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Far Cry 7: 5 Things That Would Fix the Franchise

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It's safe to say that Far Cry 6, in spite of its roster being relatively decent, really wasn't one of Ubisoft's greatest games. The fact is, it was a shallow representation of an otherwise fantastic open-world saga, and it bled a stream of pretty uninspiring and lackluster environments. And so, for many, the series died with its fifth chapter, which was, of course, a halfway decent submission on all accounts.

Anyway, as Far Cry is one of Ubisoft's biggest franchises, a seventh chapter is more than likely on the cards. Although we aren't exactly sure when or what it will be, we do know that it'll happen at some point. So, for when that time comes, here's hoping Ubisoft heeds our warning about the features that made its previous entry such a shambles, and in turn decides not to follow a similar route. Here are, in our opinion, the five things that we think would fix the Far Cry series.

 

5. Lose the Mundane Side Quests

After what felt like decades of asking, Ubisoft finally acknowledged the fact that, well, nobody really liked radio towers, especially climbing them. In Far Cry 6, side quests opened up to a little more creativity, if only by a small amount. And yet, its quests were still boring and painstakingly dull. What didn't help was having a rather bland world with little to no key landmarks in it, which just made missions all the more depressing to complete.

To make players want to sink fifty-plus hours into an experience, side activities need to be meaningful, and they need to be diverse enough to make you want to stray from the main path. Because let's face it, everything to fall from the Far Cry chest so far has been rather one-sided, and not once has Ubisoft tried to make side quests worth spooling through. They're boring, plain and simple.

 

4. Add Some Personality!

Ubisoft often falls short when trying to craft a memorable video game protagonist. For example, Far Cry is notorious for having poor representatives, and honestly, it hit a new low with Far Cry 6′s Dani Rojas, an emotionless carcass with next to no likeable personality traits whatsoever. And as for the rest of the game's cast, well, they were never around long enough to develop genuinely interesting story arcs. As a result, our emotional attachment to each of them was held together by mere paper threads.

The problem Far Cry continues to run into is its obsession with cramming as many characters into the spotlight as possible. Because of the overwhelming number of heroes, sidekicks, and villains, the vast majority get lost and forgotten part-way through the story. Take the so-called Legends of 67 from Far Cry 6, for example. This should've been an opportunity to establish new relationships and archways. And yet, Ubisoft booted the group from the narrative without even a moment's notice. This was basically the case for the whole campaign, which meant the entire roster was as expendable as it was forgettable. Even the game's antagonist, Antonio, was a pointless addition to the roster—and that's saying something.

 

3. Flip the Script

There's that old saying: if you've played one Far Cry, you've played 'em all. And honestly, we couldn't agree more, as the narrative for each entry has become so unsurprising, that we already know what to expect with each passing sequel. Chances are, it'll involve an evil dictator, and you, the player, will have to join a rebellion to help reclaim and unify the land. That's really all it has been for years, and it just goes to show how Ubisoft's lack of imagination has led to a painstakingly predictable series.

Flip the script, however, and the franchise will reignite the players' interest. The reason why so many critics review bombed Far Cry 6 was because of the harsh similarities it shared with its predecessor. If Far Cry 7 is to feature a structure that comes even in the same ball park as either, then it'll lose the majority of its fan base, no doubt about it. So, here's hoping Ubisoft drop the same old plot line and give it a little rework. Just please, no more radio towers. And please, for crying out loud—no more dictatorships.

 

2. Linear, Linear, Linear!

I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall asleep watching some of the cutscenes play out in Far Cry 6′s yawn-inducing campaign. The simple fact is, its story was so predictable that I already knew how the end game would play out before I even mopped up the tutorial segments. Nothing new, of course, as the series became famous for stuffing the same old bog-standard plotlines in without a care in the world years prior to its launch. Still, I expected to be wowed by something—anything at all. But nothing.

Now, say you removed the side quests and made the game completely linear, then both focus and resources could be shifted over to the structure of each mission. Forget trying to bulk out the world with ridiculously dull side quests, and pay attention to the actual story. Make it linear; make it a story worth telling, complete with wave after wave of twists, turns, and corkscrews. Because let's face it, quality always prevails over quantity. And honestly, we'd much rather have a ten-hour story than a forty-hour grind.

 

1. Don't Be Greedy!

Ubisoft has this bad habit of milking its games for far more than their worth. Far Cry, being just one example, has a ludicrous amount of DLC, a lot of which is made essential to help understand gaps in the main narrative. And honestly, that's a pretty greedy way for Ubisoft to make extra coin on what should already be included in the base game. And so, this is our way of saying, you know, please don't do that in future.

It isn't much to ask, to be fair, and it'd be a real sight for sore eyes to see a game that doesn't rely on copious amounts of DLC to balance the books. The bottom line here is that we want more bang for our buck. And if DLC really is on the cards, then at least have it included as free end game content. Basically, don't get greedy, Ubi. If you want fans to pledge their loyalty, then give them something worth holding onto. And lots of it.

 

So, what's your take? Do you agree with our top five? What would you like to see in Far Cry 7? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.

Jord is acting Team Leader at gaming.net. If he isn't blabbering on in his daily listicles, then he's probably out writing fantasy novels or scraping Game Pass of all its slept on indies.