Far Cry 6 DLC is going to be a thing after all, though we're not exactly sure what it's all about yet. It's part of the Far Cry 6 Season Pass and resurrects villains from Far Cry's past.

Each clip in the Season Pass segment shown at E3 2021 begins with a short text blurb saying "You are..." and then shows a character's name — Vaas, Pagan, Joseph. Diego Castillo might not be Vaas, but this is the next best thing. According to Ubisoft, these will split into three distinct episodes. 

It's not clear how these DLC episodes will work, though. Each villain seems to be trapped inside a twisted version of their own realities and is just as unsure about what's going on as we are. Ubisoft did not expand further, though an official description says:

Set in twisted worlds inside the minds of each character that feature locations from Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4, and Far Cry 5, each DLC will see you getting stronger the longer you survive by unlocking perks and finding new weapons. Each time you die, you’ll start over from scratch and use the knowledge you’ve gained to push further into the villain’s psyche.

The developer and publisher also said that Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, the Far Cry 3 spinoff that Netflix is also turning into an anime would be included in the Far Cry 6 Season Pass. Console players will have access to the classic edition of Blood Dragon, while PC players will have access to the standard edition. 

It's not clear when the Far Cry 6 DLC will release or how much the episodes will cost outside of the Season Pass, though, presumably, it won't be long after the game's October 7, 2021, release date. The Gold Edition of Far Cry 6 includes the Season Pass. Stay tune for more. 

Ubisoft's highly anticipated Far Cry 6 has officially been slated to launch on PC and consoles on October 7, 2021. The date was announced in a gameplay live stream reveal hosted by Ubisoft. 

The livestream included much more than just the release date, of course. It also gave fans a more in-depth look at the world of Far Cry 6, the game's main protagonist, Dani Rojas, and the kind of customization and creative power players will have over their arsenal and style of play. 

You can watch the full live stream, which also included an appearance from the game's narrative director, Navid Khavari, here.

A new trailer for Far Cry 6 kicked things off, which included snippets of gameplay and some cutscenes with narration from different characters like Dani and Anton Castillo, the latter of which is brought to life through a bone-chilling performance from Giancarlo Esposito.

Fans also get a closer look at just how creative they'll be able to be with the different weapons and methods used to overthrow Anton's tyrannical stranglehold on the country of Yara. Everything can be used to help craft some truly wild and weird weapons, even one that shoots CDs at a lethal rate while playing family-friendly music everyone can dance around to.

There's still a lot we don't know about Far Cry 6, but expect Ubisoft to share more details in the months leading up to launch later this year. Stay tuned. 

Update: Far Cry 6 was officially revealed during the Ubisoft Forward event, confirming much of the information below. 

Ubisoft's Summer Game Fest event, Ubisoft Forward, goes live in just a few days, but we've already got an idea of at least one big announcement to expect: Far Cry 6 leaked on the Hong Kong PlayStation Store, complete with brief description and anticipated release date of February 18, 2021.

Portions of the game's description showed up on Twitter, with Eurogamer catching some of the more detailed bits.

As expected after his earlier tease, Giancarlo Esposito stars as Far Cry 6's villain Anton Castillo, the dictator of a fictional country called Yara. According to the description, captured by AlexRichards65 on Twitter, Castillo and his son Diego embark on a campaign to "restore the country to its former glory" and incite a revolution in the process.

Your goal as protagonist Dani Rojas is leading the guerilla war against the dictator, and, as Eurogamer's portion of the description says, you'll use makeshift weapons, networks of sympathizers to "burn the tyrannical regime to the ground."

All this political drama unfolds across Far Cry's biggest maps ever, with jungles, beaches, and a huge capital city called Esperanza.

While there's still no word on a PlayStation 5 version of Smart Delivery, it seems Ubisoft is following EA's lead and creating its own form of Smart Delivery for PS5.

If you buy the PS4 version of Far Cry 6, you can upgrade to the PS5 version "when available" at no extra cost, the same as Square Enix promised for Marvel's Avengers. It's not clear whether "when available" means Far Cry 6 Smart Delivery won't be implemented until a later date though.

We'll probably know a whole lot more after Ubisoft Forward, so stay tuned to GameSkinny for more Far Cry 6 news as it develops.

Far Cry New Dawn may have just been announced at The Game Awards, but a handful of retailers and marketplaces, including Amazon, Gamestop, PlayStation Network, Steam, and the Xbox Marketplace, already have pre-orders locked and loaded for the game's February 19, 2019 release. 

New Dawn will, of course, be available in both physical and digital formats, and there will be two editions, a $39.99 standard edition and a $49.99 deluxe edition.

As of this writing, and since the game was just announced, we don't know the exact pre-order bonuses each retailer will be providing, but we do know that the deluxe edition will give you access to "additional weapons, outfits, and vehicle skins". We will update this article when bonuses for each storefront are announced.

Here's where you can pre-order each edition right now. Note that not all platforms and editions are available on every storefront at the current time, but they should be made available in the coming days. 

Amazon 

PlayStation 4

• Standard edition (digital)
• Deluxe edition (digital)

Xbox One

• Standard edition (digital)
• Deluxe edition (digital)

Gamestop

PlayStation 4

• Standard edition (physical) 

Xbox One

• Standard edition (physical)

Best Buy

PlayStation 4

• Standard edition (physical)

Xbox One

• Standard edition (physical)

PlayStation Network

• Standard edition
• Deluxe edition

Xbox Marketplace

• Standard edition
• Deluxe edition

Steam

• Standard and deluxe edition

Set in post-apocalyptic Hope County, Montana, the newest installment in the long-running FPS series is set 17 years after the ending of Far Cry 5, and it is the first game in the franchise to be a direct sequel. 

Based on the game's reveal trailer, players can expect more Mad Max than Fallout, as well as a vibrant color palette that rivals the one seen in Rage 2.

Far Cry New Dawn will also feature online co-op play, and allow players to craft new weapons from old items, including (hopefully) the high-profile saw-gun that's been heavily featured in the game's trailers. 

Over the past week, The Game Awards and Ubisoft have been busy hyping up the reveal of the next title in the Far Cry franchise.  Of course -- as is the case with such highly anticipated games -- there was a bit in the way of leaks cluing people in to what the focus of the game might be.

Well, now we know for sure.

Far Cry: New Dawn's official trailer was aired about halfway into the award show, giving fans their first true look at the game's post-apocalyptic universe.

New Dawn in a standalone sequel to Far Cry 5. It takes place in Hope County, Montana, 17 years after a planet-wide nuclear apocalypse. Interestingly, the game doesn't appear to take on the dark and gritty look and tone that most people associate with the apocalypse.

The trailer features two tough-as-nails ladies that seem to be right at home in their new world. They also appear to be people you probably don't want to mess with.

Aside from giving viewers and over-all feel for the upcoming game, the trailer did offer one other bit of information. Players can expect to play Far Cry: New Dawn in February 2019.

As we quickly approach tonight's The Game Awards and the highly anticipated reveal of the new Far Cry game/spin-off/something, it appears that the game's box art and title have potentially been leaked on Twitter. 

Shared by Wario 64 and reported by IGN, the alleged leak purports that the next installment of the Far Cry series will be called Far Cry: New Dawn. 

As of this writing, the veracity of the alleged Xbox One X box art has not been confirmed, either by Ubisoft or anyone else for that matter. However, we only have a few more hours before we know if the leak is true or not. 

Yesterday, we reported on the surprising teaser trailer that seemingly tied the game to the events of Far Cry 5. Although those threads are tenuous in regards to story, it is believed that the game will take place in some type of post-apocalyptic setting perhaps brought on by the nuclear fallout caused by Eden's Gate at the end of FC5. 

Whether Far Cry 6 ends up being set after the events of the previous game or not, or if it's actually called New Dawn or something entirely different, we do know that it is currently in development for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. 

You can tune into The Game Awards tonight starting at 8:30 p.m. EDT to find out. The awards show will be broadcast on Twitch, YouTube, Xbox Live, and PlayStation Network, as well as a handful of other services such as Mixer and Caffeine.  

Let's face it, we all knew Far Cry 6 would be happening at some point. Despite Far Cry 5's mixed reception, there was never any doubt Ubisoft would return to the FPS cash cow; after all, the game did break franchise sales records, becoming the company's second best selling game of all time while raking in some $310 million in its first seven days on the market.  

However assured we were that the series would return, we weren't necessarily ready for a new Far Cry announcement this soon. 

Shared today on Ubisoft's official Twitter account, a fresh teaser trailer for something Far Cry shows the aftermath of Far Cry 5 where (spoilers) the bombs dropped on Hope County changed the world forever. 

