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The Far Cry franchise is one of the most successful in gaming and has been able to put out back-to-back hits with each successive release. These games' core focus is on freedom of gameplay, as well as a strong emphasis on story and cinematic value, cementing the series' position at the very pinnacle of AAA gaming.
With Far Cry 6 looming on the horizon, fans will, no doubt, revisit the franchise and experience some of the best open-world first-person shooters on the market. The Far Cry series includes not only five great mainline entries, but also spin-offs that are also quite great.
However, here, for the sake of brevity, we take a look at the five main entries in this franchise, as those can offer the most amount of content, and the most value-for-money in the market currently.
Far Cry: Ranking the main games in the series
Honourable Mention: Far Cry: Blood Dragon
Although a spin-off of Far Cry 3, Blood Dragon has a lot to offer, and is possibly the most fun entry in the entire franchise. This 80s action-movie inspired game is one of the most creative and fun spin-offs in the history of gaming.
5) Far Cry
The first game was so far removed from the identity that this series would go on to establish that it barely resembles the current franchise. However, Far Cry is possibly one of the most challenging games in this series, and its sci-fi-style story might appeal more to certain players.
The first game in this series puts players in control of Jack Carver as he attempts to survive against insurmountable odds on an island. On their way, players will encounter not just human enemies, but also mutated monsters.
It introduced a level of freedom of approach never seen before in gaming, which would go on to provide the foundation for the rest of the franchise. The story isn't exactly winning any awards or been appreciated in 2020, yet, it has a certain amount of cliched charm to it.
Far Cry hasn't necessarily aged all that well, given its somewhat mediocre story and absurd difficulty spikes. The game is still quite enjoyable if players know what they're getting into.
4) Far Cry 4
If we are only considering art-style and visual brilliance, then Far Cry 4 wipes the floor with the rest of the games in this franchise. It is set in the beautiful yet dangerous fictional country of Kyrat, a state in the Himalayan regions.
The open-world is filled with stark beauty and absolute wonderous views that will entice players into exploring the vast and dangerous map. This game amps up the gameplay from the previous entry in a lot of ways by introducing a level of verticality with the locations never seen before in the Far Cry franchise. The story, however, is perhaps the most divisive aspect of the game.
While some appreciated the more personal touch to the story, a lot felt it was convoluted to the extent they didn't quite understand it even after finishing it. A lot of players felt the lack of nuance with the characters added to the somewhat disconnected story.
Others regard it as one of the best stories in history; therefore, it is purely down to personal choice whether Far Cry 4 will be your cup of tea or not.
3) Far Cry 5
The latest main entry in this franchise looked to bring the Far Cry experience to the United States, with a cult story that pleased a large majority of the fan base. This modern-day western was a great spin and much-appreciated detour for fans of this series.
The Far Cry franchise, for the large part, has given players a fully fleshed-out and voiced character as the protagonist. Moreover, in the fifth game, players could customise and develop their character from scratch.
While the customisation options are limited at best, it does add more to the RPG-like experience the game attempted. The gameplay is front and centre, with far more freedom and tools afforded to the player.
The story, for the most part, is engaging with memorable characters such as Faith Seed and the main antagonist, Joseph Seed. While the game has been extremely divisive, it is hard to deny the sheer quality in its best moments.
2) Far Cry 2
For a large portion of the fanbase, Far Cry 2 remains the most authentic Far Cry experience to date. A case can be made that the games that followed the second entry in the franchise were only its watered-down version.
This title is challenging, brutal, and by far, the most rewarding once players get past the initial difficulty. It introduced a revolutionary game engine that had game systems naturally interacting with each other, as well as a fully-realised day-night cycle.
From guns jamming realistically to the players having to take malaria shots regularly, Far Cry 2 is a level of challenge never seen before or since in the franchise.
It is truly a unique experience and one that fans of the open-world FPS genre should definitely try.
1) Far Cry 3
The game that succeeded the famed second entry in the series struck a balance that still maintained a consistent level of challenge, yet made it more accessible to a broader audience.
While Far Cry 2 had a mediocre story at best, Far Cry 3 took the reins and delivered one of the best stories and characters of its time. Characters such as the villainous Vaas are gaming legends at this point; setting the benchmark for video game antagonists for the games that followed.
Far Cry 3 is, arguably, the game that shot the franchise into the mainstream and formed the bedrock of all the success it has seen. There aren't many games in history that have successfully delivered a great sequel, but Far Cry is testament to how to develop a one perfectly.
Disclaimer: This article is based on personal preference, and what may be top for one person may differ for another.
