Overview
The Far Cry series are first-person shooters published by Ubisoft Entertainment. The series was originally created by Crytek as a demonstration for the capabilities of the CryEngine.
Typically, each game in the series is primarily set around open-world environments. Players are forced to defend themselves in a wilderness setting using a variety of weapons against wildlife as well as human enemies, such as pirates, soldiers or mercenaries. Each game has an emphasis on player control and dynamic environments.
While the series is known for its open-ended nature, the original Far Cry & its sequel are not true open-world games. Since Far Cry 3, each game in the series has had an open-world for players to explore freely.
Main Games
The first game in the series released in March 2004 exclusively for PC. It takes place on a mysterious island where Jack Carver uncovers a secret experiment involving mutated soldiers.
Far Cry 2 released in October 2008 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It centers around a civil war between two rival factions within an unnamed nation in Africa, the player assumes the role of a mercenary who enters the country to track down and eliminate an arms dealer called the Jackal.
Far Cry 3 was released in November 2012 for PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The story focuses on Jason Brody, a tourist who is kidnapped by pirates and to be sold into slavery during a vacation retreat to the Rook Islands. After escaping the pirates, Jason is forced into combat to save his friends and family from Vaas Montenegro and Hoyt Volker - the ruthless faction leaders who dominate the islands.
The fourth mainline instalment of the Far Cry series released in November 2014 for the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Far Cry 4's story revolves around Ajay Ghale, an American born in the fictional central Asian country of Kyrat, who must return to the country so he can deliver his mother's ashes - but is soon embroidled in a civil war between Pagan Min's Royal Army and the Golden Path, a resistance group formed to bring an end to King Min's reign over Kyrat.
Far Cry 5 released in March 2018 for the PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Set in the fictional Hope county in Montana, Far Cry 5 focuses on the rookie, a police sheriff who arrives into Hope county with a group in order to capture Joseph Seed - the leader of a heavily-armed cult who have influenced the area with Seed's radical ideologies.
The latest mainline instalment to the Far Cry series released in October 2021 for PC, Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Spin-Offs
Development
The Far Cry series was conceptualized by Crytek and was made as a tech demo to present large, dynamic environments in a FPS game. The original Far Cry developed from a project called X-Isle: Dinosaur Island, which evolved overtime to the final product. Far Cry was the first game developed using the CryEngine. Since Far Cry 2, each game has been developed on the Dunia Engine - which is a heavily modified version of the CryEngine.
Reception
The Far Cry series has been positively received by critics and audiences alike. The highest-rated games in the series are Far Cry 3, Far Cry 2 and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. The series has been praised for its open-world gameplay and certain characters (such as Vaas Montenegro), but has been critiqued for story and lack of innovation in recent years.
By 2014, the series had sold over 20 million copies and is currently one of Ubisoft's biggest and most profitable franchises.
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