Far Cry 5: A Ubisoft Masterpiece
Xbox Game Pass is constantly adding new games to its already rich list. I recently stumbled upon Far Cry 5, a game I wanted to play when it came out, but for some reason I did not end up getting the time, nor did I end up purchasing it.
It’s one of those games that you get excited about when it’s announced, but once released, we stumble upon our backlog, and end up postponing it.
The game is five years old now, half a decade, goodness gracious; and it is available not only on game pass, but on PS Plus as well. You can certainly pick up this game at a great discount during the main sales.
When this game was added to the PS Plus catalog, I rushed to download it. I was slightly disappointed to see that the PS4 version of it ran at 30 frames per second, even though I was running it on PS5, which runs it like a PS4 Pro. There is no option to unlock the frame rate or anything like it.
The game was on Xbox Game Pass too, I downloaded it for the Xbox Series X in hopes to see the framerate unlocked, since the console takes its hardware advantage when playing previous generation games, or at least that is what I thought.
PC Master Race
I am still trying to comprehend how great Xbox Game Pass is, especially because if you have dedicated yourself to invest in a good gaming PC, you can definitely reap its benefits. The game is also available on Game Pass for PC, even though you still have to download Ubisoft Connect to play it. You will have to link both accounts to get access to its catalogue.
To be honest, I don’t mind the extra steps, or having to download yet another gaming platform on my PC. I am not a snob like all those gaming journalists or bloggers that complain about having to download apps like Steam, Xbox App, Ubisoft Connect, Epic Games Launcher, and many more just to be able to play all their games.
It is better to assume that you are going to have to download and install all those platforms to be able to access all PC games. It is a small price to pay considering that PC games allow for better frame rate, higher refresh rate, and graphics customization options.
That is what drove me to download the game on PC. I wanted to play the game with an unlocked framerate, and the graphics card can handle it. Also, the monitor supports high refresh rates; so why not play the game with superior framerate and graphics?
After I downloaded the game, I went to the graphic options and boosted everything to Ultra and maxed out the frame rate, or unlocked it, actually. I was glad to see the GPU was capable of handling the game with all the settings topped.
Onto Hope County, Montana
After a rather long introduction cinematic, you finally get ahold of your character who wakes up in an end-of-the-world bunker. You start to notice how ray-tracing and high resolution and textures make the experience all the better.
Once you get out of the bunker, you are bathed in nature and can see how much potential the game has. After completing some small missions that serve as a tutorial and gets you familiarized with the game mechanics and can grab a quad bike and explore the rest of Hope County.
This is where the game truly shines; the road trips you take can lead you to hunting places, saloons, cozy cabins, or even pleasant lakes and mountains. Thank goodness the game has a photo mode with a few customization options. Honestly, I think Ubisoft could have done a bit more to add variety to the photo mode, but the options it has can be enough.
You can spend hours just exploring the game, trying to find those far off places to get a few pictures. One of the things I enjoy the most in games is photo mode. It does not matter if it’s a racing game like Gran Turismo, or Forza Horizon, a space action RPG like the Mass Effect saga, or a nature or outback focused game like Far Cry 5 that takes place in a rural area, I enjoy taking time to explore and take pictures.
Certainly, Hope County has a lot of beauty and you can spend hours just exploring nature, taking pictures of its flora, and fauna; albeit you don’t encounter those pesky cult members that are scattered throughout the map. They respawn in the most inconspicuous places, even if you already killed them.
Hope County is the unspoken character in this game. Its beauty and grandeur make it stand on its own. The world is truly well crafted and nothing feels empty. The county is lush and green, with rivers running wild. If you are planning to play the game, I recommend taking the time to explore its nature. It certainly gives you Red Dead Redemption 2 vibes, although on a smaller scale.
The game’s plot, a perfect excuse
In the game’s plot, you deal with a religious cult that indoctrinates the people in Hope County, Montana. It is a satire, or criticism to how religious institutions in the United States manipulate people because of their needs. If we dive deeper, religion is a human interpretation about God, it is heavily influenced by the cultural, social, and economic background where it takes place.
