Much has been said about the Far Cry series and untold multitudes of gamers have done even more inside of its fictional open world sandboxes, with the previous installment “Far Cry 3” definitely hitting a high water mark. Naturally, expectations are high for Far Cry 4, not only because it is the next in line for release, but also due to the fact that developer Ubisoft Montreal (known for turning out blockbuster hits) has promised us the moon this time around. In short, FC4 maintains the same basic open world system and mechanics as its predecessor, neatly upgrading where possible, while also vastly improving the overall way that players delve into its open world and how the plot meshes with that concept. Well, it seems as if they’ve nailed it on all fronts…yes, this is THE open world FPS / RPG experience that many are likely to go absolutely bonkers for.

Of course, Far Cry 4 really shines on the PlayStation 4, which is able to really deliver the goods on the graphical front. The action itself remains largely the same, which isn’t a bad thing at all. Whereas a lot of other open world titles tend to sort of “hold your hand” and guide you through the bulk of the experience, FC4 just turns you loose and leaves it to you to learn to survive. For those who might have become accustomed to today’s more modern survival sandboxes, this grants the game an extra sense of appeal, of course. There are literally so many things you can do here, as well as a very large map to fully explore; you could spend a seemingly infinite amount of time just wandering around boosting up your character’s assets if you wanted to.

Now, about the graphics… If you aren’t absolutely floored by the awesomeness that is looking out upon a foggy mountain range, knowing full well that you can explore every square inch of the terrain then we just don’t know what to say. Obviously, fans of titles that really let you get out there and see what secrets the world has to offer are going to find themselves completely immersed and satiated. There’s an incredible level of detail present throughout, from the aforementioned grand vistas to the small things, like a single flower or blade of grass. Even though a lot of people might not see it as such, this game presents what is arguably one of the largest and most “alive” worlds ever seen in a video game to date. The same can be said about the character models as well as the animations; everything is in top form here.

While most will certainly love delving into the main plot / storyline, perhaps the element that has stolen the show for a lot of people is the wildlife. Specifically speaking, we’re talking about some seriously dangerous foes here and they come in all shapes and sizes. You might think that there’s little to fear from insects and birds, for example, but you’d be wrong. Around every tree there might be danger lurking, but when you emerge victorious the rewards are obvious, you become a better survivalist and can perhaps grow stronger or add some new piece of equipment to your inventory.

Without delving too far into the plot or incorporating any spoilers, you only need to know that the main story is both engrossing as well as nearly perfectly suited to the environment and mechanics. Whereas in FC3 there was a bit of a disparity between the way its’ main quest collided with its open world nature, the exact opposite is true this time around. It no longer feels weird to go off into the wilderness, complexly tossing the main story aside only to resume it later when you’re stronger and better equipped.

By and large, fans of Far Cry 3 will absolutely love this and should run out right now and pick up a copy. But again, don’t go thinking that it is nothing more than a loose repackaging of the same concepts because it actually feels like a complete overhaul+, where every element has been improved upon. The developer has taken the basic formula and supercharged it here while also introducing us to a stunningly beautiful new style of terrain and combat. Anyone who enjoys open world games with modern combat in them or even titles devoted entirely toward the survival element will definitely get a lot out of playing this. Highly recommended.

Rating – 9