Like its predecessor, Far Cry 4 is an open-world shoot-'em-up that encourages players to take their own approach to both the expansive terrain and the enemies they have to take down. Players take on the role of Ajay Ghale returning to Kryat, the country of his birth, to fulfill his mother's dying wish and scatter her ashes. It's a country nestled in the Himalayas, with brutal snow-capped mountains that plummet to lush, exotic forests. And it's riddled with strife. There's a rebellion underway to overthrow Pagan Min, the oppressive dictator known as much for his eccentric style as for his cruel reign. The vertical landscape is a calculated decision by Ubisoft, designed to change the way gamers play, grappling up cliffs or soaring along valleys in their wingsuit. New to the series is the gyrocopter, which allows players to take to the skies for quick travel, and to see Kryat in all its glory. As ever, players have a variety of gameplay options open to them. It's up to you whether you take a sneaky approach, snipe from a distance or just pile in guns blazing. Don't neglect the wildlife, though, as animals can be just as big a threat as the humans you face. Or, they can be allies. The most obvious example being that you can use an elephant for transport, or maybe just use it to trample your foes.
The Far Cry series started life as a vibrant sandbox game in which the player gained special abilities to overcome increasingly tough opponents. That used to be something of a unique selling point, but games like Saints Row, Rocksteady's Batman games and Ubisoft's own Assassin's Creed titles have crept in that territory. So it begs the question, where does Ubisoft take The Far Cry series now that it's visited a host of different locations? The answer's quite unconventional - the stone age. You play as Takar, a hunter from the Wenja tribe who, having spent a long time hunting the wastelands, returns to his tribe to find them scattered and hunted by other human tribes. This nasty lot include the cannabalistic Udam and the pyromaniacal Izila. Needless to say, life is not good for your people and you decide to do something about it. What follows is a game that is at once quite different and very recognisably a Far Cry game (albeit with a dash of the Tomb Raider reboot games). You'll hunt mammoths, be hunted by bears and clash with the tribes who are out to get you. Gone, of course, are automatic weapons. Instead the bow plays a large part, as do spears and clubs. You might have a more primitive arsenal, but that makes the action all the more immediate and visceral. Helping you will be animals you've tamed, ranging from dogs to sabretooth tigers and even badgers. There's also, in true Far Cry style, a robust crafting system.