#IGN BEST GAMES OF 2016 SERIES#

There’s enough fun in Far Cry 5 to keep players occupied, even if none of it ever truly soars. As for players bored by the small-town setting, Far Cry 5 also included a robust level editor mode, inspiring players to create and share some truly wild and chaotic maps. And hidden prepper stashes acted as treasure hunt puzzle rooms of sorts. Players could recruit NPCs and even local wildlife to take down enemies. There’s fishing, hunting, and an increased focus on exploration and melee combat. That said, there’s still tons of stuff for Far Cry fans to love here. The spacious American West setting wasn’t exactly rife with shark-infested seas and elephant stampedes like some of the other games on this list, but it did try to shake things up by pitting the player against Eden’s Gate, a deranged Doomsday cult prepping for the end of the world.Ī video game tiger will always be more interesting than a video game cow, though, so ultimately Far Cry 5’s story couldn’t rescue it from its lackluster setting. #6 - Far Cry 5 - 2018 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)įar Cry’s dense, geographically varied locations brimming with dangerous wildlife are probably the most important draw to the series, which made Far Cry 5’s trip to its sparse and mundane fictitious Montana county somewhat of a letdown. That said, if you’re one of the people who play Far Cry for the story and Far Cry 5’s finale left you wondering where the heck things could go next, New Dawn’s vivid and violent sandbox and demented new villains are enough to keep things interesting enough. Under the fresh coat of paint was the familiar Far Cry 5 gameplay, as well as a reduced version of Far Cry 5’s map, which ultimately made it feel more like a spinoff than a sequel. Aesthetically, think of it as Mad Max meets Splatoon. The result is a vibrant, neon take on Far Cry 5’s map, complete with overgrown flora, mutated animals, and lots of scrappy new weapons and vehicles to play with.

#7 - Far Cry: New Dawn - 2019 (Xbox One, PS4, PC)įar Cry: New Dawn was the first direct sequel in the Far Cry series, taking place seventeen years after - spoilers, I guess - the nuclear collapse is seen in Far Cry 5’s Hope County where nature, and roving gangs of Highwaymen, have reclaimed the land. That level of gameplay freedom was fairly uncommon in the FPS genre at the time and went on to define the core of what the Far Cry franchise has become known for since. You can go in loud with grenades and stolen trucks or stealth your way through enemy base camps, taking down waves of soldiers along the way. The first Far Cry is a fairly linear, level-based game by Far Cry standards, but it’s still got plenty of player agency. Sure, there are still plenty of dimly lit corridors and sci-fi stuff to be found here - the game centers around taking down not only soldiers, but also genetically modified mutant monsters, after all - but players will still scale mountains, fly hang gliders, and swim seas. It’s an interesting mechanic that never really made its return in later titles but it does add a level of tension and survival simulation to a game already teeming with things that want you dead.Īfter years of dimly lit corridors and labyrinthine sci-fi settings dominated the first person shooter space, the original Far Cry dared to drag the genre out into the sunshine for a wide open romp across a dangerous tropical island. On top of contending with local wildlife and enemy forces, the player also has to deal with malaria, periodically requiring the usage of medicine to treat the life-threatening parasitic disease coursing through their body. While its murky, sepia-toned visuals haven’t aged well - a common theme for many mature games of the mid-2000s era - the immense African savannah backdrop still provided players with tons to do and explore. Lots of the quality of life standards and progression features common in recent Far Cry’s hadn’t been introduced yet, but it’s hard to deny how influential Far Cry 2 ended up being to later installments.

#IGN BEST GAMES OF 2016 SERIES#

#9 - Far Cry 2 - 2008 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)įar Cry 2 was the first in the series to attempt the nonlinear, open-world shooter approach and the result is both ambitious and undercooked as a result.

Instincts is a fairly linear take on the already linear debut Far Cry game, but it’s still worth checking out to see how far the Far Cry games have come since. Issues like texture pop-in and long load times definitely showed Instincts’ age when it launched, but this redo also brought in a map editor, new feral abilities, and the addition of several multiplayer modes. Far Cry Instincts is basically a remake of the original Far Cry game with some cut corners in order to let it debut on the Xbox in 2007.

Ign best games of 2016