Set to be shown during tomorrow's The Game Awards, what's presumably a longer, perhaps more elucidating trailer will unveil the next "installment" in the Far Cry universe. But will it be Far Cry 6? And if so, will it be a direct sequel to Far Cry 5? 

Right now, it's just too early to tell. However, we can look back at the franchise's history and glean a tiny bit of insight.  

To this point, the franchise has never had a direct, mainline sequel. Each game, from the original Far Cry onward, has been its own self-contained story with new protagonists and villains.

However, several of Ubi's other series, such as Assassin's Creed, have had direct sequels, while other series, such as Watch Dogs, have taken the shared-universe route, as Far Cry has in the past with the recurring character of Hurk. 

We do know based on the trailer that this Far Cry will be shaped in some way by the Far Cry 5 ending that saw Joseph and parts of his cult survive the initial nuclear blasts (that's because they didn't happen at all in the game's other endings). Will we see Eden's Gate 2.0, bigger and badder than ever? 

From what's been shown so far, we can't tell if the teaser trailer is simply recounting the events of Far Cry 5 for dramatic effect, leading to a full-blown post-apocalyptic sequel, or hyping the reveal of a new spin-off game or set of DLCs. 

The latter two options could also be in play for Ubisoft as the company has released quite a few series spin-offs over the years. The most popular of those was 2013's Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, an '80s acid-trip of a game that saw Snake Plissken impersonator Rex Powercolt taking on cyber soldiers and robot dinosaurs in a psychedelic futurescape. 

The spin-off shared the same environment as Far Cry 3 (except one that was highly stylized), as well as its controls and mechanics. It was released five months after Far Cry 3, but its trailers were decidedly more in line with those of Far Cry 5's expansions than what we see from Ubi's latest tease. 

Then, of course, there was Far Cry: Primal ... 

If what's announced is a mainline game -- whether it's a direct sequel or not -- it will most likely be creatively titled Far Cry 6, and it will be set in some type of post-apocalyptic scenario. Dare we say it will be Far Cry 6 Battle Royale: Post Apocalypse Edition or Far Cry: Wasteland Survivor 76? With Ubisoft, one can never be certain. We'll just have to wait and see.

The Game Awards begins at 8:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, December 6, and will be streamed on a dozen platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Caffeine, Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox Live. 

Far Cry 5's newest event brings a crazy new weapon to the wilds of Hope County: the Shovel Launcher. As if throwing shovels wasn't enough already, now it's possible to launch these bad boys across the map -- and even take out helicopters with this low-tech weapon.

So what's the rub on getting it in your hands? 

Between now and May 8, you can jump into the White Collar Job event and complete the personal goal to add it to your inventory. On top of that, you can get some good XP and silver bars for your efforts.

Below, we outline everything you need to know to get the Shovel Launcher. 

What's the Personal Goal? 

After you've jumped into the White Collar Job event, you'll need to kill a set number of wolves using the bow and arrow to nab the Shovel Launcher. Both regular wolves and Jacob's Judges count toward your personal goal. 

Here are the two objectives and their rewards: 

• Kill 5 Wolves: 100 XP + 50 Silver Bars
• Kill 10 Wolves: 100 XP + Shovel Launcher

The rewards will be in any store after you complete the above objectives. 

Note: If you complete the goals and can't find your rewards, you may be running into a known bug. Try quitting the game, quitting the Ubisoft app, and restarting. 

Some users on Reddit have said that they needed to kill 10 more wolves to unlock the reward. The exact reason for the glitch is currently not known. 

Wolf Hunting Locations

So where can you find wolves in Far Cry 5? The best place to start your efforts is in the Whitetail Mountains (Jacob's Region). Here, go to the woods north of the Elk Jaw Lodge or the woods west of Baron Lumber Mill. 

You can also find wolves deep to the south, in the Henbane River area (John's Region). These will be just south of the Kellette Cattle Co. and north of the Fire in the Hole Prepper Stash. 

You can also kill Jacob's Judges for this goal. These are mostly found in Cult Outposts in the Whitetail Mountains and are somewhat random. 

How to Kill Wolves Faster

If you're hunting regular Grey Wolves, it's not all that hard to take them down with a few arrows to the chest or head. But if you're hunting Judges or want to take other rabid doggos out faster, then we suggest using explosive arrows. Sure, it's overkill, but it'll get the job done. 

You can also try and whittle down their health bars using ARs or any other weapon type -- but you might accidentally kill one before switching over to the bow and arrow. 

Where to Find the Bow 

If you're going after the Shovel Launcher, you probably already have or know where to get the bow. However, if you've somehow missed it or new to the game, there are several places to nab one. 

The easiest place to get a bow is at the very beginning of Far Cry 5 in Dutch's Area. Look for the Silver Lake Boathouse on Dutch's Island. You'll need to start the Sunken Funds Prepper Stash quest (which you can read about here). Inside the stash is where you'll find the first bow of the game. 

You can also find a bow after recruiting Jess Black as a companion. You'll find her at the Baron Lumber Mill. After completing her mission, "A Dish Best Served Cold," you'll find dozens of bows scattered around Baron Mill. 

How to Get Jacob's Hunter Outfit 

The White Collar Job event also has a community goal available until May 8. If you complete it, you'll get your new digs. 

Here's what you need to know: 

• Kill 250,000 Animals: 100XP + 50 Silver Bars
• Kill 500,000 Animals: 100XP + Jacob's Hunter Outfit

Check out this nifty map from Ubisoft to find all of the hunting locations in the game. 

---

That's all you need to know to get your hands on the Shovel Launcher and Jacob's Hunting Outfit in Far Cry 5's White Collar Job event. Be sure to check out our other Far Cry 5 guides while you're here. 

Did he ever tell you what the definition of insanity is?

Vaas Montenegro, the primary antagonist of Far Cry 3, is one of the most enduring and well-remembered villains from recent video game history. He frequents many a top-10 list of bad guys, and general consensus from gaming communities is that he's the strongest and most revered villain in the Far Cry franchise, maybe even of any of Ubisoft's titles. More than the traditional psychopathic stereotype, Vaas is a villain in every conceivable sense, but the way Ubisoft created him goes beyond what's expected within the medium. So why has Vaas developed such a sway over our collective memories? Why has his character become such a phenomenon of our evildoer consciousness?

An engaging big bad

(Warning: Spoilers ahead)

Far Cry 3 opens with Vaas in the most dramatic way possible, establishing him early on with the clear psyche of a ruthless killer, kidnapper, and torturer. However, rather than the early segments demonstrating this superficially, we get an insight into his thinking and his neurotic mindset, enough to pique our interest without ever telegraphing his actual intentions. More importantly, though, he isn't just presented as a cold or bland murderer. Vaas is immediately portrayed as an unnerving but ultimately engaging and enthralling personality, brought to life by some incredibly believable acting and dialogue. He's given the capacity to control a scene, and actor Michael Mando does an exquisite job of taking your awareness and throttling it until you pay him every ounce of attention he deserves with the kind of confidence and swagger we associate with the highest of society.

His character is so effective because he is always portrayed as the dominating force in any scene. You're under his spell, living within his rules and according to whatever whim he dictates for you. As players, we are always off-guard, and that's so incredibly exciting. A similar example is that of Ramsey Bolton, for those familiar with Game of Thrones. Ramsey is similar in character type, and he was also a personal favorite of mine throughout the show due to his ability to steal entire scenes, shock you with every action he took, and astound you with each dastardly deed he enacted. He was unpredictable, he was unsettling, and he was surprising -- all components that allow for moments that can equally horrify and delight you as a viewer or player. Vaas is cast from the same mold and takes on the mantle of psychopathic maniac in all the best ways.

It would be wrong to assume that Vaas does heinous actions simply for the sake of doing so, however. Ubisoft managed to avoid that tricky problem of using violent actions simply for the sake of them, instead using those actions as a means of exposition to develop his overall personality and backstory. Take the scene in the hut where you are swiftly taken hostage, Vaas spewing gasoline all around before dissecting his rather complicated relationship with his sister. We learn he only started killing for the sake of his family, his rage and anger overflowing as he loudly exclaims, "Them or me? Me or them?" while he beats his chest. Our antagonist clearly has a damaged and malfunctioning psyche, but can we truly trust his stated motivations for what he's doing? The destructive nature of his violent acts means we can never tell if he does things because he has no inhibition, or if it's driven by this aforementioned psychological issue that's been deep-rooted within him. We as players are left wondering and questioning, without the ability to effectively empathize.

