Far Cry 4 (PS4 review)

I remember a particular moment in Far Cry 3 where I was driving to some outpost that had yet to be liberated and I had come across a couple that were walking down the road. I slowed down and made sure to get into the middle of the road so that I could drive past safely and not suck one of them under my front tire and send their mangled body cartwheeling into the local flora. As I got a bit closer, a tiger lunged onto one of them and the other screamed in terror. I remember the immense sense of responsibility that surged through me in that moment as I bare witness to the grisly sight. A voice called out to me saying, "This is your time to shine, man. This is your time to shine." Within a split-second I kicked my car into full speed and charged toward the beast which I wager was just as stupid as my tribal tattoo sleeve decision. Not only did I manage to dispatch of the tiger, I also managed to run over the civilian, lose control of the vehicle, and fly into another set of locals who were hit so hard by the impact that they propelled off of a nearby cliff. Hey, the island life ain't easy. Far Cry 4 is not a game that is deprived of these random happenings, but there is a certain magic in Far Cry 3 that feels diminished in its successor. Far Cry 4's story takes place in the mythical land of Kyrat, a fictitious region of the Himalayas, where Ajay Ghale travels in order to fulfill his mother's dying wish. When he arrives he's confronted by Kyrat's leader Pagan Min, an eccentric and deceptively likable antagonist. Within the first 30 minutes you've gathered that Min isn't such a great guy and that some of the locals have formed a militia to overthrow his reign called the Golden Path. From that point on the game opens half of the world to you and the rest is up to you. Do you choose to tackle the missions and assist the Golden Path or would you rather gun down honey badgers with heavy artillery to make, you know, Gucci coach bags...whatever you decide, Kyrat is your playground.

While most of the core mechanics of the Far Cry franchise remain intact, the terrain changes the impression of these mechanics, albeit minor, to less enjoyable and more functional. Take for example the driving: while Far Cry 3's expansive tropical island was a joy to tear through, Far Cry 4's Kyrat feels at times claustrophobic and repetitious. If you want to venture offroad in Kyrat, be prepared to feel like a silver ball in a pachinko machine. The bountiful trees deter you from too much of that. I had to assess my map several times in order to get my bearings on where I was. Fortunately the developers appear to have anticipated this and have added a very helpful auto-drive mode for land vehicles, but even with this inclusion, the game appears to be taking away part of the open world design and admitting a silent defeat. Ajay also comes equipped with a grappling hook that's used to traverse the mountainside. I found this feature to be serviceable but overall ponderous, leading from one landscape full of trees to another landscape full of goddamn trees. The best way to get around appears to be the mini helicopter that you'll sparingly come across on your journey, but this form of transportation isn't readily available at your every beck and call. Plainly put, the map and world begin to feel like a chore once you've spent a few hours exploring. Outposts remain pleasantly untouched, bringing with them a new stealth enemy variety that can charm animals and remain unmarked. The outposts continue to be the main attraction of the franchise that kept me trekking along and they serve as the best bits of variety in the game outside of the four enemy strongholds, which are larger and more challenging versions of outposts. The gunplay also remains intact, offering a variety of armaments that are sure to please. One of the things that bothered me most in Far Cry 3 were the characters. Almost all of the characters outside of Vas felt moronic and grating. I regret to inform you that several of those bad spirits live on. Many characters feel vapid or otherwise vexing. It's not to the same frequency as 3 but it's still pretty darn bad. I am happy to say, however, that both the protagonist and antagonist as well as key supporting roles perform at a satisfactory level. Pagan Min (played by Troy Baker) consistently offers the best parts that the main story has to offer, but both sides of the Golden Path feel realistic and sympathetic. It's hard not to care for what's going on when it's going on...but there's enough outside of these performances that will leave you pressing every button on the controller for a "skip scene" prompt.

While I do anticipate great things from what people will come up with in the map editor, the core online offerings are mediocre at best. There are three game modes that each place a defender and attacker at odds for a timed objective and then swap those teams once time is up. The problem is that one side appears to have a clear, dare I say broken, advantage over the opposition if even an ounce of teamwork is mustered. After playing three rounds of each mode I was completely fine with never touching the online again. There's also an ability to play co-op with another friend and assist them with objectives in the main world but the game is so set on making you feel like a badass killing machine that co-op is rather pointless. Overall Far Cry 4 doesn't do enough new stuff to distinguish itself from its last outing and what it does differently is either superfluous or unenjoyable. Fortunately it's not overbearing and there's enough of Far Cry 3's gameplay that survives to allow anyone that was fond of it to have a grand ol' time in Kyrat. There's certainly plenty to do and none of it is going to ruin the overall experience, but none of it is going to shatter your expectations either. Even if the magic seems to be fizzling out, Far Cry is still a spectacle worth seeing.

GRADE: B