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''Far Cry 5'' is a 2018
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
, developed by
Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Divertissements Inc., doing business as Ubisoft Montreal, is a Canadian video game developer and a studio of Ubisoft based in Montreal. The studio was founded in April 1997 as part of Ubisoft's growth into worldwide markets, with sub ...
and Ubisoft Toronto and published by
Ubisoft Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include '' Assassin's Creed'', '' Far Cry'', ...
. It is the successor to 2014's ''
Far Cry 4 ''Far Cry 4'' is a 2014 first-person shooter game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the successor to the 2012 video game ''Far Cry 3'', and the fourth main installment in the '' Far Cry'' series. Set in the fiction ...
'', and the fifth main installment in the ''
Far Cry ''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, '' Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequen ...
'' series. Set in Hope County, a fictional region of
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
, United States, the game revolves around the Project at Eden's Gate, a
doomsday cult A doomsday cult is a cult, that believes in apocalypticism and millenarianism, including both those that predict disaster and those that attempt to destroy the entire universe. Sociologist John Lofland coined the term ''doomsday cult'' in his ...
that has taken over the county at the command of its charismatic and powerful leader, Joseph Seed. Players control an unnamed junior deputy sheriff who becomes trapped in Hope County and must work alongside various resistance factions to liberate the region from the despotic rule of the Seeds and Eden's Gate. Gameplay focuses on combat and exploration; players battle enemy soldiers and dangerous wildlife using a wide array of weapons. The game features many elements found in role-playing games, such as a branching storyline and side quests. The game also features a map editor, a co-operative multiplayer mode, and a competitive multiplayer mode. Announced in early 2017, development on ''Far Cry 5'' was extensive. The team explored several concepts before settling on an American location. The game was heavily inspired by several
socio-political Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how ...
events in modern history, such as the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
and the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
. The development team sought to capture the despondent social climate after the events and re-purpose it for the game. Developed and published solely by Ubisoft, its competitive multiplayer mode was also created in-house, with the company's worldwide studios gaining more creative input for ''Far Cry 5''. ''Far Cry 5'' was released worldwide for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...
,
Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for se ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
in March 2018. It received mostly positive reviews, although it was the subject of controversy after being announced alongside a period of heightened political conflicts. Critics praised the open world design, visuals, gameplay and soundtrack but directed criticisms towards its story and some of the characters. The game was a commercial success and became the fastest-selling title in the franchise, grossing over $310 million in its first week of sales. Several releases of
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
were subsequently published. A spin-off title and sequel to the narrative, '' Far Cry New Dawn'', was released in February 2019. A successor, '' Far Cry 6'', was released in October 2021.