When lacking empathy works

Empathy is a largely universal human trait, demonstrable across the majority of the spectrum of our species, with a minority being the exception. Generally, empathy is considered the way in which human beings connect with one another. More importantly, it's a crucial mechanism developers use to create a link between the player and their antagonist or protagonist. That's what makes Vaas such a peculiar paradox to this norm.

As players, we generally connect and are enthralled by Vaas' character precisely because we can't empathize with his personality, morality, or rationale. For example, with other Far Cry villains, such as Hoyt, Pagan Min, or even the newly introduced Joseph Seed, we can at least empathize with their point of views to a very particular extent. This actually allows us as players to use our theory of mind to debunk and challenge their rationale with our own and to compare it against the "heroic" actions of our avatar. These other Far Cry villains also had more redeemable and sympathetic aspects to their characters; for example, Pagan Min effectively dropping everything at the end of Far Cry 4 to give to Ajay. Vaas, however, has very few or none of these qualities that are on display during our time with him.

We can't understand his mindset, we can't sympathize with his motivations, and we can't use theory of mind or empathy to create a connection with him. He's an enigma, something completely outside of our "normal" expectations. This feeds the aforementioned unpredictability of his actions. If we cannot appreciate his inner workings, his moral compass (or lack thereof), then we cannot predict or anticipate what he's next going to subject us to. He's not simply a "psycho" for the sake of being psychopathic; it's a foundation from which to establish an entity we're unlikely to have ever come across in real life or in most other games. This allowed the developers to build up an intrigue and mystery surrounding Vaas, keeping players off-balance, on edge and yet itching for the next encounter.



These encounters are brief, intensely visceral, and deeply intimate. Vaas fills the screen and reaches right into the depths of the psychopathic psyche. But these instances are short-lived and relatively abrupt, quickly ending with a shake of his fist or a bullet from his chamber. By keeping things rapid and succinct, we're always desperate to see more of his evil: vile but exciting, devastating but impressive, horrifying but intriguing. We as players can usually never get enough of the action, so by limiting it to effectively small snippets of adrenaline, the player becomes spurred and motivated to push on, and Vaas never overstays his welcome or becomes boring or repetitive.

Using anger to develop, not define

Earlier it was established that Vaas clearly has an innate predisposition towards anger and rage. We witness him commit some rather vicious actions during our time with him, either in cutscenes or dialogue. However, Vaas isn't simply portrayed as an angry man or a raging bull; at times, he's shown to be a cool-minded, tapered, and efficient villain, capable of the worst crimes but with little emotional resonance. This gives us as players -- and our protagonist -- the sense that Vaas isn't just a hate-inspired being and that he's a more sinister form of evil than sheer fury. Take the example of Kratos from the God of War series -- the epitome of the angry game character. Very few people relate to Kratos or expect anything other than anger, whereas with Vaas, we can predict we're going to witness some form of violence, but we lack any expectation of how he is going to deliver it.

Put simply, if a villain is formed only by his innate and feral desire to be angry, the character will become far too one-dimensional to remain interesting or enjoyable. As with any character, in real life or in virtual, people need to be multi-faceted, a combination of traits that create a more holistic form. For Vaas, anger forms one of these facets. At times, he releases his fury, and at others, he controls it, condenses it, and applies it into something much more sinister and intimidating. The intimate moments when you're locked up, surrendered to his grasp, are when he can demonstrate this most effectively. This is most noticeable in your first scene with him, trapped in the cage, or when he's pouring petrol over you and popping finger guns against his head.

Not just another monologue

One of the recent issues raised with the newly released Far Cry 5 is that its primary bad guys only talk at you, reeling off their motivations like checklists, without any real interaction to demonstrate the desires that drive them. This was also something I personally found to be a problem with Far Cry 4's Pagan Min, who seemed to be defined by his colorful suit and willingness to spew dialogue at you, without any background behavior to flesh out his intriguing personality.

On the flip side of this, Vaas generally combines action with dialogue, whether it be toying with you to run from him ("Run, Forrest, run!") or having his goons send people spiraling down a waterfall to a gripping death via drowning -- all the while chillingly divulging what the definition of insanity is. Even at his end, drugging you, chastising you, and baiting you in to finally end him, he never relents or relinquishes to you up to his last moment, where he begs you to finish the job you started.

But more than just this fusion of brutal action and gratifying dialogue, Vaas also directly influences and develops both Jason as the protagonist and we as the players. We descend further into the island, wiping out dozens of thugs in outposts, taking up more and more lethal weaponry, mastering our own inner abilities to become relentless, seething killers with no remorse for the lives we butcher in order to finally get our vengeance. Vaas' character helps to define and create our own, as we build up our understanding of the location, master new abilities, and make ourselves powerhouses to match his killing efficiency. He successfully transforms Jason into a murderer, a fellow slayer built in his own image -- just with less grace with words. This can all be seen by the final choice at the end, where selecting the "bad" ending completes Jason's descent into the darkness he started out with so much intent to end.

The use of Vaas' catchphrase is not just there to give him something easily memorable. It's there to show how we as players continue to do the same things (killing, butchering, murdering) over and over again, expecting things to change, to become better, more idyllic. Then when Vaas is finally gone, we still continue on our carnage-fueled rampage, barreling through even more of the paradise island to finish off yet another villain in Hoyt, spurred on by Citra and her own questionable motives. He creates and defines not just himself but also those around him. Characters gravitate and react according to him -- never the other way around. He forms the basis and foundation of Far Cry 3, as without him, the game would lose most of its unique personality and its flavor.

An enduring legacy ... of insanity

Vaas Montenegro is a video game villain who endures because of his character, his ability to captivate and disgust all at once. We as a species rarely forget that which shocks or horrifies us; we hold those memories, those experiences, much closer than we would ever wish to. Vaas forms the perfect blend of madness, rage, disconnection, and psychopathy as to be totally unique, separated from the norm and our expectations of what a traditional "bad guy" can be. Even more incredible is that Vaas only has roughly 15 minutes of actual in-game screen time or dialogue, leaving many pleading for a prequel surrounding him in order to give us more of the mystery. Coupled with Michael Mando's ability to wrestle control of entire scenes, to arrest your senses and dominate your emotions, Ubisoft managed to create an altogether special and powerful personality which they've struggled to recreate ever since.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over again and expecting things to change. So Vaas did things differently, and changed everything.

That about does it for our roundup of funny Far Cry 5 YouTube gameplay. What's the funniest thing you've seen so far in your playthrough of this Montana mayhem simulator? Let us know in the comments below! 

If you're just jumping into the insanity, be sure to check out our Far Cry 5 guides here:

\n
• Best Far Cry 5 Fishing Locations
\n
• Sunken Funds Prepper Stash Puzzle Solution
\n
• Golden Age Nostalgia Comic Book Locations
\n
• Best Perks/Skills To Pick
\n
• Far Cry 5 Secret Alternate Ending Guide
\n

Unexpected Animal Attacks

The sudden bear attack may have gotten all the press in the teaser trailers (and those can be hilarious when you are fishing or just got done taking out a bunch of cultists), but nearly every animal in this game has gone homicidal and has a taste for human flesh ... even the turkeys.

Seriously, go try hunting a turkey with a bow and arrow, and maybe just go ahead and miss one. They will go all aggro and can actually take you out if your health is low! I'm imagining the deputy then getting filled with stuffing and baked at a nice even 350 before being served.

Always be on the lookout for those randy bulls as well! They have a tendency to come out of nowhere and knock whomever is currently talking to you way across the screen.

Image courtesy of PretsOnline

Helicopter Versus Animal

When you combine homicidal animals with co-op open-world gameplay, a ton of available vehicle types, and destructible objects, there's bound to be some interesting kill combinations.

If you've run dry of ammo or are having trouble hitting cougars and moose with a bow, you could always just grab a helicopter. Of course, not all of them come with mounted guns, so sometimes you've got to improvise. Crashing the bottom of the helicopter into an animal and dragging it into a building is always a viable option!

Image courtesy of Gamesprout

Flying Corpses

Turns out this cult does have magic powers after all, because sometimes their dead bodies just start flying around the screen for absolutely no reason.

I haven't personally witnessed this bug in-game yet, but there's a bunch of videos online of it happening after an outpost is liberated. I guess those fanatics just aren't interested in staying dead and would like to jump back into the fight!

Image courtesy of Gamesprout

Wingsuit Kamikaze

Co-op Far Cry 5 is absolutely nuts (think of the Wild West of GTA 5 Online, but put it in the wilderness), and some players have come up with some truly innovative ways to take out their enemies.

