Far Cry 5 was my introduction to the series when it became one of the free monthly downloads last year. I wasn't overly keen on the story but loved the open world setting and the gameplay itself. That is what got me excited for the latest release, and I have looked forward to it all year.
Well I can say that it certainly is not a disappointment. Firstly, the scenery is absolutely beautiful, and has been intricately detailed, so even when you are in the back of beyond, there is always something to see or do, or a cave to explore, or wildlife to hunt, or do as I do, which is just to explore and observe the breathtaking views. Although the map is huge, every area has some kind of landmark, whether it be part of the story, or just there to explore, and does not have that empty dead space of huge maps, such as the Just Cause franchise. There has clearly been alot of effort put into the design and layout.
Secondly, there are loads of weapons to choose, all individually upgradable by collecting scrap items, scattered around the map, as well as unlocking unique weapons in hidden chests. Although the upgrades don't seem as in depth as other specific first person shooting games, there is still plenty to keep the majority of players happy, not to mention the ridiculous and crazy guns you wouldn't see in any other game anyways.
The vehicle choice is adequate with the usual planes, helicopters, boats, cars, trucks in previous games, but I feel they easily could have added alot more choice for a game of this size. It was nice to see the mini hovercraft, and strangely enough, horses too.
As for the story, it is very long. I'm around 30 hours in and I couldn't even tell you if I'm half way through or not. But I love it so far. There are numerous characters you cross paths with, some likeable, some not so much, but they are all part of the exciting journey. There are some very nice and unique missions throughout the whole game and what I personally enjoy the most, are the ones where you have to think strategically. You cannot go in all guns blazing in every mission because you will literally die every 2 minutes. As the story progresses and enemy soldiers become harder to kill, you are almost forced to take a stealthy approach. Some players may not like that, but I really do, and I'm sure others will too. Having the ability to play co op with a friend will make a huge difference in how you handle missions, as well as being generally more fun. I have only played solo so far but had great times with friends in FC5.
There is so much good to say about this game and I can't praise it enough. I would score it 10 but unfortunately it's not a perfect game for me. As good as I think it is, there are some things that prevent it from a perfect 10.
The radio stations for starters are diabolical. I think there's only 3 songs that I recognise and I do love listening to good music in games.
Vehicle choice as I said earlier. The white player blip/arrow on the radar is horrible, as it merges with other white icons making it a nightmare to see where you are. The game freezes intermittently for 10-15 seconds, launching your car in the air. (Could be an old gen issue). The enemy is very over powered, constantly hitting you before you can even see them. They run whilst fully locking on and shooting, randomly throw a grenade whilst shooting and you are getting hit left right and centre. It can be very frustrating, especially when you have an objective to carry out whilst fighting off endless enemies, reloading, healing, dying and restarting all over again. And the enemy spawns aren't the greatest. There is definitely room for improvement but over all I have been very impressed. I'm very excited to see how the story ends and then work through the side missions and treasure hunts. Last thing is, there are alot of haters out there putting this game down for no good reason, so if you want an honest opinion, go to a small online streamer. Those guys will tell you exactly what this game is like.
