The Far Cry franchise has been through a lot since its first appearance almost 15 years ago. After an initial entry that saw developer Crytek stretching its legs, Ubisoft took the series internal. Their teams have crafted a disparate legacy of open-world first-person shooter. Whether you’re fighting marauding pirates or defending the future world of 2007, Far Cry brings engaging gameplay and signature villains in equal measure. As we prepare for the return trip to Hope County with Far Cry New Dawn, let’s look at every adventure so far. Here’s a quick franchise tour of every Far Cry game to date.
Humans naturally yearn to see connections in everything, so it can be frustrating to go game after game with only minor callbacks and connections. However, in a space where almost every other series is a stale sequel factory, Far Cry is still refreshing. Each new game presents the central idea of the series while also introducing something new.
Going through each game individually, it is striking how each Far Cry release creates a distinct tapestry. These games aren’t related storywise (despite what some fans theorize), but the Ubisoft releases all have common themes: villains with righteous indignation, heroes with muted personalities who were never destined for greatness, ironic scenarios that favor chaos over whatever order society has scrounged together. For a series as popular as it is, Far Cry isn’t afraid to espouse philosophically. That’s part of its charm.
Outside of red stringed theories and fun mental games, the only tangible throughline is two recurring characters: the polarizing gruff redneck Hurk and Willis the rogue CIA agent. They’ve both somehow found their way into every game in the series since the soft reboot in 3. Hurk even made it into Primal via a caveman analog and is also looking to have survived into New Dawn.
Far Cry Franchise
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Far Cry Franchise Tour
Whether it's Crytek or Ubisoft at the helm, the Far Cry franchise has gone places. Sometimes dubbed murder tourism, these open-world first-person shooters challenge you to liberate glorious locales. Yes, there is plenty of shooty bang bang, but that's not the only reason to sample every game in this illustrious series. -
Far Cry
The game that started it all, the original Far Cry has more in common with Crytek's future work on Crysis than the rest of the series. The tropical island setting was a breath of fresh air at the time, and PC players worldwide were sticker shocked by the system requirements. -
Far Cry Instincts
Perhaps because of Far Cry's place as a huge test for gaming PCs, Ubisoft got its first crack at the franchise with Far Cry Instincts. A console friendly edition of the series on Xbox, this continuation of Jack Carver's story got an Xbox 360 follow-up of its own with Instincts: Evolution. -
Far Cry Paradise Lost
Instincts also got an arcade port of sorts with Paradise Lost. This was an on-rails shooter produced by Global VR in the style of its Aliens cabinet. At this point, it looked like old Jack was a lock as franchise hero, but then Far Cry 2 shook everything up. -
Far Cry 2
Shifting locales from the tropics to the Sahara, Far Cry 2 also (allegedly) put the series star into the villain's role. Definitely a transitional game, it has some fire tech that's still impressive to this day, making it a stalwart favorite in some gaming circles. -
Far Cry 3
Vaas' famous speech about insanity isn't just the signature moment in a memorable Far Cry, it also seems to be the creed that the franchise would carry going forward. Every game is a new beginning, pulling out the rug from under players. For some, this is where the franchise truly begins. -
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
The best spin-off that Far Cry has ever seen, Blood Dragon provides the satisfying open-world combat loop in a tight and flashy package. Layered with an '80s/'90s VHS aesthetic years before it oversaturated the market, its dedication to its style and the sense of humor remain standouts within the series. -
Trials of the Blood Dragon
Only tangentially related to Far Cry, this follow-up to Blood Dragon is a complete 180-degree in the opposite direction. What once was cool feels forced, as does the marriage of the Blood Dragon story to Ubisoft's BMX series. For those still waiting for a full-fledged Blood Dragon sequel, this one hurt. -
Far Cry 4
Ajay just wanted to bury his mother's ashes. For some players, that's just what he gets to do. For others, he discovers his heritage and his place amongst a band of freedom fighters looking to overthrow a dictator's regime. While similar to 3, Far Cry 4 streamlined a lot, making it easy to return to. -
Far Cry Primal
Far Cry's mission to go even more out there with each passing game may have hit its peak with Primal. A full-scale spin-off, it's still an admirable effort. After all, few games of this size would risk having a full cast of cavemen speaking grunts for hours and hours. -
Far Cry 5
Coming out early in 2018's packed release calendar, Far Cry 5's theme was always going to be contentious. While the message may have been muddled in this latest entry, the slick gameplay changes and impressive visuals sure do inspire excitement in its direct follow-up, Far Cry New Dawn.