Did you know you can use your parachute and wingsuit to take out planes? Yup, just go up real high and aim straight for the propellers at the back of the plane. Sure, you'll get mulched, exploded, and fall hundreds of yards to your death, but maybe your co-op companion will be nice enough to revive you after the fact!

Image courtesy of PretsOnline

Traffic Fatalities

In what may be a nod to one of Montana's deadliest features -- our icy, high speed limit highways and perpetually drunk population -- people sure seem to die a lot by vehicle accident in this game.

In the screenshot above, a player has stopped to untie a kidnapped Montanan ... only to have her plowed over by a passing van a second before reaching her.

The van wasn't even a cult vehicle, either! Some passing motorist just didn't feel like stopping to avoid hitting the lady sitting in the road. Whoops.

Image courtesy of LaMey

Dancing Peaches

Hunting down the graphical glitches in open-world titles is basically its own mini-game at this point (remember how hilariously Dog Meat behaved when Fallout 4 first launched?), and Far Cry 5 suffers from a fair share of them.

Just having Peaches and Cheeseburger as your fangs for hire and going for a swim is pretty silly on its own, but if you lure Peaches into a river and then pull out your fishing pole, things get really bizarre.

Try hooking Peaches with the line, and a glitch will occur where she pops up on her hind legs and starts dancing wildly! I mean, I know most cats don't like being in water, but this is a bit silly....

Image courtesy of Gamesprout

Flight School Flops

Did you know flying is hard and requires actual knowledge and training? Yeah, nobody realized that before now.

Trying to land a single-engine bomber in the wilderness leads to all sorts of hilarious mishaps and funny Far Cry 5 gameplay, but even just lining up on your target for a bombing run can be a challenge.

In what was probably my own personal most hilarious moment, I decided to try taking out a convoy of heavily armed trucks in John's region with a bombing run instead of going at them with small arms fire. I managed to entirely miss every single truck ... instead lighting the entire forest on fire and destroying every vehicle around them.

As I was turning around for a second run, I ran straight into a particularly tall tree and got ejected to my death. No worries, I'm thinking, my companions will revive me! Except that forest fire I'd started was still going, so they both ran directly into flaming death, ending the quest early. Lesson learned, I guess.

Image courtesy of LaMey

Physics Fails

Very odd things can happen when bodies interact with the vehicles in Far Cry 5, and this seems to be particularly true of the bodies of important characters like the main cult leaders.

In the pic above, a player has attempted to load John Seed's lifeless body onto a truck bed to go drive it around enemy territory ... only things don't quite work out as planned. 

Somehow he gets stuck in the wheel well, but the situation goes truly nuts when punching the body away from the vehicle. Something in the code is obviously messed up, as the truck goes spinning and flying off into the sunset!

Image courtesy of Andrew Curran

Suicidal Guns for Hire

If Far Cry 5 has one glaring gameplay issue, it's got to be the AI. This game is a ton of fun, there's no doubt about that, but sometimes the companions are just flat-out stupid.

From animal companions that will rush into a forest fire to try to revive you (and immediately get burned to death, of course) to guns for hire who will hurl themselves off cliffs or walk directly into your line of fire, these allies in your fight against the cult aren't the sharpest tools in the shed, that's for sure.

In the unbelievable image above, a gun for hire got into a car and is about to drive it directly into an explosive silo for no apparent reason. Apparently the apocalypse was just too much for him to take, and he decided life wasn't worth living anymore.

Image courtesy of Gamesprout

Copulating Cows

Yes, what you think is happening in that image above is exactly what is happening in that image above. Ubisoft actually created an animation for a bull to mount and ride a cow.

This particularly disturbing image is from the Testy Festy side quest, where you are tasked with acquiring three different types of bull testicles to be cooked and eaten -- flambé style (kill 'em with fire!), shredded (mulch 'em with the death tractor), and "blue" (take 'em out while they are doing it!).

For those wondering, yes, the Testicle Festival is a real thing in Montana, and they really do serve bull testicles cooked in a variety of ways. If the apocalyptic Seed cult didn't convince you to stay out of our state, maybe that little factoid will do the trick?

Image courtesy of GameSpot

With a tagline like, "In a place where anything can happen, everything will," you know you are in for a wild ride with Far Cry 5, which just may be the best entry in the series so far (apart from the shark-punching glory of Far Cry 3, of course). But some of the best parts about Far Cry 5 are its funny, crazy, and truly bizarre moments. Luckily, many of those scintillating moments have been captured by Youtubers and Twitch streamers the world over. 

Between pre-launch bugs that were lovingly captured by early reviewers and some intentional insanity found by the gaming populace at large after its official release, there's a treasure trove of Far Cry 5 fails and funny moments to experience!

Here we're rounding up some of the funniest moments you can find while wandering Hope County, Montana, from unexpected killer turkeys to homicidal motorists and flying corpses!

Each Far Cry 5 video at the bottom of the following slides is pre-loaded to start right at the craziest moments -- so don't worry about having to find the right spot. We've already done it for you!

Follow the links below to magically skip to a specific slide if you'd rather not click through each one:  

\n
• Copulating Cows
\n
• Suicidal Guns for Hire
\n
• Physics Fail
\n
• Flight School Flops
\n
• Dancing Peaches
\n
• Traffic Fatalities
\n
• Wingsuit Kamikaze
\n
• Flying Corpses
\n
• Helicopter vs. Animal
\n
• Unexpected Animal Attacks
\n

And if you're looking for any guide content on Far Cry 5 while you're here, make sure to check these tips and tricks articles out: 

\n
• Best Far Cry 5 Fishing Locations
\n
• Sunken Funds Prepper Stash Puzzle Solution
\n
• Golden Age Nostalgia Comic Book Locations
\n
• Best Perks/Skills To Pick
\n
• Far Cry 5 Secret Alternate Ending Guide
\n

Just like most games released in the past decade, Far Cry 5 features two ways to save your progress: manual save and autosave. Thing is, saving in Ubisoft’s new open-world shooter is obtuse at best and downright confusing at worst. In fact, there are a lot of places you simply can’t save at all. 

However, to manually save your game in Far Cry 5, open the options menu and look for "Save Game," which you can find just above "Quit" near the end of the list on the left-hand side of the screen. Hover over "Save Game" and click that box -- your progress will save right then and there. The only indication that your game is actually saving is a series of dots in the top right-hand corner of the screen, so be on the lookout for those to make sure you're safe. 

On the other hand, Far Cry 5's autosave is mostly random. You'll know the game is autosaving when you see the same series of dots appear at the top of the screen.

The game will also automatically retain your progress when you complete missions or reach certain mission checkpoints. There is no indication as of this writing if the game saves your progress after finding prepper stashes or other collectibles. 

To access the options menu on:

• PS4 -- Click the "Options" button on your Dualshock 4 controller 
• Xbox One -- Click the "Start" button on your controller 
• PC -- Click the "/" [backslash] button on your keyboard

Looking for other tips and tricks for Ubisoft's newest shooter? Check out our other Far Cry 5 guides! Here are a few to get you started: 

• Comic Book Locations
• How to Get the Alternate Ending
• Best Early-Game Perks
• Fangs for Hire Guide

No soldier can win a war alone. This is the premise behind Warface, a free-to-play FPS game developed by Crytek, which combines intense combat with gameplay mechanics that foster cooperation between you and your allies. Released worldwide on October 21, 2013, the game will soon live through another birthday and players will receive a special gift from the developers two months later.

During this year’s Gamescom, held on August 22 through 26, Crytek and the
publisher My.com announced additional content for the game, which is set to release in December. The upcoming expansion will mark a new chapter in the conflict that drives the universe of Warface. 

According to the developers, the update will feature a new narrative-driven co-op mission held in Pripyat, Ukraine. Located right next to the epicenter of the Chernobyl nuclear catastrophe. It once was a vibrant location, but now it is nothing but ruins. Watch the trailer below:

Crytek’s free-to-play shooter takes place in a world devastated by the greatest
recession in history. Amidst the turmoil, a group of capitalists controls most of the global wealth, and to preserve their interests, they fortified their ivory tower with the might of a paramilitary force known as Blackwood. Players join Warface, an elite squad that fights back against the worldwide dominance of Earth’s resources.

During the story, you will face new enemies, bosses, and enjoy newly refined gameplay mechanics. With new additional content on the horizon, this is an opportunity to reflect on how the game became what it is today and where it will go next.

