong.
The campaign includes traditional firefights, stealth missions, rescues, vehicle pursuits, sabotage, hunting, aerial combat and various character-driven side missions.
The three-region structure also gives the campaign a more flexible progression system. Rather than simply following one linear sequence of missions, players gradually build resistance in each region.
Outposts remain one of the best activities in the game. Approaching an enemy compound and deciding how to dismantle it provides considerable freedom.
The problem is repetition.
Eventually, many missions boil down to:
Travel fight cultists destroy something rescue someone repeat.
The excellent shooting makes this enjoyable for a long time, but the underlying structure doesn't evolve dramatically.
Final Verdict
Far Cry 5 is an excellent open-world shooter that succeeds primarily because of its gameplay and world design. Hope County is a fantastic sandbox, and the combination of shooting, stealth, vehicles, companions and exploration provides enormous freedom in how you approach the game.
The Guns for Hire and Fangs for Hire systems are particularly successful, while the three-region structure gives the campaign considerably more freedom than a traditional linear shooter. The excellent soundtrack and atmospheric presentation further strengthen the experience.
The main disappointment is the story. Eden's Gate and the Seed family provide an outstanding foundation for a more sophisticated narrative, but the game often settles for familiar open-world action instead. Repetition also becomes noticeable during the later stages of the campaign.
Despite these shortcomings, Far Cry 5 remains one of the strongest entries in the series. It delivers an enormous, beautiful and highly entertaining open-world playground with some of the best shooting and exploration in the franchise.
Score: 8.5/10
