Far Cry 5 Hands-On: Taming The Troublesome Seed

Later this month, Ubisoft will be bringing back its Far Cry series, but with a whole new adventure that takes you into more dangerous territory than ever before. That’s because, instead of taking on a lavish villain or a psychopath with an unpredictable agenda, you’ll actually be traveling into the heartland of America, going head-to-head against a maniacal cult leader and his avid followers. Welcome to Far Cry 5.

Ubisoft recently invited us down to a small farm in Livermore to go hands-on with the game and get an idea of just what kind of trouble awaits us – and what we can do about it.

The game puts you in control of a young officer who tags along with a U.S. marshal and local sheriff to serve a warrant to Joseph Seed, who refers himself to the “Father” – a leader of a local cult in Hope County, Montana. Getting in is easy enough, even as his followers look on in concern as you make your progress. However, the second you try to leave with him, all hell breaks loose, and your other charges are taken into captivity while Seed informs you that he will not be taken away from his children.

You’re able to make your getaway, thanks to a helpful veteran by the name of Dutch. He serves as your guide in Hope County, pointing out some of the early missions you can take on that get you oriented with what you can do in Far Cry 5. It certainly isn’t easy going, but, like previous Far Cry games before it, it’s an open world well worth exploring, with assets to take advantage of.

Taking Montana Back

The first place we hit was a local boathouse, where we restored power for a nearby tower station (relax, you don’t have to climb them all again like you did in previous Far Cry games) and gain access to a shed (once the water’s drained out of it) that contains some weapons. By this point, you’re ready to start taking over some of Seed’s camps, slowly but surely turning the tide back in the favor of you and Dutch.

Along the way, you’re able to recruit some help. A few locals are able to tag along once you rescue them, as you can hire them on the spot. These include Boomer, a loyal dog that will fetch ammunition for you and never leave your side; as well as Dutch’s niece, who’s handy with a bow and arrow.

These are nice to have, but you’ll still have your work cut out for you, as each Seed stronghold is loaded to the hilt with armed lunatics, including heavies that can take a lot of firepower and snipers that pose a threat from afar. Fortunately, you can get your hands on some rather cool weapons, including a semi-automatic with strong range, and a rocket launcher that can do some massive damage. The more you take over, the more options that open up for you.

But you’re going to have your work cut out for you. Hope County is divided into four quadrants, each run by a member of Seed’s family, including his twisted “sister” Faith and his pair of military brothers. Getting to them isn’t going to be a walk in the park, as you have to continue taking over strongholds and eventually opening up the path. Only after you take them down will you get to take a crack at Joseph and, maybe, save those he has taken under his wing.

Calling In Back-Up

The first hour of gameplay showed an incredible amount of promise, with an open world to explore and some great options to take advantage of. This includes recruiting some unlikely allies, including a bear named Cheezburger – that’s right, that’s his name, which is ironic because he can’t even eat meat anymore. But that doesn’t stop him from making short work of your adversaries.

Far Cry 5 has a pretty high challenge level, mainly because you have to shut down alarms or be prepared to face a small army that comes your way. I actually died multiple times trying to figure out the right approach, which led to a little bit of frustration. However, the survival tactics of the game began to sink in, including properly using health packs, learning how to use cover, and the very effective stealth kills, which can make all the difference between success and failure.

There are also some interesting twists with the story, like when others are hired by Seed to “hunt” you, and you essentially have to fight your way through a hallucinogenic scenario, where enemies practically evaporate as you shoot them, in order to escape and find cohorts that will work with you. We won’t give away too much here, although we do think players will enjoy what it has to offer.

But the cool thing is that you can play the entire game in co-op with a partner. I tried out a couple of missions with a friend in tow and found it to be a lot of fun, as we communicated and took down adversaries while rescuing hostages and engaging in some pretty entertaining car chases. It definitely holds some promise, but it helps to have a partner that works with you, rather than against you (like wandering off and doing their own thing).

Prepare To Reap the Whirlwind

The gameplay is vintage Far Cry, but the new stuff, like being able to recruit help and taking part in activities like hunting and fishing, is a blast. It feels quite natural when it comes to targeting and other actions. Combined with our previous hands-on with the game, it’s all coming together into a fun experience – even if, again, you’re going head-to-head with a force that’s more powerful than you may realize.

Far Cry 5 probably hits harder than any game before it, mainly due to its storyline and the actions of Seed and his followers – they can be a bit tough to stomach. But if you’re ready to put up the good fight, it appears ready to reward you for doing so, with unlockable perks, helpful allies (again, teaming up with a freakin’ bear) and a strong, solid presentation. The co-op will speak volumes as well, especially if you find a great tag-team partner.

We’ll give the game a review when it arrives on March 27 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. But don’t be surprised if this game makes you a believer.

Disclaimer: Ubisoft provided travel accommodations for the event.