The Future of Warface:

GameSkinny had the opportunity to hold an exclusive interview with Michael
Khaimzon (above), the creative director of Warface, to have a better understanding of what the upcoming content will bring. Apart from the future, he also discussed the past and the present of the game, ending our conversation with some predictions for what innovations might be in the making for the FPS genre. As for the new mission of Warface, he said:

“This will definitely be one of the biggest updates in our history. The Chernobyl mission is going to be epic. It has been in production for almost a year, so there are lots of new things coming. New environment, new enemies, new boss fight, and a new chapter in the Warface- Blackwood duel. Let’s not forget, though, that, in addition to this mission, the update will also include new weapons, achievements, and many other things.

December, traditionally, is the most important month for us, as many players prepare for holidays; they have a lot of free time. So, we like to release especially enticing content in this time period. This year is not an exception. Having said that, there is also a new experimental mode coming to Warface, more like an event thing, in which we will test something that we actually started over 7 years ago. We really wanted to do this mode, but never got the chance, so now is the time.”

From the answer provided by Michael, we can assume that the new update will significantly change how you experience the game. On August 28, the official Warface account on YouTube uploaded a video showing behind the scenes footage of the new mission, allowing you to take a better look on what the expansion will bring to the table. You can watch it below:

The video gives you a glimpse of what the expansion will deliver and
displays the effort Crytek put into developing the content, even sending developers to study the location personally. While we will only be sure once we can actually play the new mission, it is possible to speculate that ambiance and immersion will be two of its strongest attributes, as a consequence of their extensive research.

We can claim this due to the fidelity of the levels, which are almost identical to the real locations they are based on, albeit with some minor changes. But that covers the future of Warface, for now. During our interview, Michael continued to discuss Crytek’s free-to-play shooter.

Warface Today: 

One of the main challenges for any game is staying relevant through the years. Some titles pass the test of time with excellence, such as World of Warcraft, while other productions are not as fortunate and their player base shrinks over time, as seen with Evolve. Michael commented on how Crytek works to retain its community in the long run:

“I think the key is listening to the community, understanding them, and releasing regular updates. We did 70+ updates so far - that is literally an update every single month. Thus, our players see that the game is truly live. It is changing, evolving, and they can influence that evolution. All of us, the developers, have to play the game, really play it every day, face the issues, and deal with them first hand.”

Apart from creating ways to keep an audience, the free-to-play model brings
another challenge. The game is always under development, meaning that the stream of new ideas must be constant.

Designers must always craft new features, maps and fine-tune the ones that already exist. Having new ideas is an appealing process for a developer and, once they are approved, the team must bring them to life. This brings us to our next topic.

Designing a Game That is Constantly Growing: 

Throughout the life of a competitive FPS title, developers often continue to expand the game by releasing new maps. To give an optimal experience to players, these levels are usually asymmetrical, meaning that both sides of the battlefield are different. The objective is to provide the player with a sense of novelty when crossing from one side to another, but this also raises a concern.

It is necessary to ensure both parts of the map have the same tactical opportunities; otherwise, a team will have an advantage, thus breaking the balance of the game. Creating two different sides, while making sure they are fair to both teams is an enormous challenge, and Michael provides us with some information on how this process works:

“It’s definitely a know-how that took us years to develop. We have a very detailed level design “bible,” that teaches certain rules relevant to all levels. There are tons of things to consider – timing, positions, slides, coop climbs, and best places for each class. This is really a topic that deserves its own article.”

Level design; however, is only one of the parts that create the experience of the player. A developer must pay close attention to the dynamics of the game modes the title offers.

In a game such as Warface, which contains a plethora of modes for PvE and PvP, a question begs for an answer: How do the creators split their attention across distinct types of gameplay while ensuring they are all fun? Michael discussed the matter:

“Well, some are more fun than others, but it’s a natural process – you have to try different things, some will work, some will not and it depends on the player’s own preferences. It’s OK, no one can predict with 100% certainty what will happen. We make assumptions based on what our players like and then go ahead and try these ideas. One thing we are definitely proud of is our Blitz mode.

We tried to take the typical Plant the Bomb mode to a different level - make it more casual and fast paced, while still quite tactical. It worked out really well. We can definitely say that Warface players prefer very dynamic type of game-play where you engage an enemy just a few seconds after the spawn or when the round doesn’t take longer than a couple of minutes - and that’s what we always strive to achieve.”

As Warface changes with each new update, by delivering new maps, modes, and missions, the game continues to make its path towards the future. With the largest mission in its history set to release in December, it is time to look back and recall how it all started. On this subject, Michael offered some insights on the initial moments in the development of Warface.

Where Everything Started:

The video above shows the first trailer of Warface and it displays how much the game has changed over the years. Prior to its release, Crytek had already developed other successful titles, such as Crysis and Far Cry, which scored 91 and 89 on Metacritic respectively. After the success of these productions, then came the moment for the studio to plan their next move.

The next step for them involved beginning development on a free to play competitive FPS game. For a company that had thrived developing paid AAA experiences, the shift in the payment model may seem like an audacious move. But, according to Michael, the decision came naturally. On this matter he stated:

“We already had a team in Frankfurt dedicated to AAA titles such as Ryse and the Crysis series, so we wanted to try a different approach – take a smaller team, and launch a title as fast as possible in a completely different way. It was also obvious to us that we were in a unique position. There was, and still is, not much competition on the F2P market for a high quality PvE COOP shooter. We knew that we had unique experience and a tool-set to get this out before others.”

Once the decision to develop a free to play FPS game became official, it was time to start planning the title. According to Jason Schreier in his book Blood, Sweat and Pixels, during the pre-production phase of a project, the developers must make decisions that will determine the future of their game; and that's just what Crytek did.

Through these preliminary stages, it is paramount to set priorities. Considering that Crytek had created successful FPS games in the past, the developers needed to decide whether they would transfer gameplay elements from Crysis (above) and Far Cry to Warface. According to Michael, the right choice was clear:

“Not much was carried over. When working on a typical box title, your main objective is to sell the game to the players. You do not have to worry about the churn rate or the playtime. In F2P there is no second chance. If you do something wrong – you lose the player forever, as he can simply delete the game. At the same time, it is easier to get people in, because there is no pay wall. In a nutshell, there is little to carry over, unless you are releasing a sequel with a different payment model.

As far as the other areas go, there is also a big difference. For example, in Crysis our objective was to make the most beautiful game, no matter the time and effort. In Warface, the focus is on performance, comfortable navigation, and map balance, as it’s - first and foremost - a multiplayer title, as opposed to FarCry and Crysis, which were about cinematic single player experience first.”

Considering Crytek’s approach of creating a brand-new design for Warface, the development team worked under the pressure of crafting innovative ideas that would resonate with the audience. The first step to developing a new game is delineating the goals of the project, and Michael spoke briefly on the subject of Warface's objectives at the start:

“Our priority was to deliver the first AAA F2P COOP title with a balanced,
cybersports ready PvP mode, and over time we managed to deliver pretty much exactly what we wanted.”

According to Michael, Crytek is happy with the product Warface has become.
Reaching the milestone of 48 million users -- according to the publisher My.com -- proves that the game has developed a strong audience.

However, the FPS genre is a competitive market and studios must fight to stay at the top. This scenario entices competition between companies, as developers constantly innovate to get an edge over their rivals, and players benefit from this as more new and interesting games pop up.

The Future of FPS Games: 

Gamers enjoy spending time with innovative technologies, and one of the biggest developments of the video game industry in recent years is the push to create experiences in Virtual Reality (VR). While this hardware still needs to be refined, many players worldwide are already enjoying it, as evidenced by the 915,000 users who purchased the Sony PlayStation VR as of February 19. However, if you think this is the future of gaming, think again, because Michael believes that another innovation may be in store:

“One thing that will probably happen sometime soon is eye control. We will no longer need the mouse to move the cursor around and it will definitely affect the speed and precision of gameplay. As for VR, it is a very specific platform; it’s great for certain games, but not as much for fast-paced shooters. It is definitely cool, and Crytek has released some amazing games for VR, but in order for it to become mainstream, there needs to be significant hardware improvements.

No one wants to move around with heavy goggles on the head, trying to not be stuck in cables. May be once the glasses are wireless and as light as regular sunglasses, the VR will take off. But again, chances are it’s not going to replace PC for fast paced shooters.”

According to Michael, VR is still a long way from being the future of FPS video games. This is okay because while players do wish to see developers experimenting with new tech, studios can still create innovative and enjoyable experiences with today’s hardware.

But game makers are constantly conceiving new concepts to deliver unique productions and this drive towards innovation goes beyond creating new technology. One of the departments in which developers are investing heavily is narrative design.

Story in a Free to Play Competitive FPS Games?

On October 31, 2013, the YouTube channel Extra Credits released a video (above) discussing whether it is possible to implement a narrative in a competitive multiplayer game. Storytelling in gaming continues to become more mature and complex, and as this process unfolds, developers continue to bolster their skills to create more compelling narratives.

