14 DAY TRIAL // Ubisoft believes that the upcoming Far Cry 4 stands outs from its predecessors by offering a much more complex story that's more about meaningful choices and less about the quest of the main protagonist against the world.
Far Cry games have delivered some vastly different experiences over the years, starting with Far Cry 1, which focused on a mercenary that needs to stop mutants from escaping a tropical island. Far Cry 2 retained the mercenary focus but shifted the action to Africa, while Far Cry 3 opted to go the tropical island route while putting players in the shoes of a regular guy.
With Far Cry 4, things change altogether, as players take on the role of regular guy Ajay Ghale, who goes back to his native country of Kyrat, located in the Himalayas.
Far Cry 4 stands out from its predecessors
Ubisoft now explains the differences between Far Cry 4 and the previous titles in the series in a more detailed way, thanks to Creative Director Alex Hutchinson, who has talked with IGN about the new title.
According to the developer, the complex story and the choices that can be made throughout it distance Far Cry 4 from the rest of the series. However, some actual gameplay mechanics are retained, such as the crafting or skill systems from Far Cry 3, so fans shouldn't expect that big of a departure.
"Far Cry 4 is much more focused on the player and allowing you to solve problems and make choices that feel right to you, so there is much less of a traditional hero’s journey. We’ve brought back the crafting and skill systems from Far Cry 3 with many improvements, and we’ve applied these to the story as well: Ajay is your introduction to the world, but the choices he makes are up to you as a player," he explains.
The new shooter also offers more feedback to players
Besides allowing players to go through the story, the game also offers more feedback to them, in the form of consequences for the actual choices, not to mention extra tools to really interact with the world of Kyrat.
"Far Cry 4 is different to both," Hutchinson says in regards to Far Cry 2 and 3. "We are aiming to give the player more tools and toys and options than ever before, but to show them that these choices have consequences: Who do you choose to elect as leader of the Golden Path? How do you choose to conquer Pagan’s empire?"
Far Cry 4 debuts on November 18 in North America and November 20 in Europe and the rest of the world for the PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One platforms.