Gameplay

Similar to its predecessors, ''Far Cry 5'' is a
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the p ...
set in an open world environment which the player can explore freely on foot or via various vehicles. Unlike previous titles in the series where the player takes on the role of a set character, the game gives the player the opportunity to customize their character's appearance. While the player has a variety of ranged and explosive weapons to fight against enemies, the game places a renewed emphasis on close-quarters combat compared to previous ''
Far Cry ''Far Cry'' is an anthology franchise of first-person shooter games, all of which have been published by Ubisoft. The first game, '' Far Cry'', was developed by Crytek to premiere their CryEngine software, and released in March 2004. Subsequen ...
'' titles by introducing a wider range of
melee weapon A melee weapon, hand weapon or close combat weapon is any handheld weapon used in hand-to-hand combat, i.e. for use within the direct physical reach of the weapon itself, essentially functioning as an additional (and more impactful) extension of th ...
s. In addition, ''Far Cry 5'' features a new weapons ballistics system that includes elements like a bullet dropping over a distance to increase realism. Creative director Dan Hay described the design of the open world as being modeled on the outposts from previous titles in the ''Far Cry'' series. These outposts represented a small section of the map occupied by enemy forces and the player was tasked with liberating them by killing or neutralizing the enemy presence. The outposts were designed with multiple approaches for the player to take and it was this element that the development team tried to recreate in the wider game world of ''Far Cry 5''. The player is dropped into the game world with little context, direction or objective markers and is instead required to navigate the world on their own. Hay expressed a desire to create what he termed the "
anecdote An anecdote is "a story with a point", such as to communicate an abstract idea about a person, place, or thing through the concrete details of a short narrative or to characterize by delineating a specific quirk or trait. Occasionally humorous ...
factory", a game where two players could venture out from the same point in opposite directions and have entirely different experiences that they would then share with one another anecdotally. To assist with this, most of the game world is accessible to the player after completing the game's introductory missions and they are free to advance through these areas as they choose; by comparison, previous titles in the series gradually opened up the game world to the player with story missions guiding their progress through open areas. Completing actions within a region earns the player "Resistance Points" which cumulate to trigger major story events. These Resistance Points also contribute to the "Resistance Meter", which divides each region into three tiers representing the region's relative level of difficulty. For example, on entering a region for the first time, the player will encounter basic enemies; however, as the Resistance Meter increases, the player will run into a wider variety of enemy archetypes, culminating in aerial patrols and airborne assaults. The game also features a recruitment system in which the player can recruit locals in the county to fight alongside them similar to the "Buddy" system used in '' Far Cry 2'' or the "Guns for Hire" system in ''
Far Cry 4 ''Far Cry 4'' is a 2014 first-person shooter game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the successor to the 2012 video game ''Far Cry 3'', and the fourth main installment in the '' Far Cry'' series. Set in the fiction ...
''. In this Guns for Hire system, the player can recruit locals to join their cause at which point they will fight alongside the player. In addition to these Guns for Hire, the game includes "Specialists" or non-playable characters with their own unique skills and personalities. The recruitment system replaces the beacon system used in previous titles. For example, ''Far Cry 3'' featured radio towers and ''Far Cry 4'' featured bell towers that the player had to climb in order to open up parts of the map and various activities in the region. ''Far Cry 5'' removed this system and instead relies on the player forging relationships with other characters to discover story missions, events and other characters. The player has the ability to tame wild animals through the Specialists, which is based on a system that was previously introduced to the series in ''
Far Cry Primal ''Far Cry Primal'' is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is a spin-off to ''Far Cry 4'', and the tenth overall installment in the '' Far Cry'' series. Set during prehistoric times, the game f ...
''. The tamed wildlife assists the player in combat and follow the player's orders. Different wildlife have different combat patterns. A
fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from fish stocking, stocked bodies of water such as fish pond, ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. ...
mechanic was also introduced and a variety of fish can be caught. The campaign can be played individually or with a partner through the game's
cooperative multiplayer A cooperative (also known as co-operative, co-op, or coop) is "an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly owned and democratically-control ...
mode known as "Friends for Hire".


Map maker and multiplayer

''Far Cry Arcade'' allows players to build and share small maps that have single player, two-player cooperative, and multiplayer objectives. Players are able to construct maps using assets from ''Far Cry 5'' and its downloadable content, as well as ''
Far Cry 4 ''Far Cry 4'' is a 2014 first-person shooter game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the successor to the 2012 video game ''Far Cry 3'', and the fourth main installment in the '' Far Cry'' series. Set in the fiction ...
'', ''
Far Cry Primal ''Far Cry Primal'' is a 2016 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is a spin-off to ''Far Cry 4'', and the tenth overall installment in the '' Far Cry'' series. Set during prehistoric times, the game f ...
'', ''
Watch Dogs ''Watch Dogs'' (stylized as ''WATCH_DOGS'') is an action-adventure video game franchise published by Ubisoft, and developed primarily by its Montreal and Toronto studios using the Disrupt game engine. The series' eponymous first title was rel ...
'', '' Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag'', and '' Assassin's Creed: Unity''. While a separate mode from the main game, the ''Arcade'' mode can be accessed from
arcade cabinet An arcade cabinet, also known as an arcade machine or a coin-op cabinet or coin-op machine, is the housing within which an arcade game's electronic hardware resides. Most cabinets designed since the mid-1980s conform to the Japanese Amusement Mac ...
s scattered around the game's map; successfully completing these maps can earn in-game money and other rewards for the main campaign.