An example of this trend is Ken Levine’s presentation during 2014’s Game Developers Conference, when he pitched a concept for a story that can only be told through video games. With this scenario, some questions emerge: can game makers successfully implement a story in every genre? Can a free to play FPS game provide players with a meaningful narrative? Michael shared his thoughts on the subject:

“In F2P, the main issue is, probably, the resources – cut scenes and realistic acting is very hard to do, and it’s always a matter of priority. You ask yourself: what is the best way to utilize our time and effort? In F2P games, players want primarily action, so this has always been our focus.

Another thing to remember is that Warface is a coop game, there are five players who are not at the same place, looking in different directions, and doing different things, so it’s much harder to play a cut-scene that everyone will see. We definitely want to improve storytelling in Warface and are looking for the most efficient ways to do it without interrupting the gameplay.”

This statement from Michael may shed some light on the future of Warface, as
developers at Crytek try to discover new storytelling techniques that suit their game. Considering that their goal is to have a narrative that does not interrupt gameplay, it is possible that they decide to invest more in environmental storytelling. Whether this prediction will be accurate remains to be seen. 

Conclusion/Summary:

Our conversation with Michael provided us with a glimpse into the future of Warface. The narrative-driven mission coming in December will significantly change how players experience the game, according to the developer. Based on the behind the scenes footage, it seems that ambiance and immersion will be two strong attributes of the expansion.

Another noteworthy point of our talk was Michael’s perspective over the future of FPS games. Unlike what some people may think, the Creative Director of Warface does not believe VR will be the future of the genre. He reckons this role will fall on the shoulders of eye-tracking technology.

Concerning the future of Warface, he claimed that his team is studying how to create stronger narratives in the game. However, due to the characteristics of a free to play title, the team would prefer to avoid relying on cutscenes to convey their story. This may lead them towards the use of environmental storytelling to strengthen the narrative of Warface.

To stay updated on how the game will continue to evolve and to play the upcoming Pripyat mission in December, grab your rifle and enlist today on Warface.

Now that VR is slowly starting to become the next big thing, the possibilities for the gaming community can be seen as potentially endless. Finally, players will be able to experience various titles through the eyes of characters, feel like they are actually in the game, and be able to interact with almost anything or anyone as well.

Of course, there are many exploration games out there like: No Man's Sky, the Fallout series, The Elder Scrolls series, the Far Cry series... the list goes on and on. Now imagine if all those games were in VR, or were set to be re-released as VR compatible products. Luckily, Fallout 4 is something to have your eyes set on if you wish to experience the game in VR.

But can VR really be the technology that sets the bar for future exploration games?

VR and Exploration Games

Far Cry 4

With VR, you have your character's perspective of the world. In other words, you are seeing what they are seeing, and by moving your head, they are moving theirs as well. Besides doing that to look around and see where you have to go, you can truly experience the beauty that the game world has to offer you. Just imagine being deep underneath an ocean, or on top of a mountain. Truly, the experience will be something that you'll remember for quite some time. 

With exploration games, there is also the possibility of combat. That is in where most people are interested. Just imagine going face to face with your adversary... you won't have to push buttons to defeat the enemy. Instead, you'll get the feeling like you're in an actual fight! You'll have to dodge, counter, or maybe run away to reassess the situation for a more positive outcome. And the beauty of that is that can be applied to any enemy! Pause for a moment and picture yourself fighting either a dragon or some kind of colossal monstrosity through VR...

But, Can VR...

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Most, if not all of the time, exploration games carry a big world with them. That's actually the entire purpose! The bigger and the more open the game world is, the more there is to explore and discover! The question however is, will VR be powerful enough to handle huge worlds?

The answer to that question however is, we don't know for sure. Since Fallout 4 for VR is being worked on, that kind of seems like a "yes" answer, right? But then again, you never know. Will the VR version run as smoothly as the regular version? We're not saying that it's going to be perfect, but if it works, it works.

Another small issue to consider would be the graphical aspect. If you'll be experiencing the game through your own eyes, it'll be expected that the graphics be in high-def, right? But since exploration games are so huge, will the processing power of modern PCs and consoles be strong enough to handle the load? If not, then which graphical concept will be adequate?

Going off from that, the entire idea of VR sickness. Basically, people get motion sick from VR. Technically, that can be applied to any VR game, but since exploration games deal with, well...exploration, you'll be moving a lot. Will that impact your experience? 

What If...

No Man's Sky

Unfortunately, No Man's Sky didn't exactly live up to the hype. Many saw the game as a boring grind-fest, which didn't have anything exciting to offer. Recently, a patch was released that tried to improve the game's content, but was it truly enough?

But what if the game was released as a VR version? Would that then change the community's mind? At first the answer might be, "Yes, of course!" The reason for that however is the concept of VR. Many people actually like the idea of VR, and are willing to almost play any game that is set in VR. But let's not forget that we are talking about No Man's Sky here. Even in VR, how different will the game be? Piloting your aircraft in VR, exploring the billions of different planets in VR, etc.

The idea might seem fun at first, but at the end, it all depends on the game itself. If the game is boring and not as engaging as other games, can the concept of VR really save it?

Conclusion

Exploration games can take players to distant galaxies, underneath oceans, or to any other places. Add VR to that, and you'll feel like you're actually there! But with everything that has been said, can VR truly raise the bar in regards to the concept of exploration? What other exploration games do you want to see in VR, either as re-releases or as new titles?

You may have noticed while scrolling through this list that there was no Fallout 4 entry – that's because we have a whole article devoted just to mods that turn the Boston Commonwealth into a horrific nightmare!

Have you played any of our picks for the best horror mods, and what scary total conversions would you recommend we try out this Halloween?

Minecraft: Resident Evil Mod

Get It Here!

We'll finish this list off with a silly little entry that puts all sorts of Resident Evil characters into pixel format for Minecraft! Through this mod you can now interact with characters like Nemesis, craft classic RE items like green and red herbs, etc. It's just plain old goofy fun for a bloody twist on Minecraft world building mechanics.

Skyrim: The Puppet King

Get It Here!

So, we could easily write 10 lists all of just Skyrim horror mods. There's got to b e dozens or even hundreds of them readily available online. This relatively smaller mod is an interesting example that ramps up the creepy factor with all the animated dolls and a staff that lets you craft your own puppet automaton companion.

Fallout New Vegas: Hell On Earth

Get It Here!

The Fallout games already have some mild horror elements with those irradiated ghouls and man-eating deathclaws, but this mod cranks that up to 11. There's bits of Silent Hill (Pyramid Head even makes an appearance) and all sorts of other horror tropes as the Courier explores new mist-shrouded locations that really do turn the wasteland into hell on earth!

Half-Life 2: Dear Esther

Get It Here!

Both of the Half-Life games have some incredible horror mods, so its hard to pick which ones to list. For Half-Life 2 we'll have to go with Dear Esther, which has a hazy, dream-like quality just dripping with atmosphere. It's much more slow moving than many of the other zombie-focused mods, but well worth experiencing anyway. 

Cry Of Fear

Get It Here!

Originally a Half-Life mod, Cry Of Fear became popular enough it is now available as a free standalone release through Steam. This dark mod has you exploring a mostly-empty city in search of clues for what's going in, in a Silent Hill meets Condemned style.

Half-Life: Paranoia

Get It Here!

The graphics are obviously quite dated at this point, but if you still enjoy playing the original Half-Life, Paranoia is an excellent mod to grab that offers a completely different experience, putting you in the role of a Russian soldier on a mission that will go very haywire.

Unreal Tournament 2004: Killing Floor

Get It Here!

Tournament 2004 is easily my personal favorite of the Unreal games, with fantastically ridiculous fast-paced arena combat. There was nothing like the thrill of hearing that announcer yell "dominating!" when you got a wicked kill streak going.

Killing Floor is a total conversion that drastically shifts style into a single player, modern day experience set in London that strongly pulls from F.E.A.R. 

Unreal Tournament 3: The Haunted

Get It Here!

It's always interesting to see the level of work and detail modders are able to put into conversions like these, taking action-focused games and massively changing their style and even visuals. The Haunted turns Unreal Tournament 3 into a zombie apocalypse simulator with a serious Resident Evil 4 vibe.

Far Cry 4: Devil In The Swamp

Get It Here!

There are a bunch of horror-focused custom maps that have now been made with the Far Cry 4 level editor, from basically unplayable movie demos to more objective-focused combat entries, and this visual feast is one of the more interesting ones to watch.

Completely different from the base game's style, Devil In The Swamp is thick on the atmosphere with creepy cabins, bone-strewn floors, bloody walls, and more.

