Far Cry games with the best stories, ranked

Far Cry has been around for more than two decades at this point, and the first-person shooter series has been very excellent. Yes, Far cry 6 was disappointing, and Ubisoft's open-world formula has become a bit stale, but that doesn't take away from the series' brilliance at its peak. There was a reason so many developers tried to replicate the same structure, and quality of Far Crybest stories was undoubtedly what set it apart from the crowd. These games had a surprising amount to say, and they offered players more than just rock-solid gameplay and an arsenal of weapons.

Funnily enough, the original Far Cry probably has the worst story in the franchise, closely followed by the latest entry. To put aside Instincts remakes, all the games between these bookends have good to great stories that still hold up well all these years later. So let's go through two decades of memorable villains, tyrannical rulers and revolts by highlighting Far Cry when it is at its best.

6

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

A cyber spin-off that plays like a VHS cliché

Apart from the usual Far Cry games that are connected to the main series, there have sometimes been spin-off titles like the incredibly popular ones Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. This first-person shooter plays just like the fun action-packed VHS movies of the 80s, so the game itself takes place in a dystopian version of the future.

While Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon can follow the typical action movie tropes to get the girl, kill bad guys and save the world, experiencing that story while playing this simple spin-off leads players on a path of human significance, even for someone who is part robot, as the protagonist of Blood DragonSergeant Rex Colt.

5

Far cry 5

To free Hope County from an intense cult

Far cry 5 took players to the United States to the fictional location of Hope County. You arrive in this county during a moment of panic when a doomsday cult has made it their home and has gradually taken over. What begins as a simple arrest quickly turns into something much worse as the cult is much stronger than the police originally thought.

Each of the four cult leaders of The Project at Eden's Gate has a unique area of ​​the map they control, as well as an interesting story to uncover by exploring missile facilities and helping the impoverished residents of Hope County. Players will then eventually make their way to Joseph Seed, the main leader of the cult. Far cry 5s story is a bit all over the place, and the quality varies quite a bit between family members as they all have wildly different personalities. For example, Jacob is much more militant than the others, and he is also the most mean and cruel. Faith, on the other hand, is a lost soul who has completely succumbed to Joseph's charisma and the lure of the bliss drug, and her episode has a delightfully psychedelic edge.

4

Far Cry Primal

Become the Apex Predator as the last survivor of a hunting party

Far Cry may be predominantly a first-person shooter franchise, but spin-off titles such as Primal show that incredible stories can move away from contemporary times (and weapons) and be told within the Stone Age. Players control the character Takkar, a hunter from the Wenja tribe who has been cut off from the rest of his tribe. He was the sole survivor of his hunting party who was attacked by a saber-toothed tiger while exploring the fictional world of Oro.

Alone, Takkar finds other members of his tribe scattered around the land, whom he must rescue and bring together in hopes of taking over all of Oros from the likes of Ull, the leader of another tribe that destroyed the village of Wenja in this area. Far Cry Primal could have just been a gimmick, but the game really commits to its setting and delivers perhaps the most unique experience in the franchise. The story is driven, fittingly, by the characters' primary need to survive and build a community, and Takkar's journey from a loner to a leader is handled well.

3

Far cry 2

Deal with malaria while surviving as a weapon for hire

The gameplay of the classic Far Cry titles in the franchise may not have aged very well, but their stories hold up much better because they're not far removed from the franchise's subsequent efforts, even if they may lack larger-than-life villains. Players take on the role of a gun for hire in a war-torn African state.

They are forced to play between both sides of the corrupt warlords in this place in Africa in hopes of getting the medicine they need to deal with the malaria they are unfortunately afflicted with. Every power play created Far cry 2 is made to eventually get to the arms dealer known as the Jackal and assassinate him, all in hopes of saving this ruined African state. Where the game shines is in its willingness to blur the line between good and evil, creating a much more realistic world that exists in the gray rather than the black and white. Although nowhere near as over-the-top as his successor, the Jackal is a fantastic and complex villain, and his nuance reflects the overall tone of the story.

2

Far cry 4

Fulfilling a mother's last wishes by returning home

Far cry 4 tells the story of Ajay Ghale, who returns to the fictional land of Kyrat to spread his mother's ashes. However, he finds a world completely different from the one he imagined, and he has to actively make the choice to get involved (since technically you can finish the campaign in 15 minutes and still complete Ajay's goal). A selection of civil wars have seen the country of Kyrat split from the royal family led by the country's new king, Pagan Min.

Many of Kyrat's inhabitants have had enough of their tyrannical leader and have joined the rebel movement known as the Golden Path. Ajay is encouraged to join this movement because he feels he has to do what is right, even though he is also unable to flee the country due to the airports being closed. Although Pagan is clearly in Vaa's shadow, Far cry 4 also takes signals from Far cry 2because the civil war is not presented as a cliff and dry case of good rising against evil. Both sides have clearly defined ideologies and, more importantly, flaws within them, which allows for a more satisfying overall story.

1

Far cry 3

Rescue friends on a pirate island between hallucinations

Besides being one of the biggest stories in the franchise, Far cry 3 is also praised for having one of the most memorable villains, which makes the whole experience that much better. Taking place on the fictional Rook Islands, the player wakes up in a cage as Jason Brody, where he, his brothers and his friends have been kidnapped by pirates led by pirate lord Vaas Montenegro.

After escaping from the threat of slavery, the player cannot leave the fictional Rook Islands until they have rescued all of their friends from Vaa's clutches, as well as traveling through various psychedelic journeys, as Jason slowly finds himself enjoying killing. In the end, players must decide if they want to escape with their friends or stay on the island as this new warrior. While Jason isn't exactly the most beloved character in gaming, he probably has the best arc of anyone Far Cry protagonist, as his transition into a ruthless killer is deserved and not sudden. The game deftly delivers a power fantasy while subverting it, and the factions are also quite nuanced.