The Far Cry series has had its ups and downs over the years going from a somewhat niche PC game, to a solid but timid console & PC game, to now being one of Ubisoft’s premiere franchises along side Assassin’s Creed. With Far Cry 2 we saw Ubisoft step their game up in the massive open world department when they gave us Africa, but the game had some rather interesting design choices (malaria anyone?) that made it a tough sell at times. With Far Cry 3 Ubisoft hit the nail on the head by clearing up issues people had with 2 and bringing us a decent albeit cliche story about some vacationing 20-somethings who get kidnapped. The standouts from 3 were the huge and gorgeous open world and one of the best villains in gaming, Vaas. Far Cry 3 showed that Ubisoft was ready to make the franchise one of their staples, and Far Cry 4 keeps adding to that momentum.

Far Cry 4 is set in the fictional country of Kyrat which seems to be thematically similar to Nepal, and situated somewhere close to India. You play as Ajay Ghale, an American citizen who was born in and then moved away from Kyrat at a young age. As the intro details, Ajay’s mother has died and her last wish was for her ashes to be scattered in her home country. This quest leads Ajay back to Kyrat and right into the arms of a war lead by another fantastic (Troy Baker-voiced) villain, Pagan Min. Min is currently ruling Kyrat and Ajay experiences his reign first hand in the opening sequence, and is eventually rescued by the Golden Path, a resistance group Ajay’s parents founded. This leads you into the game’s story and down the path to help Kyrat overthrow a tyrannical ruler. The plot is solid and there’s some good voice acting overall. The only weird thing to me was how similar the story sometimes seemed to Far Cry 3, but I guess what’s a video game without an evil villain to topple? I do feel like 4 did a better job at not making your character the only person that can save the world, though. In 3 you were “the guy,” and in 4 you’re more of a cog in a bigger machine.

What really shines in Far Cry 4 (as it did in 3) is the beautiful open world. Kyrat is one of the best looking locations in this year-old generation of games and the graphical fidelity of the game as a whole is top notch. At many points I would find myself just standing on a cliff admiring the view, and snapping screenshots with the PlayStation 4’s built-in screenshot feature. The game really does look that nice. Ubisoft did a good job of laying out the landscape as well, because most key towns and safe houses are higher in elevation, so you get the view along with better traversal options to get to your destination (hang glider!). You never really feel like you’re stuck in the middle of nowhere, as there’s always a glider, ATV, jeep, or even an elephant sitting around for you to take. And if all that fails, you can fast travel to any of your safe house locations. I found myself driving or flying more than fast traveling though, just because of how beautiful the scenery was. Also you’ll run into more random encounters and missions if you actually do the driving.

The gameplay in Far Cry 4 is largely similar to 3, with slight tweaks and enhancements. I still found myself using a bow a good portion of the game, but it was a bit frustrating that you only really get one weapon slot for a good portion of the opening of the game, until you hunt enough to craft new equipment. I stuck with a bow and an SMG sidearm for quite a few hours in the beginning. Ubisoft has improved traversal a bit more by adding a grappling hook as well, and most cliffs in the game will have a set point where you can attach it and climb. This comes in handy as the terrain is hilly and mountainous, at least for quite a few hours. The gunplay is solid, although the AK you start with was a bit harder to aim than expected, but as soon as I got the bow I was back in my element. The game brings back enemy encampments to try and free, and they are as fun as ever. Overall the gameplay is rock-sold and provides a good base skillset to use while exploring and liberating Kyrat. You still level up Ajay and purchase new skills as you progress, and you can fully customize most weapons given you have the cash to do so. The game has more than enough content and gameplay to keep you going for dozens of hours if you care to see everything, and it never seems to drag on too much.

Overall Far Cry 4 is basically a prettier and more refined version of Far Cry 3. The story is similar in tone, the gameplay feels the same but with tweaks, and the world is as alive and open as ever. Whether you’re powering through the main story to free Kyrat from Min or trying not to get killed by a rampaging rhino in the middle of the wilderness you should never get bored with the game, as there is always something to do or someone to help. If you were a big fan of 3 you should buy 4 for sure, and if you’re new to the series 4 is a great place to experience Ubisoft’s best game this year.