Far Cry: Onirica

Get It Here!

Completely changing the color palette and style of Far Cry, Onirica evokes the feel of some of those classic horror titles of the PS1 days, from Nightmare Creatures to Silent Hill.

Starcraft 2: Resident Overmind

Get It Here!

A creative take on the RTS style of Starcraft 2, this custom map culls out all the base building elements and instead has you playing as one lone space marine. Our down-on-his-luck marine is headed to a military base strangely devoid of life... except for alien monstrosities that leap out of the darkness.

The camera angles are significantly modified from the base game, which coupled with the flickering darkness really changes the whole atmosphere and vibe of Starcraft to go in a survival horror direction.

October is prime time for pulling out the scary games, and we've already been covering the best of the best when it comes to atmospheric horror or straight up jump scares. You don't need to shell any money out for a new horror game if your collection is a little sparse though!

There are tons of mods available for existing games that take them a genuinely scary direction, from old classics like Half-Life all the way up to newer Far Cry, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout entries.

These 11 excellent mods all take shooter, strategy, or crafting games and add in a terrifying spin.

Growing up as a gamer in the age of the internet, you get to hear about a lot about games that came out years ago. The common consensus among people that grew up in the 80s/90s is that games were so much better then. According to them, while we still get good games today, the types of games we go back then had more thought and care put into them.

Is this actually true? Well there's points that could be made for both sides, but I do think there is some slight bias going on with these types of people.

On the Side of Games Being Better in the Past

You see this type of argument not with games, but with pretty much anything. Movies, Books, Music, really any medium is apparently better back in its early days.

And there's some truth to this, especially in film. We're in an era of sequels, reboots and remakes that are simply made to make money, and many are pretty bad because of that. That right there is exactly the problem.

The Way People Think About Making Products Has Changed

Back when film was first invented, it most likely wasn't viewed as a lucrative art, but more of a novelty. So the people who made the most money were those that tried to tell the best stories as possible. I mean, films were in black and white, if you wanted to show something on your film you had to really think hard about how to show it. Now we have CGI and we can show anything we want, not much skill is involved on the director's side.

This is the same for Video Games. Back in the 80s, we couldn't just make a 3D explorable world with plenty of things to do. Games were in 2D and it was pretty hard to show anything due to the limitations on graphics. Now we can slap a first-person shooter formula onto a large 3D map and bam! The latest Far Cry game is out.

We Can Make So Much Money Through Video Games by Barely Trying that There's no Point in Trying at All

This, right here, is the discovery that large companies like Ubisoft and EA made that creates all of the negative reception today. It's why indie developers, who have to try much harder to be seen by the population, are our source of good design nowadays.

Many of the games with large budgets that get heavily promoted, have very similar mechanics between each other. Usually there's a basic RPG leveling up mechanic, stealth, shooter mechanics and an open world. None of these are particularly bad, but there's little variety.

If you read an interview from game developers in the 90s, they'll say things like "With this game, we tried to do this", or "we wanted to achieve the feeling of this". If you read an interview with developers today, even indies, they'll say something like "we tried to recapture the feeling of this". There's a focus on doing what was once done well.

It's not bad to try to recreate the best of the past, but we see it way too often.

Instead of looking forwards, we're looking back

Games that try to invent new things, or just games that have some real thought put into them, still exist, but they're too far and few between. But then again, there were a lot of bad games back in the 80s.

On the Side of Games Being Better Now

The Angry Video Game Nerd is a pretty funny show. It's fun to look at the variety games from the past that were just plain terrible, and watching a comical critique of them is entertaining to say the least.

It's interesting to me that people can watch and laugh at shows like this, before turning around later and unanimously agreeing that 'games were so much better back then.' Sure, there are a ton of bad games now, but there were a ton back then as well.

Not only that, but there were definitely companies back then that made games solely for money, it's nothing new. The amount of rip-offs, clones, lazy movie tie-ins and buggy-to-the-point-of-impossible-to-play games made for consoles in the 80s and 90s is massive. So why do we ignore these games?

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation bias is the idea that no matter how much evidence a person sees, their opinion on the subject will always been reinforced. Their opinion or theory is constantly being confirmed, not matter what -- it's almost like they only see what they want to see.

Basically, we remember the really great games from the past, because those had a massive impact on us. We also remember the failures from the present, because of hype culture and the focus on sequels. Thus, we form the opinion that 'Games were better when I was a kid', and then ignore any bad games from back then, and any good games now.

Confirmation bias is a very human habit. It's not really something that needs to be fixed, but something that needs to be considered when forming opinions.

In reality the number of bad games per year has remained relatively stable. However, the argument still remains that the good games of this generation are still not quite as good as those that came before. Is it true that we just don't get the same quality of games as before?

Well, no...

To be honest, with the fear of sounding obnoxious, I'm not sure if this is even debatable.

Technology has improved so much that if you compare a game from 1980 to a game that came out recently, the older game just doesn't hold up. How could you compare a 2D game on the NES that looks like it's made out of lego with gameplay as stiff as concrete, to some of the most refined, artistic games that have come out recently?

I understand that I probably sound like some kind of deluded, uninformed casual gamer who only cares about specs, but think about it. We have games that replicate the type of gameplay that retro games provided, but thanks to technological leaps and improvements in the way we design games, there's no that they could be worse.

Most games today are designed by fans of video games, back in the 80s every single developer was just a programmer who'd probably just heard of video games. Developers today understand more of what makes a game fun, making the mistakes developers made back then incredibly visible.

Yes, there are games that stand the test of time, however I'd say most of these games were in the SNES era, and they're still far and few between. During the NES/Mega Drive and the N64/PS1 eras, we were still figuring out gameplay in 2D and 3D respectively, so a lot of those genres have been perfected more recently.

There's definitely exceptions to the rule, Castlevania Symphony of the Night had a number of mechanics, such as familiars and hidden moves, that I've never seen in a metroidvania title since (something that really bugs me). But if you've never played a game that people praise as one of 'the great games from back then,' there's a good chance you won't find it as great as they do.

I probably need to stress that not every game that comes out today is better than in the 80's. There are some terrible games that have come out within the last year. What I'm arguing is that the best games of today are better than the best games of back then.

Here's something I want to ask you, if a terrible game from recent times had come out earlier, how would it have been remembered? If we took a mess of a game, like Ride to Hell: Retribution, and released it back when people were still playing Pacman, there's a very good chance that it would have gone down as one of the best games of all time.

And we're starting to wake up to this fact as well. There's plenty of really good analyses about legendary games that go into the problems with them, such as Arin Hanson's amazing analysis on Ocarina of Time.

But this asks another question, why did we think those games were great in the first place? What made us believe that those games were better than whatever came out afterwards?

We Were Children

I'm actually quite jealous of children, and I miss being one. When you're a child, anything can be interesting. Well not everything, I do remember being bored a lot as a child, but when it came to video games, it was a lot easier to find them interesting.

There are two reasons for this, the first is imagination. It's a know fact that children have a stronger imagination than adults, they're able to pretend and make games for themselves. Video games, even those made with limited technology, are enough to fill in the gap between reality and imagination. A child is able to play a game where they fly, and believe that they themselves are flying. To put it simply, children get immersed in a game so much easier.

Adults can't do this nearly as well, hence why as the average age of gamers gets older and older, there's a common focus on graphics. Better graphics makes games look more real, and fills the gaps that the lack of imagination leaves behind.

The second reason is that there is a limited supply of games when you're a child. Video games are usually supplied by your parents, and the average parent probably won't buy their children new games frequently, usually only for birthdays and Christmas.

The thing is, when you get a new game you had to like it. It could be months before you get another game so you needed to find enjoyment in it otherwise you'd have no games to play.

Nostalgia

We, as gamers, have so much nostalgia for games that we played when we were young, and that's not a bad thing. Nostalgia is something that I'm incredibly thankful for, it allows you to relive the past. The word shouldn't always be used negatively to explain why people like something that you don't.

The issue is when we allow nostalgia to affect our opinions. One of the worst things about the gaming community is the idea of 'these games that I played when I was a kid are fantastic, but the games you liked when you were a kid were terrible.' Being born in the late 90s, I read magazines and saw people online telling me that some of my favourite games back then were actually really bad. The worst feeling was playing their favourite games and realising that some of them were just as bad.

Nostalgia could be the reason why people think past games were better, but there's something else that's bigger than that, and it questions how we critique games.

Leaps and Bounds

Think of a popular series of games that has been running for a long time, from the late 80s to the present day. Got one? Now think of what is generally considered the best in that series.

