Unlocking Far Cry 4’s Co-op Mode With The Keys To Kyrat

I have fond memories of the Game Boy Advance. It was the first console that I got at launch – and it had taken a lot of nagging to persuade my parents to allow me a games console at all – and it had a rather unique trick up its sleeve, so that my brother and I could play multiplayer games: Multi-Boot.

Using the link cable that was necessary in the days before widespread Wi-Fi, multiplayer would have ordinarily needed two copies of the game to allow us to play together, but Multi-Boot games featured a cut down version of multiplayer that could be sent over the link cable to the second GBA. We shared a Mario Kart: Super Circuit cartridge like this for quite a while. Though purely a handheld idea that spread over to the Nintendo DS and PSP, it’s this which I’m reminded of by Far Cry 4’s Keys to Kyrat offer on PlayStation.

This scheme gives anyone who bought Far Cry 4 the ability to hand out access to the game to 10 friends over PSN, so that they might join forces for a two hour period to enjoy the game’s open world co-op mayhem. It’s an interesting idea, coming alongside the ideologically similar Share Play, but one that has a few quirks in its implementation.

Upon receiving an invitation, you’ll be prompted to go to the PS Store to download the trial client for Far Cry 4. Unfortunately, the very nature of Far Cry 4 and its open world means that you need to download the entire game to your hard drive, at a rather hefty 26.5GB. The PS4’s ability to let you start playing with a fraction of the overall data kicks in around the 4GB mark, though, hiding the rest of the download which you will need to be able to play from view in the game’s information statistics.

But once the game’s fully installed, it’s as simple as accepting an invite to play co-op from the person that sent you a key – it didn’t seem to work with the trial connecting uninvited, and certainly not when trying to join those that hadn’t given you a key. However far into the game they are, that whole world and all of the gameplay within it is open to you. It’s effectively an identical experience to playing co-op with two full copies of the game, with one player keeping hold of their progress and playing as Ajay, while the trial player comes in as Hurk.

FarCry4-Keys-IL1

That means you can go and tackle an outpost, pick up a mission to hunt a unique animal, go jumping off cliffs with your wing suits, ride elephants and all the rest. The game’s particular brand of off-kilter humour and freeform gameplay is immediately apparent, to the extent that it’s almost difficult to know what to do first. With 2 hours of play time open to you, there’s perhaps a slight mental shift for the host, from just having nonsensical fun to trying to show your buddy everything there is to do in the world.

It’s quite interesting to contrast and compare how it works in relation to Share Play, which gives another pseudo-word of mouth option for trying the game. That system streams from one PS4 to another though, allowing for you to start playing right away and try the game, but with Far Cry 4 not featuring local split screen play, the Keys to Kyrat still have their place – not to mention that you get to see the graphics running natively.

It’s unfortunate that the initial download couldn’t have been reduced in some fashion, turning this from being something that requires premeditation into something a little more impulsive, but when it is up and running, this really gives the ideal situation in which to try the game. From Ubisoft’s point of view, it might result in a few more people buying the game – indeed, the trial game has a buy button on the main menu – but if nothing else, it’s a nice way for people to share their adventures in Kyrat for a few hours with friends.

17 Comments

  1. Good article. It is a decent idea that just doesn’t seem to have been fully thought out. I gave Tony a key but the download was just too ridiculous to warrent him doing it unfortunately.

    Also, they seem to be having major issues with Co-op. Youles and I just couldn’t connect at all. And a quick google seems to prove it’s not just us. Currently needing the two online trophies still, so fingers crossed I can get them done and can sell to buy GTA. (I stupidly promised myself I wouldn’t buy a new game without shifting another, see how long that lasts.)

  2. A GBA was the first console you got at launch? I thought you were an old man like me.

    Anyway, the key is a great idea, although perhaps (and it’s a big perhaps) in enabling extra server traffic, it means people who paid full whack for the game (read: me) haven’t been able to join a co-op game once! Thanks Ubisoft.

  3. From my point of viewI was massively disappointed. I saw “far cry 4 timed trial” on the store and thought “ah brilliant I can try out the new far cry for a bit”, so I downloaded the whole 20 odd gig. Upon booting up I was informed I needed a key to kyrat to play. So off to twitter I went, a couple of people were kind enough to supply me with said keys. Cool I thought, now I can try, but when I went to use the key it tried to connect me to the person who supplied it to me, but they weren’t online so I just deleted the game. Perhaps my fault for not reading the trial game info properly on the store, but I still believe the whole thing just wasn’t clear.

    • It does make you question why they didn’t just do a demo, with all this fuss about a key. I realise it does limit it a bit more as you have to know someone etc etc, but people have done demos before!

    • You’re not the only one. A couple of my mates downloaded it expecting to play, only to then realise they needed the key.

  4. Good article , very usefull as due to yry this tonight. Ine question Stefan, can you start playing after the initial 4gb download or do you have to wait for the whole thing to download?

    • The 4GB initial download is basically the prologue content from the game, before you get to the open world. To play co-op, you need the whole game installed.

      • Ok thanks, i best get it installing soon as i get home. Will buy it tomorrow anyway

  5. I had a go on this when my mate bought it round a few days back who’s got 10 keys but can’t get on with it. For some reason I prefer most games in the 3rd person view unless I’m playing a shooter like Battlefield where most of the action is concentrated towards your gun scope.
    I remember giving up on Mirror’s Edge after 5 mins as I feel like I need to see my character when it involves a lot of running and leaping around.

  6. Given a friend a key to try this, shame it never works. Just continues to say “can’t connect to game” or some other trash like that.

    • Worked first time for me and Jambo when I sent him an invite from within the game… Pity it’s being awkward for you.

  7. waste of time from what I’ve read online. Along with the huge download, you need a key, and only when you get a key, you can’t connect. Massive waste of time.

    Shame as I would like to try it, but I think GTA would be a better option, as that works.

  8. how can i send a key for my friend? i bought it digitally?

    • If you figured it out can you send me a key too? On ps3 my name is Juniper201

  9. I was given a key from a guy on my nephew’s friends list and when downloaded I was put into a random match. I tried out 2 sessions and was connected to a random both times. It took a while to connect but it worked both times.

    • I think ‘worked’ is a bit of a stretch considering it paired you with a random that wasn’t expecting you both times! ;)

      Must have been really confusing for them if you just popped into their game all of a sudden without invite.

      There is of course the possibility that they were doing the same thing & expecting another friend to join (so not so much of a surprise that someone popped in), but still!

  10. Can anyone send a key to me on ps3? Juniper201 is my gamertag!

Comments are now closed for this post.