106) Far Cry 5 (2018)

After the release of Far Cry: Primal in 2016, Ubisoft announced that the next installment in the franchise would need more time in development, and thus would not release in 2017 as had been previously planned. Instead, the game released in 2018, and though it released to mostly positive reviews, the game was steeped in controversy due to the setting and plot. Far Cry had long been known for its more exotic locales and antagonistic groups that were easy to identify as being clearly morally wrong. This installment, being set in the state of Montana with the player fighting against a religious cult that was rooted in Christianity, ruffled more than a few feathers on all sides.

We begin the game as a rookie Deputy, tagging along with the Sheriff of the fictional Hope County and United States Marshals as we go in to arrest Joseph Seed. Seed, the religious leader of Eden's Gate, has been federally charged with kidnapping with the intent to harm, and as we make our approach the Sheriff makes it abundantly clear that Seed and his followers are far more dangerous than the Marshals and the rest of the outside world is aware. Arriving at the Eden's Gate church, we're quickly surrounded by Seed's followers who are all but foaming at the mouth at our presence. Upon entering the church proper, we find Seed leading his congregation, and he offers no physical resistance to being apprehended. He calmly states that God will not allow him to be taken, and even urges his followers to not intervene as he's escorted back to the awaiting helicopter. As we go to take off, his followers attack the vehicle, leading to a crash that sees Seed's escape as we're separated from everyone else and left in in the wreckage to die.

By a stroke of pure luck, we're found and rescued by Dutch, a local survivalist and Vietnam veteran, who explains what's happened since we've been out. Seed and his followers have taken the attempt to apprehend him as a fulfillment of his prophecies, believing the end of the world is upon them. Thus they have begun "the Reaping," an effort to purge Hope County of non-believers and horde supplies. Hope County, now under siege from within, has been cut off from the outside world, and it's up to us to gather allies, dismantle the cult's operations, and ultimately deal with Joseph Seed and his appointed Heralds in order to liberate Hope County.

Unlike in past games, the character we control doesn't have any backstory outside of being a rookie Deputy. Thus, we get the opportunity to create our own character with an incredibly limited character creator. What we lack in options to our physical appearance is made up for in spades with options for outfits, the majority of which can be obtained by completing missions and spending in game money we acquire. We also have the option to spend real, actual money in order to purchase Ubisoft fun bucks, though thankfully this is far from necessary. Still, having the option available at all left a bitter taste in my mouth that made me yearn for the previous games, with established characters I couldn't customize. It made me miss playing as Jason from Far Cry 3, and that guy was a total wiener. A small gripe overall, but one that I'd be remiss to not mention.

After a brief, mostly unobstrusive tutorial, we're set loose in Hope County proper, free to explore and liberate as we see fit. In a fun deviation from past titles, we're mostly free from arbitrary hurdles and can tackle areas in almost any order. The county is divided into three territories, each controlled by one of Joseph's Heralds who employ different tactics to convert, often by force, the non-believers. We have the younger brother John, who utilizes propaganda, including a giant, Hollywood style sign that just says "Yes," to spread the word. The older brother Jacob who uses a far more forceful, militant approach, and finally Faith, a young woman who works to drug the water supply of the county in order to destroy the minds and psyches of those who would resist. While each is intimidating in their own way, they each help make Joseph all the more terrifying as his control over them is absolute.

To help give us some modicum of direction, we begin with radio signals that point us toward a total of nine individuals who, after finding and aiding them in their individual plights, become available as fairly powerful allies. This includes, among others, a pilot, a sniper, an archer, a dog, a cougar, a diabetic bear, and series regular Hurk Jr. They each offer their own benefits and, at least for the humans, a variety of dialogue depending on who else you have with you. I liked the companion system, though I often found myself using the animals just to avoid the rather forced jokes and one liners, though I am once again upset that the animals cannot ride in vehicles with the player.

The gameplay benefits from the refinements of the series up to this point. Running, jumping, shooting, driving, and grappling all feel good and fluid, and the addition of planes and more reliable helicopters opens the skies, allowing for smoother traversal. There's plenty to see and do, with side missions and collectibles, and the map is opened up more naturally by finding... Well, maps. The game even pokes fun at the franchise itself at times, mentioning the absurdity of asking the player to climb a series of towers. More so than in previous numbered entries, Far Cry 5 is acutely self-aware, though it does dip into the same tropes it makes fun of from time to time.