Synopsis


Setting and characters

The game is set in the fictional Hope County,
Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
, where a preacher named Joseph Seed (portrayed by
Greg Bryk Gregory Michael Bryk (born 19 August 1972) is a Canadian film and television actor. He has appeared in numerous films and television series and is best known for his reoccurring roles in ''ReGenesis'' (2004–2008), '' XIII: The Series'' (2 ...
) has risen to prominence. Seed believes that he has been chosen by God to protect the people of Hope County from "the Collapse", a global catastrophe that will see the collapse of society, and to this end has established a congregation called the Project at Eden's Gate. This is to fulfill his mission of leading the people to salvation; in reality, Seed is a radical preacher and Eden's Gate is a militaristic
doomsday cult A doomsday cult is a cult, that believes in apocalypticism and millenarianism, including both those that predict disaster and those that attempt to destroy the entire universe. Sociologist John Lofland coined the term ''doomsday cult'' in his ...
. Under his rule, Eden's Gate has used both coercion and violence to forcibly convert the residents of Hope County, and intimidation to keep them from contacting the outside world for help. Seed has assumed the title of "the Father" and maintains control over Hope County with the aid of the Heralds: Jacob, "the Soldier" (
Mark Pellegrino Mark Ross Pellegrino (born April 9, 1965) is an American actor of film and television. He is best known for his work as Lucifer in ''Supernatural'', Paul Bennett in ''Dexter'', Jacob in ''Lost'', James Bishop in '' Being Human'', Clayton Haas i ...
), a former United States Army sniper and Joseph's older brother who oversees the training and deployment of the cult's armed soldiers; John, "the Baptist" ( Seamus Dever), Joseph's younger brother and a lawyer who has been able to acquire much of the land in Hope County for Eden's Gate and who leads the forcible conversion of residents; and Rachel Jessop, also known as Faith or "the Siren" (
Jenessa Grant Jenessa Grant is a Canadian actress. She has played the characters Mud in ''Orphan Black'', Ofsamuel in '' The Handmaid's Tale'' and Aylee in '' Reign''. She also portrays Faith Seed in the video game ''Far Cry 5 ''Far Cry 5'' is a 2018 fir ...
), a botanist who acts as a pacifist to bring the people to trust in Joseph, but uses a powerful hallucinogen called Bliss to run forced labor camps for residents who resist the cult. The Heralds have converted a series of decommissioned
missile silo A missile launch facility, also known as an underground missile silo, launch facility (LF), or nuclear silo, is a vertical cylindrical structure constructed underground, for the storage and launching of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs ...
s into fortified bunkers where they intend to wait out "the Collapse" with the cult's followers. The player takes on the role of a rookie
sheriff's deputy A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly trans ...
—referred to as "the Deputy"—who is part of a task force sent to arrest Seed. The residents of Hope County opposed to Seed include a cast of characters who join the fight with motives ranging from
altruism Altruism is the principle and moral practice of concern for the welfare and/or happiness of other human beings or animals, resulting in a quality of life both material and spiritual. It is a traditional virtue in many cultures and a cor ...
to revenge, profit, and boredom. They are aided by Richard "Dutch" Roosevelt (John Tench), a local survivalist with a deep distrust of government and a history of anti-social behaviour. Characters from the ''Far Cry'' series who return in ''Far Cry 5'' include Hurk Drubman, Jr. ( Dylan Taylor), a dim-witted though well-intentioned redneck party boy with a love of high-powered explosives; and Willis Huntley (Alain Goulem), a sociopathic CIA agent and self-proclaimed "patriot bastard" in the habit of recruiting civilians for dangerous clandestine missions.