In Hope County, this cult controls people up to the point where you can get killed if you don’t comply. They provide a false sense of deliverance to their followers, who are mind-controlled at this point. They are willing to sacrifice themselves to save the leader and justify his cause; he has a true messiah complex, with a tad of narcissism, just like our modern-day religious and political leaders.
This is the perfect excuse to ensure chaos and mayhem. Violence is one of the main tropes in videogames, and this sort of plot justifies it perfectly. You get to use a wide variety of weapons and explosives. You drive all sorts of vehicles, and even machine-gun equipped helicopters. What more can you ask for?
The game writers and producers avoided any sort of underlying racism by setting the game in Montana. You get to kill all these white people, and not minorities like in the previous Far Cry, which took place in the Himalayas. Times are different today; we are all more susceptible and sensitive to things like that. I don’t know if it’s for good or worse, but it is the reality that we live in.
Just started the game
At the time of writing this blog, I have yet to complete the game. It is big, and I want to take my time exploring Hope County. It is quite satisfying to slowly unlock parts of the map by exploring and getting rid of the ‘fog of war’, or liberating garrisons where the cult has influence. Ubisoft’s formula for these types of games certainly is on-point all the time.
Hollyhock Saloon
So far, a couple of places have caught my attention. One of them is The Hollyhock Saloon, right in the Henbane Region. I love it when games let you get into buildings so you can see the interior. That is one of the things I liked about Red Dead Redemption 2, even though not all the buildings are made this way. Unfortunately, the same goes for Far Cry 5, but the buildings that you can get into are very well polished and have character to them.
Inside the saloon, you immediately get the outback vibes a place like this can offer. It has a feeling of rural America with its identifiable elements, like the neon beer signs, the team’s banner, some local artisanal things deer antlers, and of course the wooden bar, tables, and benches. The stage where the local band performs also provides a rather cozy vibe to the place.
Peaches Taxidermy
The other place, up high on the Henbane River, right on the mountain, is the Peaches Taxidermy. An old, rather racist lady lives there. I immediately got a terrible first impression of her. She was very condescending and took everything for granted. I hate to admit it, but anger got the best of me, and as she was explaining her prerogative, I punched her in the face. She fell flat to the ground and complained about how disrespectful everyone is nowadays.
Afterwards, I picked her up and she continued to blab about how flawless she is, and how terrible we all are. I proceed to shoot her in the head but alas, this is not Fallout or Outer Worlds, so, she did not die. She fell onto the ground once again, demanding you to pick her up. Perhaps she made a pact with the devil in exchange for immortality; that would explain her terrible demeanor and racism. Maybe she is just a boomer who grew up in a world full of bigotry.
Slowly but steadily
As mentioned previously, I am taking my time to explore Hope County. I like it so far. It is what you expect from a Ubisoft game that has been polished over its life cycle. The story is good, and it is a great excuse to ensue mayhem. The game encourages you to get creative when attacking enemies, or liberating places. It provides you with a variety of weapons and explosives so you can approach it like Rambo, or be stealthy like James Bond.
It is up to you which path you approach. I love it when games provide you with a plethora of ways to accomplish a mission. Sort of like Breath of the Wild, Deus Ex, Fallout, and even GTA V. I think Ubisoft is doing well in this matter. I hope this becomes the standard for open-world action RPG games.
Players should be able to strategize when they approach a mission, and also the game must provide respite when in between. Liberating missions and the likes are short and sweet. Some take more time than others but the game never feels dull nor drags you into unnecessary FedEx type things.
It is also satisfying to see how you start to liberate Hope County, one garrison at a time. You are witnessing how the cult is losing its influence and how the people are starting to fight back. Certainly, Far Cry 5 has been a pleasant surprise for me, and I definitely recommend you pick it up, especially if it’s available on Game Pass, PS Plus, and with heavy discounts during the year’s big sales like Spring, Summer, or Holiday sales.
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