As we make progress in each region, we eventually hit certain thresholds that will trigger a very forced encounter with that region's Herald. While I didn't mind these at first, they quickly became formulaic, feeling somewhat arbitrary and forced. Regardless of how well equipped and perked out we are, we invariably get captured and forced into these meetings where, if I'm being honest, there's no real reason for us to escape alive. I can understand capturing us once, even twice, as we prove to be a particularly adept thorn in the side of the Eden's Gate cult. I can even understand being spared by command of Joseph Seed who wants nothing more than to convert us to his cause. After we kill one, and eventually two of his Heralds, liberating large sections of the county, I think it's fair to say a kill on sight order would be more than reasonable. But of course, the plot requires us to live, so better judgement gives way.

Despite the seemingly flawed logic on display, the story as a whole is pretty compelling, and as someone who grew up in a small, rural town in the U.S., the setting proved to be an effective backdrop for the action. It's clear that a lot of research and care went in to crafting Hope County, though it's not surprising in the least that the choice would be steeped in controversy. Following the game's announcement in 2017, an online petition was formed in an effort to get Ubisoft to change both the setting and the antagonistic group at the center of the story. The petition took specific issue with the purported villainization of American Christians, and suggested changing the antagonists of the game to Muslims, inner-city gangs, and other non-white groups, as well changing the setting from Montana to Canada. Though some of these petitions were likely satire, they still display a frankly disturbing lack of self-awareness at best, and outright xenophobia at worst.

After the game released, it was rather interestingly brought under fire from the other side of the argument, with some claiming the game tried too hard to be inoffensive and apolitical. Some critics went so far as to claim that, in an effort to appeal to everyone, the game instead comes off as though it has nothing to say. While it's certainly not atypical for a piece of media to upset both sides as it seemingly goes too far while not going far enough, I personally find the controversy from either side to be both misguided and inherently tone deaf.

The plot and writing show clear inspiration from a variety of real life events, such as the cold war, numerous terrorist attacks such as 9/11, as well as the political climate in the U.S. that followed as a direct result. The residents of Hope County, many of whom are either the families of, or are themselves, veterans of war, have lost faith in the broader government, instead choosing to focus on being self-reliant. This is clear from not just the dialogue in the game, but the numerous bunkers the player can find along with a plethora of in game notes and writing. This focus on being self sufficient, both individually and as a community, is what ultimately leads to Eden's Gate forming and taking root under the nose of the residents. Joseph sees the fear and desperation in the people around him, and is thus able to feed into those fears, offering the people of his flock, somewhat ironically, hope.

The game takes a very clear stance, though it is less overtly political primarily so that it can be more easily understood and hold up over time better than if it had tried to steep itself in the political climate of the time. Despite the lamentations of some, the focus on using American "Christians" as the antagonists is a deliberate choice that makes the message all the more powerful. It's clear to anyone with even a passing understanding of theology that, ultimately, the base religion at play is of little importance. Eden's Gate is a cult, led by Joseph Seed, and uses the familiar trappings of Christianity merely to establish a foothold in the community. It's as much as slight against the religion as is any story of a false idol, which Christianity itself preaches against. One could argue that Eden's Gate, therefor, is primarily cautionary and, in many ways, helps to promote true Christianity.

Tangent aside, I find myself somewhat at odds with the game. On the one hand, I admire the risk that was taken in terms of the setting and plot, and I found myself having a ton of fun playing the game and exploring Hope County. The game is a very refined version of the familiar gameplay loop, and the new additions to the formula work exceedingly well. On the other had, not having an established player character makes the experience feel less personal, and having no ties to anyone or anything in game is a clear detriment. At the same time, while I loved the Heralds and their different methods of controlling the populace, I quickly grew tired of all the forced interactions that saw me being captured and then left alive to escape and cause more mayhem. While Joseph is a mostly effective villain, coming off as menacing without actually threatening or harming us, he plays such a background, tertiary role for the majority of the game that he ultimately seems more like a boogie man than an actual threat. I loved a lot of things about the game, but there was certainly more than a little room for improvement.