Plot

In late 2018, a joint operation between the
United States Marshals Service The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforcem ...
and the county sheriff's department—consisting of Deputy Marshal Cameron Burke (
Doug Hutchison Doug Anthony Hutchison (born May 26, 1960) is an American character actor, known for playing disturbing and antagonistic characters. Such characters include Obie Jameson in the 1988 film '' The Chocolate War'', Sproles in the 1988 film '' Fresh H ...
), Sheriff Earl Whitehorse (
Christopher Heyerdahl Christopher Heyerdahl (born September 18, 1963) is a Canadian actor who portrayed Alastair in ''Supernatural,'' the Wraith Todd in ''Stargate Atlantis'', Sam in '' Van Helsing,'' "Swede" in ''Hell on Wheels,'' and Marcus in '' The Twilight Saga ...
) and his deputies Joey Hudson ( Luisa D'Oliveira), Staci Pratt ( Julian Bailey) and the player character, an unnamed Junior Deputy—arrive at an Eden's Gate church to detain Joseph Seed with a federal arrest warrant on charges of kidnapping with the intent to harm. Although Joseph offers no resistance, he claims that God will not allow him to be taken. As he is escorted away, cult members attack the task force and cause their helicopter to crash. Joseph escapes and commands the cult to capture the task force members. The Deputy survives and escapes with the help of Richard "Dutch" Roosevelt, a local survivalist who explains that the cult has interpreted the attempt to arrest Joseph as the fulfillment of his prophecies. Believing the end of the world is upon them, they have begun "the Reaping", a concentrated effort to purge Hope County of non-believers and gather all material needs. As the county is now cut off from the outside world, Dutch tasks the Deputy with contacting the fledgling resistance scattered throughout Hope County to gather allies, rescue the task force and dismantle the cult's operations to erode the influence of Joseph and the Heralds. Although the Heralds focus their efforts on stopping the Deputy, they maintain an interest in recruiting them to their cause. Joseph's younger brother John lures the Deputy to Holland Valley by broadcasting a message showing Hudson as his captive. John indoctrinates residents to the cult's beliefs by subjecting them to a forced baptism to "cleanse" them, tattooing their "sins" onto their bodies, and carving out the marked skin as part of their "atonement". John captures the Deputy and concludes that their sin is Wrath. When the Deputy escapes, John retaliates by taking over the town of Fall's End where he forces the Deputy to confront him and atone for their sins. A counterattack by the local Resistance prompts John to flee, leading to the Deputy engaging him in an aerial dogfight and mortally wounding him. As he lies dying, John remarks that the Deputy will not save anyone and asserts that Joseph is right. The Deputy rescues Hudson and the captive survivors and destroys John's bunker. The Deputy arrives in the Whitetail Mountains to find the Whitetail Militia already at war with Joseph's older brother Jacob. Jacob recruits and trains the cult's members and keeps an indoctrinated Deputy Pratt captive. As part of their training, Jacob mentally conditions cult recruits with
The Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The a ...
' song "
Only You (And You Alone) "Only You (And You Alone)" (often shortened to "Only You") is a pop song composed by Buck Ram. It was originally recorded by The Platters with lead vocals by Tony Williams in 1955. The Platters versions The Platters first recorded the song for ...
", which he uses to trigger an altered state of consciousness in the recruits and carry out his commands. Jacob subjects the Deputy to the same conditioning and successfully breaks them. He has the Deputy kill militia leader Eli Palmer (Patrick Garrow) to cripple the resistance. The surviving militia hold Jacob responsible and the Deputy confronts him in the mountains. As he dies, Jacob reflects on how empires rise and fall, and predicts that America will suffer the same fate if it is not prepared. The Deputy retrieves Jacob's bunker key, rescues Pratt and floods the bunker. Faith, a collaborator and "sister" of the Seeds, oversees the production of Bliss in Henbane River. The hallucinatory effects of Bliss puts its victims in a trance-like state and staying under its influence for too long makes them vulnerable to Faith's hypnotic manipulation. The Deputy reunites with Whitehorse and joins the Cougars, based in the Hope County Jail. Whitehorse informs the Deputy that Burke has been captured and is now under the influence of the Bliss. The Deputy repeatedly encounters Faith, who attempts to persuade the Deputy to join her and live in paradise. The Deputy resists her and rescues Burke, unaware that he has been hypnotized. Burke kills Virgil Minkler, leader of the Cougars and Mayor of Fall's End, opens the jail to Eden's Gate, and kills himself. The Cougars suffer heavy losses repelling the cult and Whitehorse is captured. The Deputy kills Faith, and she warns them that Joseph is right about the end of the world, but the Deputy will decide what happens in the end. The Deputy rescues Whitehorse from Faith's bunker and destroys the production of Bliss. Killing his Heralds prompts Joseph to call the Deputy for a final confrontation at his church. He has captured the Deputy's allies from the resistance groups, hypnotized them with Bliss and is holding Whitehorse, Hudson, and Pratt hostage. Joseph offers the Deputy the option of walking away with their friends unharmed on the condition that they leave him and Eden's Gate alone.


