Disclaimer: I’m a Far Cry noob. I skipped out on the first two, started playing the third, got distracted and never went back.
But then Pagan Min showed up, swaggering about in flamboyant clothing, eating ashes and making candles illegal, and I nod my head with approval and my interest was revived. I’ve always had a penchant for well-developed, villainous megalomaniacs with a fucked up God complex, and Ubisoft delivered on the characterization of the King of Kyrat. This time, I’m determined to finish the game.
[SPOILER]
And the ways you can annihilate him are so funny, and fit for a man of his stature. Behold the Pagan Min Death Collage:
I admittedly am not that far into Far Cry 4. I’m taking it real slow with this open-world first-person shooter (it may or may not have to do with the fact that I’m trying to finish 4 games simultaneously before school starts up), while trying to appreciate the sights, sounds and (hostile) culture of fictitious Kyrat. However, I have learned a lot about myself while playing the game thus far, and rather than do a traditional review, I’ve decided to list them for your enjoyment.
Far Cry 4- Image via Ubisoft.
Chaos and Big ‘Splosions:
I can’t stealth. I know, I know- Far Cry is renown for it’s well-formulated stealth gameplay, and gives you tools abound to be a silent killer, and normally I love being sneaky-sneaky. I’ve played copious amounts of Dishonored and Thief where being invisible can mean the difference between life and death (or, at least, easier to accomplish missions), but put a gun in my hand and it’s game over. Don’t get me wrong, I try and sneak at first. But then they spot me. What’s a lady to do? So I start running around, attempting headshots and die tons along the way. Rinse, wash and repeat. I am getting better though, especially now that I’ve cozied up with my bow and arrow.
Far Cry 4 Outpost – Image by Gamersheroes
Ranger in the North (or South):
The Dunedain are my favorite people of Middle Earth. Screw the Elves, Wizards and Hobbits. The fabled Rangers in the North are dangerous skilled hunters that patrol Middle Earth. Naturally, once I got my hands on the Recurve Bow/Throwing knife combo, I immediately felt badass and my stealth gameplay shot up 50 points. It also makes me want to become a freelance hunter. Skinning animals by day, roastin’ meat by night. Also, being a sniper aficionado, taking out outposts from afar is fun. They don’t even know what hit ‘em. It also helps that you have your trusty camera with you.
Far Cry 4 Camera – Image by MobyGames
Voyeurism:
I really, really like the camera in Far Cry 4; it’s basically crucial to the gameplay. It allows you to scope out an area, check for life forms, and tag animal and humans. It tracks people through walls, facilitating your plan of attack. Or you can do what I do and zoom in and just stare at people, and watch them as they walk around and go about life in Kyrat. I found myself just staring for a good few minutes at a time. Necessary? No. Creepy? Yes. I guess it means if I had that camera in real life, I’d be a creeper. Giggity giggity goo.
Far cry 4 Bow and Arrow – Image by Ubisoft
Catherine vs. Open World:
Open-world games truly bring out the worst me in me. While docile and restrained in real life (no), I become the she-wolf incarnate in video games. A fluffy bunny runs by? Murdered. An innocent bystander plowing the field? Murdered. Even with Far Cry 4’s karma system, I still get the itch to kill lawlessly. Don’t get me wrong; the karma system makes life easier and cheaper in Kyrat. It provides access to certain guns and reduces costs of guns and ammos. Kill civilians though, and you lose karma points, and people will shout “What are you doing?!”. If your karma drops too low, they’ll kill you instantly. I think killing a civilian results in losing about 10 karma points, while molotoving an elephant (hehe) is 50 points.
Far Cry 4 Honey Badger – Image by Gamespot
Animal Lover:
Speaking of roasting elephants, I hate the wildlife in Kyrat. All animals are assholes. I guess its payback for killing and skinning all animals I can get my hands on (RIP cute monkey). It’s as if they have a radar and decide to attack you all at once. Call me naïve, but I didn’t know honey badgers could be so cruel. And do eagles really swoop down and claw your eyes out? Seriously, the animals are worst than Pagan Min’s brethren. I got my first dose of death-by-rabid animals during the Far Cry 4 media event. A wolf started to pounce on me from the back at the same time a stupid eagle swooped down on me. If getting gnawed on by two animals wasn’t a gruesome enough death, a snake, sensing the opportune moment to nom nom on my ankles, attacked me and sealed my faith; cementing my demise due to Kyrat wildlife. So now I hunt them with vigilance. I guess I’m not that much of an animal lover after all.
Far Cry 4 Bear Attack – Image via Techradar
Honeycombs:
This one is short. I’m terrified of bees, hornets and wasps in real life and this fear has carried into fantasy. The bees in Kyrat are psychotic. You will die a swift and presumably painful death if you so much as slightly disturb the nest. They are, however, useful to kill off your enemies. Shoot them (from afar, for the love of god) and watch ‘em die. But in both life and fiction, I hate bees.
And there you have it. See? Video games CAN be a soul-searching journey, and Far Cry 4 has been guiding me through it. Ever happen to you? Let us know in the comment section below!