Far Cry 4 Review Round-Up

Well here’s one of Ubisoft’s big hitters for Christmas, and the reviews are out before the game! Whatever next! The fourth main entry in the series, the game releases across generations on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC on the 18th of November. [Edit: Not the 20th, as was originally written]

The single player campaign follows Ajay Ghale as he returns to his native Kryat and becomes embroiled in civil war as the populace struggle under the regime of self-appointed king Pagan Min. After the fantastic Far Cry 3, Ubisoft will be hoping for another strong entry in the series, particularly after the problems surrounding the launch of Assassin’s Creeed this week.

It looks like critics feel that Far Cry 4 has been a resounding success, whilst some still think the last entry remains the high point for the franchise, the new game is clearly very good indeed.

Eurogamer – 8/10

“There’s a reason Ubisoft pared back Far Cry 4’s story – it knew it was never going to be the main attraction. Far Cry 4 does all the things that its predecessor did and more – more weapons, more vehicles, more modes, more ground to cover – so if all you’re looking for is a big old wide open space to tear up with a friend, go forth and make merry with mortar. That said, more does not necessarily mean better, and the truth is that the wilds of Kyrat simply aren’t as beguiling as the Rook Islands were. Far Cry 4 is well worth a visit, but it’s more a backpacker’s delight than a five-star island paradise.”

Destructoid – 9/10

“Far Cry 4 could have all of the multiplayer elements stripped away and it would still be a very strong game. If you enjoyed its predecessor and didn’t grow tired of Ubisoft Montreal’s open world formula, you’ll have a blast living the experience again.”

CVG – 9/10

“Don’t let a lacklustre multiplayer deter you, though. The strength of the world and its systems alone makes this one of the year’s best games and one whose enormous potential for experimentation means you’ll playing it well into 2015. By taking things to the Himalayas, Ubisoft Montreal has managed to skilfully weave an attractive partnership of awe-inspiring landscape and exhilarating, surprising action.”

GamesRadar – 4/5

“Far Cry 3 remains the series’ peak, but Far Cry 4 is a lovely-looking, accomplished offering that suffers from lacklustre writing and an odd lack of purpose.”

Joystiq – 4.5/5

“There’s a staggering number of adventures to extract from Far Cry 4, whether you chase the ones laid out by the game explicitly, or the ones that develop naturally as you take in the sights. It’s another interesting and absorbing world to fall into, shoot through, burn and then guide to new beginnings. Far Cry 4 may have installed a despot, but it’s still the undisputed king of the open-world shooter.”

Metro – 9/10

“Given the unlikeably obnoxious characters we’d also have liked to see the game take a less serious tone, something more akin to an 18-rated ’80s action movie. That’s what it feels like when you’re playing and yet what little sense of humour the game itself presents comes across as needlessly mean-spirited. Still, like we say, these are minor complaints in the scheme of things. Far Cry 4 might not be doing anything terribly new but it does do almost everything it sets out to extremely well. And there’s few games, no matter what they are, that can ever say that.”

God Is A Geek – 9/10

“Overall the package might not be perfect, but Kyrat will find ways to keep you interested long after your first visit its mountainous vistas. The open world is just as good as, if not better in places than, its predecessor, but the story is where it really counts. Every character you meet has their own motivations, their own personality. There are twists and turns, some of which you’ll see a mile off, but some you won’t believe happened hours after the event. Insane moments are blended with genuine, heartfelt ones, and the juxtaposition doesn’t diminish either, but instead serves to emphasise them. Visit Kyrat and you won’t regret it.”

The Guardian – 5/5

“Far Cry 4 truly shines in the almost bacchanalian sense of freedom it bestows on the player as they traverse through its environment. In Kyrat you have the ability to go anywhere and do pretty much anything – much as Pagan Min would advocate. Here, the only pact you need keep is that with your conscience. God help you.”

IGN – No Score

“Diversity is one of Far Cry 4’s strongest assets, and it overwhelms the mostly disappointing story with countless opportunities for free-form adventure and fun. Visual variety, tons of distinct side-quests, and a dense world with plenty of options always gave me something I wanted to do, and its satisfying economy had me obsessing over completing every side-quest. It’s a little safe, in that it has many familiar elements from Far Cry 3 transplanted to an amazing new place, but those elements are incredibly empowering and rewarding.”

26 Comments

  1. Woah, decent scores, that’s great news! Mine (apparently) got dispatched today, can’t wait. One of the view games I’ll have started on release (most stuff gets added to the backlog until I’ve finished what I’m playing).

    • “View” games? WTF, “few” games. Guess I was too excited. :/

      • Calm down dear its only a game.lol

  2. I didn’t get Far Cry 3 until a few months after release but I absolutely loved it. I’ll be getting this one for Christmas I think.

  3. Can’t wait. But you are either wrong or have given me very sad news. Thought the game was out on the 18th?

    • It is out on the 18th.

      • Perfect. Thanks mate. My original message may have come across a bit harsh, typing from my phone.

      • Nah, I didn’t read it that way at all – You just sounded concerned as the date that you knew it was coming out had seemingly suddenly & inexplicably been pushed back 2 days! :)

        Every bit of advertising that I have seen for it states the 18th though & it shares its release date with GTA. Oh & the 20th is a Thursday. Which would just be weird.

      • Wow. Calm down kjkg! ;-)

        I fixed the typo, so hopefully nobody else will throw such a wobbly.

      • Cheers for fixing that mate – I wrote the EU release date, which seemingly the UK is not part of for Far Cry 4!

      • Think that Puffer Fish Gravatar needs changing to The Incredible Hulk! Ever considered Anger Management? ;)

      • I think Merkel decided on the EU date and just left us out of it.

      • @Dom – I think it’s the 18th through Europe too, at least according to Amazon’s various regions it is… Someone somewhere’s put a typo on the internet and misled you!

      • What? You mean Wikipedia is an unreliable source? My world is upside down ;)

  4. What’s with ign giving no score? A few of these review roundups have had no score given.

    • It actually says “review in progress” at the top of the page, so my guess is that they are getting the text up as soon as possible & then assigning a score once it has been published.

      That process also allows for more clicks & comments asking why there is no review score one would assume! ;)

    • Some sites have started holding back their final score if they haven’t had chance to play the multiplayer under release conditions (i.e. when they’re full of the paying public), as opposed to just members of the press and people from the industry.

      • Or to put it another way, some sites are reviewing the game before they’ve played it properly? Making all those review scores kind of pointless and not to be trusted?

      • I see. With the amount of multiplayer focused games not working lately its understandable.

      • IGN wont be able to finish their review in progress for AC Unity for another couple of months then hahaha

      • @MrYd – Yep. You should completely disregard all those review scores and read the words instead.

  5. I struggled choosing between this and AC Rogue and ended up going with AC Rogue. It’s just not Christmas without AC and with Unity coming out half baked, I had to go Rogue. I’ll definitely be getting Far Cry next though. There reviews sound very promising.

  6. Neeeeeeeeeeed!!

  7. Will buy. In December.

  8. Something for Xmas me thinks.

  9. Been playing this since Tuesday, great game!

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