Endings

If the Deputy decides to walk away, Joseph forgives them and enters the church with the Deputy's hypnotized allies. The Deputy, Whitehorse, Pratt and Hudson leave in a truck, and Whitehorse assures them that they will return with the
National Guard National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. Nat ...
to help liberate Hope County from the cult. Whitehorse turns on the radio and "Only You" plays, triggering Jacob's brainwashing. The Deputy is once again put into a trance and the screen cuts to black. If the Deputy chooses to resist, Joseph forces the Deputy to fight and revive their hypnotized friends. Radio broadcasts throughout the game have suggested that the world outside Hope County is spiraling into chaos and a nuclear war is imminent. These fears are realized when Joseph is apprehended and a nuclear bomb detonates in the distance. The Deputy, Whitehorse, Pratt and Hudson flee with the captured Joseph to Dutch's bunker. They crash their truck into a tree, which kills Whitehorse, Pratt, and Hudson. A freed Joseph carries the unconscious Deputy to the bunker. The Deputy awakens handcuffed to a bed with Dutch dead on the floor. Joseph laments the loss of his family and land and asserts this is "the Collapse" that he had prophesied. He tells the Deputy that with the loss of his family, that they are all he has left and that they are family now. This ending leads into the spin-off '' Far Cry New Dawn''. A secret ending can be found at the beginning of the game. The Deputy decides to not arrest Joseph during their first encounter. Whitehorse, who was against apprehending him head-on because of the probability of being ambushed and killed, lowers Joseph's hands and orders the group to leave. Despite Burke's protests, Whitehorse asserts that it is "better to leave well enough alone" and that no one would be alive if they arrested Joseph.


Downloadable content

Prior to the game's release, Ubisoft announced to release three episodes of
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enabli ...
titled ''Hours of Darkness'', ''Lost on Mars'' and ''Dead Living Zombies''. Each episode tells a stand-alone story focusing on a secondary character from the main campaign. ''Hours of Darkness'' takes place during the height of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
. The player takes on the role of Wendell Redler (Billy MacLellan), a door gunner known by the call-sign Python 2-5. Python's helicopter is shot down while on a mission to scout the positions of North Vietnamese forces in a wide jungle valley. He is taken captive by the
North Vietnamese Army The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN; vi, Quân đội nhân dân Việt Nam, QĐNDVN), also recognized as the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) or the Vietnamese Army (), is the military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wi ...
, but escapes during an airstrike. He recovers a radio from the downed helicopter and is instructed to cross the valley to an extraction point. What started as a reconnaissance mission becomes a rescue mission as Python locates his squadmates Joker, Moses and Yokel (Alex Weiner). As he ventures through enemy territory, Python frees South Vietnamese prisoners of war, sabotages anti-aircraft batteries, kills North Vietnamese commanders and survives the spraying of
Agent Orange Agent Orange is a chemical herbicide and defoliant, one of the "tactical use" Rainbow Herbicides. It was used by the U.S. military as part of its herbicidal warfare program, Operation Ranch Hand, during the Vietnam War from 1961 to 1971. It ...
. When they arrive at the extraction point, Python and his squadmates fight off waves of soldiers as they wait for the helicopters. The survivors are safely extracted and flown out of the valley. ''Lost on Mars'' focuses on Nick Rye ( Steve Byers). Nick is teleported to Mars where he meets the disembodied head of Hurk Drubman, Jr. Hurk reveals that he had Nick teleported for a mission to save Earth after Hurk himself failed. Nick is introduced to ANNE ( Erica Lindbeck), a millennia-old artificial intelligence who warns that a hostile alien race called the Arachnids are putting together the final preparations for an invasion of Earth. With no way to get home, Nick is enlisted to restore power to ANNE, allowing her to build her defences and thwart the invasion. Hurk is given a robotic body to assist in the mission and asks Nick to locate his missing body parts. Nick grows suspicious of ANNE's intentions while experiencing a series of apocalyptic visions involving his newborn daughter and Hope County. The two manage to fully restore power to ANNE, but doing so allows her to ready her own invasion of earth as she sees humans as inferior lifeforms. They fight both her robots and clones of Hurk made from his re-assembled body. They successfully shut ANNE down at the expense of Hurk's body. Nick and the robotic Hurk return to Earth, where they are celebrated as heroes. ''Dead Living Zombies'' follows Guy Marvel ( Giles Panton), an
auteur An auteur (; , 'author') is an artist with a distinctive approach, usually a film director whose filmmaking control is so unbounded but personal that the director is likened to the "author" of the film, which thus manifests the director's unique ...
film director who has a reputation for being impossible to work with. The style and tone of ''Dead Living Zombies'' are very different to the main story campaign and other downloadable content episodes, relying on parody, meta-humour and irreverence over plot. It recounts Marvel's career and how he wound up in Montana during the Eden's Gate incident. The early days of Marvel's career see him accosting established directors with unsolicited pitches for zombie films. While the directors try to see the merits of his projects, it quickly becomes apparent that they are gratuitously violent with little plot or character development and the directors lose interest. Marvel tries to adapt his pitches based on the feedback he receives, but is told that his films should "say something about society". He becomes frustrated when a director tries to seize creative control over pitch for a global warming-themed zombie film. Realizing that he has been approaching the wrong kind of director, he finds some success when a studio picks up his idea for a summer blockbuster called ''The Fast and the Fiendish'' (based on ''
The Fast and the Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...
'' franchise) and he receives his first screenwriting credit. His final pitch is for ''Laboratory of the Dead'', which is positively received by a director who loves everything the others hated about Marvel's films. Marvel admits that he has no experience directing films and is offered a job directing '' Blood Dragon 3'' in Hope County.


