Cinematic—that is the one word I would use to describe this breathtaking, deeply immersive video game. Far Cry 5 pits you against an extremist religious cult in the no man’s land of Hope County, Montana, which is led by a preacher named Joseph Seed and his three children. It is your mission to not only survive, but build a resistance with local civilians and take down the Seed family members one by one. You can choose to just complete the major campaigns at cult settlements, or you can also explore the vast virtual world and go on side missions, such as freeing individual civilians and destroying cult shrines. Overall, the strength of the overall plot narrative, the vividly realistic graphics, and the smooth gameplay controls all combine to make a truly enjoyable, high-quality game experience.
I believe that story is king in every video game, and Far Cry 5 delivers with a unique, captivating plotline. It does a really good job of capturing the mystique and fascination of cults, showcasing charismatic leaders and die-hard followers who all believe in a doomsday and use violence to coerce others into obeying them. There are short video clips peppering the game in between missions, and together they create a thick atmosphere of fanaticism and religious fervor. Playing this game, I quickly became very immersed and invested in my character and the mission at stake, all because the story drew me in with its complexity and depth of feeling. In addition, the graphics are nothing short of amazing—everything looks so real, and the first person perspective makes you feel directly part of the action. Every detail, from the expressions on characters’ faces to the background setting, is intensely striking. This made the cult worship scenes all the more vivid and believable.
Along with the narrative backbone, players have many, many opportunities to engage in some seriously epic battles. In this open world game, the weapon selection is endless, as you can loot enemies and warehouses as you go. I was impressed by the range of melee weapons in addition to pistols, rifles, and machine guns—even baseball bats and oars are extremely effective. Additionally, every single battle is unique—the different locations allow you to try different strategies, whether it be quiet stealth or a bold frontal attack, and the enemies are intelligent enough to make killing them a challenge. As the game progresses, you also grow in fighting ability and resourcefulness, learning to take full advantage of your supplies and surroundings.
For me, the only disappointment was the lack of a split-screen co-op function, which would have allowed my younger brother and I to complete some of the missions a lot faster. There is, however, an online co-op function that allows you to invite your friends into your party. But there is a downside to that, too, as your friends will not make any progress in their game story, but only help progress yours. In order for your friends to also progress in the game, you would have to repeat the game again, this time on their console. If the co-op could be changed so it would save progress on both consoles, as well as allow more than one person to play on the same console, the game would be close to perfect.
To conclude, I have come across few games that have lived up to the standard set by Far Cry 5. All of the crucial elements are of excellent quality—the story, the graphics, the gameplay, the feeling of total immersion. Like any great game, it blurs the lines between the virtual world and reality, inviting players to truly invest in the main mission and get caught up in the action. If you download Far Cry 5, be prepared for chills, thrills, and a deeply satisfying game experience.
Rating: 10/10
For more information about Far Cry 5, please visit farcry.com and follow on Facebook at facebook.com/farcry.usa and on Twitter at twitter.com/farcrygame or hashtag #FarCry5.
Xbox One Review
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Overall Score - 10/1010/10
From the moment I first played Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy on the original Xbox, I have always had an avid curiosity and enthusiasm for video games. I admire their ability to immerse us in completely different worlds, and I am always eager to see how they integrate the newest breakthroughs in digital technology to make virtual reality feel real. I am currently a senior at UC Berkeley, but when I'm not studying I always make time to play Xbox One with my younger brother.
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