Development

The game was developed by
Ubisoft Montreal Ubisoft Divertissements Inc., doing business as Ubisoft Montreal, is a Canadian video game developer and a studio of Ubisoft based in Montreal. The studio was founded in April 1997 as part of Ubisoft's growth into worldwide markets, with sub ...
and Ubisoft Toronto with
Ubisoft Kyiv Ubisoft is a French video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house developme ...
,
Ubisoft Shanghai Ubisoft is a French video game publisher headquartered in Montreuil, founded in March 1986 by the Guillemot brothers. Since its establishment, Ubisoft has become one of the largest video game publishers, and it has the largest in-house developme ...
and
Ubisoft Reflections Ubisoft Reflections Limited (formerly Reflections and later Reflections Interactive Limited) is a British video game developer and a studio of Ubisoft based in Newcastle upon Tyne. Founded in 1984 by Martin Edmondson and Nicholas Chamberlain, th ...
offering assistance. Dan Hay, who served as lead producer for ''
Far Cry 3 ''Far Cry 3'' is a 2012 first-person shooter game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the third main installment in the '' Far Cry'' series after '' Far Cry 2''. The game takes place on the fictional Rook Islands, a ...
'', was the lead director, with writing led by Drew Holmes, who had previously worked on ''
BioShock Infinite ''BioShock Infinite'' is a first-person shooter video game developed by Irrational Games and published by 2K Games. The third installment in the BioShock (series), ''BioShock'' series, ''Infinite'' was released worldwide for the Microsoft Window ...
'' and its downloadable content. The game continued the series' practice of using the
Dunia Engine Ubisoft Entertainment SA (; ; formerly Ubi Soft Entertainment SA) is a French video game publisher headquartered in Saint-Mandé with development studios across the world. Its video game franchises include ''Assassin's Creed'', ''Far Cry'', ''F ...
, a modified version of the
CryEngine CryEngine (stylized as CRYENGINE) is a game engine designed by the German game developer Crytek. It has been used in all of their titles with the initial version being used in ''Far Cry'', and continues to be updated to support new consoles and ...
. The team chose Montana as the game's setting, as the state lies on the frontier of the United States. To create a realistic environment, the development team visited Montana for fourteen days to collect information regarding its biomes, environment, and the "self-reliant" nature of the locals, who do not want any authority or outsider to intervene in their life. The development team had previously carried out a similar research excursion to
Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is ma ...
during development of ''
Far Cry 4 ''Far Cry 4'' is a 2014 first-person shooter game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the successor to the 2012 video game ''Far Cry 3'', and the fourth main installment in the '' Far Cry'' series. Set in the fiction ...
''. As the development team was no longer satisfied with having one core antagonist in each game, the cast of antagonists was significantly expanded. After the release of ''Far Cry Primal'' in 2016, Ubisoft stated that the next ''Far Cry'' title will take more development time and would not be released in 2017. ''Far Cry 5'' was announced by Ubisoft during the company's financial call, alongside two other major titles, '' The Crew 2'' and ''
Assassin's Creed Origins ''Assassin's Creed Origins'' is a 2017 action role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the tenth major installment in the ''Assassin's Creed'' series, following 2015's ''Assassin's Creed Syndicate''. ...
'', which were released in
fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...
2018. Ubisoft released several teaser trailers and the game's cover art ahead of the game's official reveal on May 26, 2017. The game was released on
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...
,
Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for se ...
, and
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
with support for PlayStation 4 Pro and
Xbox One X The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts o ...
. Free skin packs were made available for PlayStation 4 players at launch due to a marketing deal between
Sony Interactive Entertainment Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), formerly known as Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE), is a multinational video game and digital entertainment company wholly owned by multinational conglomerate Sony. The SIE Group is made up of two legal co ...
and Ubisoft. Though the game was initially set for release on February 27, 2018, Ubisoft pushed the date back a month to March 27, 2018.


Writing

The setting and the tone of the game originated from
separatism Separatism is the advocacy of cultural, ethnic, tribal, religious, racial, governmental or gender separation from the larger group. As with secession, separatism conventionally refers to full political separation. Groups simply seeking greate ...
. According to Hay, he often felt unsafe when he was young because of the conflicts between the two superpowers during the
Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because t ...
. This manifested in the twenty-first century in the form of frequent
terrorist attack Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
s such as the
September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commer ...
, and financial problems such as the
subprime mortgage crisis The United States subprime mortgage crisis was a multinational financial crisis that occurred between 2007 and 2010 that contributed to the 2007–2008 global financial crisis. It was triggered by a large decline in US home prices after the col ...
and in turn caused people to become increasingly protective as they questioned the government. Ultimately the concept of the " global village" began to collapse, which sets the theme of the game and prompted the team to write a story that features a doomsday cult as the game's main antagonist. Hay started writing the story in late 2014; in February 2016, he investigated the details of the occupation and standoff of a wildlife refuge in
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
, as he wanted to look for evidence that can show the rise of separatism. To create a memorable story, the characters in the game were designed to have different views and opinions on important events, and different ideologies. Despite the dark theme, the team wanted to ensure that the game is still fun and entertaining to play. Therefore, the team implemented a large arsenal of weapons and open-ended gameplay possibilities for players to use.


Music

The music in the game was written and composed by Dan Romer. According to audio director Tony Gronick, the team desired to have music in the background through much of the game world, but wanted it to reflect on the nature of the cult, so that the player would be experiencing the cult's messaging throughout the game, tied to the narrative. To do this, Romer created hymn-like
gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...
, but with lyrics that described the cult's end-of-the-world teachings. Further, extending on the idea of multiple antagonists, the style of the music shifts as the player enters regions of the world controlled by the different cult members, from
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, whi ...
to
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diver ...
to
industrial music Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initial ...
, representing how the hymns of Joseph Seed evolve under his siblings' personal preferences. The game also uses licensed music tracks when the player drives in vehicles, with the type of music played similarly influenced by the area they are in. The ambient/post-rock band,
Hammock A hammock (from Spanish , borrowed from Taíno and Arawak ) is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two or more points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a wo ...
, used some of the songs Romer produced for the game and reinterpreted them. This resulted in a multi-volume soundtrack release, which consists of the original soundtrack and the three-part ''Far Cry 5 Presents'' series. ''Far Cry 5 Presents'' is a thematic compilation of the additional music used in the game: ''Into the Flames'' collects cult songs written by Romer and performed by various artists, ''When the World Falls'' is a choral version of those songs, and ''We Will Rise Again'' is their ambient reinterpretation by Hammock.


Live action short

Coinciding with the release of the game, Ubisoft released a live action short film called ''Inside Eden's Gate''. It was produced by Asylum Entertainment. The film serves as a prologue to the events of the game, and follows three filmmakers as they travel across Hope County. They meet Mark and his sister, Faith who is in the game being taken in by the Eden's Gate cult. It stars Greg Bryk and
Kyle Gallner Kyle Steven Gallner (born October 22, 1986) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of Cassidy "Beaver" Casablancas in the television series ''Veronica Mars'', superhero Bart Allen in the drama series ''Smallville'' and Reed Garrett ...
. Ubisoft first made the film available on
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime is a paid subscription service from Amazon which is available in various countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services include same, one- ...
, before releasing it on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
on April 4, 2018.


Reception

''Far Cry 5'' received "generally favorable" reviews, according to review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...
. Daemon Hatfield of IGN gave it an 8.9 rating, saying "''Far Cry 5'' is another wide-open playground with all the necessary ingredients for causing a real ruckus: loads of enemies and allies, temperamental wildlife, and plenty of explosions."
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...
gave the game 6.5 of 10 possible points, stating "It’s a shame that ''Far Cry 5'' is propped up by a weak story with bland characters, because behind the plot is an open world filled with what ''Far Cry'' as a series does best." The game's ending polarized critical opinion. Should the player choose "resist" when prompted—an ending regarded by Ubisoft to be
canonical The adjective canonical is applied in many contexts to mean "according to the canon" the standard, rule or primary source that is accepted as authoritative for the body of knowledge or literature in that context. In mathematics, "canonical examp ...
—the game depicts a series of nuclear explosions that destroy civilization. Critics argued that this ending invalidated the player's actions by rendering them meaningless. ''Far Cry 5'' became the fastest-selling title in the history of the franchise, more than doubling the sales of ''Far Cry 4''. It was the second-biggest launch of an Ubisoft title, behind ''
Tom Clancy's The Division ''Tom Clancy's The Division'' is an online-only action role-playing video game developed by Massive Entertainment and published in 2016 by Ubisoft, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It is set in a near future New York City i ...
'', grossing $310 million in its first week of sales. The PlayStation 4 version sold 75,474 copies within its first week on sale in Japan, placing it at number two on the all format sales chart. The tourism board of the state of Montana partnered with Ubisoft after ''Far Cry 5''s release to use some of the setting imagery for the game to promote tourism to the southwestern part of Montana, the setting that inspired the game's fictional Hope County.


Controversy

Many journalists opined that ''Far Cry 5''s setting and narrative concept, involving themes of religious fanaticism and the emergence of far-right political movements within the borders of the United States—as opposed to the more exotic locales depicted in other ''Far Cry'' titles—would likely make the game highly controversial. These journalists noted that due to the long development cycle, it was unlikely that Ubisoft intentionally designed the game's narrative around the political climate at the time of the announcement, adding that Ubisoft had been careful to downplay any perceived connections to then-current real world events. Responding to the criticism, game director Dan Hay revealed that the story was written to discuss the consequences of beliefs and ideologies being taken to their most extreme form rather than as a response to a particular political event. Hay stated they had come to setting the game around a cult in Montana as they felt Montana reflected a remote frontier most people were not aware of, comparable to their other ''Far Cry'' game settings, and that after visiting the state, found that Montana was a place "where people go to be alone, where they don't want to be messed with", further resonating with past ''Far Cry'' themes. However, after three years of development, Hay said: "we could have never imagined, and to be honest I wouldn't have wanted to... that in some ways, it's echoing out in the real world." Following its announcement, ''Far Cry 5'' was the subject of an online petition lodged at Change.org by individuals objecting to what they called the portrayal of
American Christians Christianity is the most prevalent religion in the United States. Estimates from 2021 suggest that of the entire US population (332 million) about 63% is Christian (210 million). The majority of Christian Americans are Protestant Christians (14 ...
as villains and calling for the game's antagonists to be recast. The petition suggested Muslims, inner-city gang members, and other non-white antagonists as possible replacements. The petition also suggested changing the game's setting to Canada. The petition itself was criticized by industry commentators who highlighted the game's exploration of its themes as being necessary in the contemporary social and political climate, and pointed to video gaming as a medium for
social commentary Social commentary is the act of using rhetorical means to provide commentary on social, cultural, political, or economic issues in a society. This is often done with the idea of implementing or promoting change by informing the general populace ab ...
. Some publications also questioned the authenticity of the petition, suggesting that it may have been intended as
satire Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming o ...
. Conversely, after the game's release, some outlets criticized it for opposing reasons, for trying to be inoffensive and apolitical rather than directly engaging with contemporary political issues. ''Polygon''s Ben Kuchera described the game as a "defiantly inoffensive mess" which "wants to appeal to everyone, but ultimately says nothing." William Hughes writing for '' The A.V. Club'' disparagingly described the villains as an "easily digestible evil" deliberately crafted so as not to offend gamers of any political persuasion. Andrew Webster's The Verge says that the game "creates the illusion that it has something to say, then stubbornly refuses to say anything." With the release of the sequel ''Far Cry 6'', Ubisoft and the game's writer have confirmed the sequel is "inherently political", creating a continuation of the political controversy within the ''Far Cry'' series.


Accolades


Notes


References


External links

* {{Far Cry series 2018 video games Far Cry video games First-person shooters Video games about religion Video games about cults Multiplayer and single-player video games Open-world video games PlayStation 4 games PlayStation 4 Pro enhanced games Stadia games Ubisoft games Video game controversies Video game sequels Video games about police officers Video games developed in Canada Video games featuring protagonists of selectable gender Video games set in Montana Video games set on Mars Video games set in Vietnam Video games with alternate endings Video games with user-generated gameplay content Vietnam War video games Windows games Xbox One games Xbox One X enhanced games Video games with downloadable content