It's highly likely that the game you just thought of was made in the late 90s. Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy VII and Sonic Adventure have been considered as 'The Best in the Series' for the majority of that series' run. While the majority have either lost their title or are constantly argued about in recent times, there's no doubt that for a long while after their release people did talk about them a lot.

What do they all have in common? They were all the first in the series to be in 3D.

While whether or not our world has 3 dimensions goes into scientific theory I'm not willing to explain, it is fact that humans perceive the world in 3 dimensions. Thus, games making the leap to 3D was huge. It made games so much more immersive because they now look and act much more like the real world -- the jump to HD wasn't nearly as big.

We have games now that have further improved on what those first 3D games did, but we remember those originals much more. Why is that?

The Brain Works with Comparison

A century ago, we didn't have television. A millennia ago, we didn't have the majority of things that make up our daily lives.

To someone living in this day and age, it seems that life would be almost unlivable without the things that we have now. But there was a time when we didn't. There was a time when we didn't have air conditioning, security, or medicine that allowed us to live past the age of thirty -- humans didn't even have language itself, just some grunts.

Now this is pretty obvious, but the point is that humans still made it through their lives. This is because by comparison, the lack of these things didn't matter to them. It probably wasn't very clean thousands of years ago, but at least an opposing kingdom wasn't waging war against them. In the current era, if something isn't clean, it gets to us so much that we have to take action and use some kind of product. By comparison, there isn't that much in our daily lives that's worse.

Humans, and pretty much all animals, are able to feel happy in a situation simply because it's better than what they usually experience. Hence why when video games moved from 2D to 3D, it was very impressive at the time, but not so much any more.

You already know this, so why is this important?

When a game, or anything really, comes out that's new, different or innovative in some way, it's impressive when compared to everything else. When another game like that comes out, it isn't as impressive. It's already been done. We compare it to what already exists, we see something like it that has already occurred, and it isn't as interesting.

Humans focus more on the leaps in innovation than the quality itself

We remember being wowed by Ocarina of Time, our minds blown due to the new immersive world. We weren't as wowed by its direct follow-up Majora's Mask. It didn't blow our minds in the same way. It couldn't. It was only about a decade later that people started to come out saying that Majora's Mask was actually an improvement on what Ocarina had established.

It's these leaps that are much more memorable, and had a larger impact on those that played them at the time. All that players cared about was that the game was so much more immersive, the gameplay didn't really matter.

This goes back to what I said before about releasing a terrible game from today back in the 80's. If Ride to Hell: Retribution had been released decades ago, the 3D graphics would have made a massive impact on the player. While the game's graphics were awful when compared to games that came out the same year, the graphics alone would have been so impressive to players in the 80's that it would stick in their minds more than any other game of the time.

I think this point alone asks so many interesting questions about the way we compare games to others from history.

Video games are about an experience, they're all about having fun. So there's no problem when gamers have more fun with a game simply because it's an innovation. However, in the age of the internet, where we discuss games as an art, we do need to take careful consideration about why we think certain games are great.

When it Comes Down to it

Just because when you played a game you thought it was fun doesn't mean that it's a masterpiece of design. Many of the games that we hail as classics were fun when the people who decided they were classics played them. They definitely made major leaps and are impressive on a pioneer level, however they do still contain flaws in their design.

We treat 'classics' as lessons in game design, we don't seem to realise that the reason we liked them so much was because they lead the charge. We need to think of these games more as innovators rather than teachers.

But it's All Human Nature

These things aren't a problem that certain people have that we need to fix. We don't need to go around telling people that they're wrong and they need to change the way they think. It's human nature.

Confirmation bias, the way we think of video games as children, and enjoying leaps more than quality, it's all very human. Everyone does it. All that I'm saying, is that we need to question the way that we regard 'classic' media.

Do we Need to Change the Way We Think About Video Games?

It's hard to say, to remove these biases we would have to change our very nature. I would, however, make the statement that critics who support their opinions with knowledge of good game design are more reliable than those who simply state that certain aspects of the game were 'fun', since 'fun' is very much up to tastes.

The thing that I'm truly worried about, is that it's possible that certain games don't get the attention they deserve simply because we are comparing them to 'classic games.' We are constantly comparing current games to 'classics' such as Ocarina of Time, wondering why games can never be as good as those. But in reality, all these biases are in play, and what we think are these 'fantastic masterpieces' are really delusions that never existed.

It's possible that as video games as a medium gets older and older, the way we critique video games gets more and more unfair.

Face-swapping was expertly introduced to the world of media in the 90s after the release of the film “Face/Off” with Nicolas Cage and John Travolta. That was an ultimate face-swap and it worked great in the movie.

Later the same technique was used for commercial album covers, of which the best representative was the seminal electronic EP by Aphex Twin “Windowlicker.” Since then, internet memes evolved to unseen heights. And now face-swapping has reached critical mass on social media.

But how many face swaps of your favorite video game characters have you seen? Not that many, isn’t it? Here’s our take on the world of gaming with a few thoughts to accompany this shameless swap-fest.

Solid Snake & Geralt of Rivia

The two iconic video game characters – Solid Snake and Geralt, The Witcher – always looked like it the same person, just in different outfits. They look especially similar in the latest installments of Metal Gear Solid and The Witcher series.

Now, all the modders need to do is make Geralt wear OctoCamo in the outskirts of Skellige, and make Snake put on some medieval armor with a couple of swords in the middle of Afghanistan. Nobody will even notice the difference.

Trevor Philips & Nathan Drake

Trevor is probably the most violent character in the history of video gaming, but it looks like he has a chance of finally becoming a good guy in the guise of Nathan Drake.

Meanwhile Nathan should just quit his majestic endeavors and settle down in some provincial southern town, at least that’s what his new look hints on.

Darth Vader & Batman

Batman needs to somehow utilize Vader’s mask in his suit, as it does look totally horror-inducing. Maybe a new series of comic books or an animated film would do justice to this mad cross-over.

It’s time for a new Batman – the one that has no empathy or sense of duty, but who is just a merciless hunter of the night.

Vaas & Pagan Min

The last two installments in the Far Cry series of games had some excellent villains, who were both well-written and acted. Now, what would happen if these characters switched their faces in the "Face/Off" style? Well, the result would be hilarious and not as nearly dangerous as with their original looks.

Joel & Aiden Pearce

Joel from The Last of Us must be the most humane character ever presented in video games thus far.

Unfortunately, you can’t say the same about the Watch Dogs protagonist, but despite a lack of depth, Aiden Pearce works well for the type of story Ubisoft decided to tell.

And now, something a bit special for Nintendo fans…

Super Mario & Pikachu

You know that something great should happen when your Mario turns into a Pokemon.

Bayonetta vs. Princess Peach

Bayonetta origin story coming soon…where she fights hordes of monsters as a cute girl with really, really big and innocent eyes.

If you can show a few face-swapping experiments of your own, then don’t hold back and share them in the comments section.

Let's Talk is a mixed audio and written series about talking -- that much is clear. I talk about specific games, the impact a game can have on the community, about recent events, or how past events have shaped what is now. Read the article first or watch the video -- it's up to you, but without further ado, Let's Talk about:

Music in games, and the times it's been awesome

Music and games. These two things don't often go together in the collective minds of gamers. But is that because the music fades so well into the background that you don't notice it? It subconsciously sets the scene, and fills your brain with emotions. When you do notice the music, is this because it doesn't fit with the scene? In this Let's Talk, we explore the awesome musical moments in game, and sometimes in-game radio.

The Oblivion opening cinematic is incredible at setting the scene -- it sets the tone of the game, while also making you ready for adventuring. I can also hear some moments, towards the end, which must have influenced the Skyrim music.

Far Cry 3, and dubstep done well

We all remember that moment of burning the weed farm in Far Cry 3. While it did borrow from a similar mission in GTA: San Andreas, it did one major thing very differently -- it was one of the few times where dubstep worked as video game music. And boy does it work -- everything fits in place perfectly!

It's a lot like the 2012 first person shooter remake of the RTS classic, Syndicate. While the game didn't dazzle anyone with the gameplay, I feel it did a really good job with the music, it worked with the setting and wasn't annoying, which is nice.

Atmosphere, and radios

While it's not strictly music, having a radio station in a game which reports on the news is a really good world building technique. In, GTA IV, and GTA V, as well as Fallout 4, your actions would create a new broadcast. These very often would interrupt the music which was currently playing, as breaking news is breaking right? If only in real life there was an option to enforce Traffic Information to be permanently off forever, in every car as default.

Being able to pick a radio station is a thing you can do in real life, so being able to do that in a game makes you feel like the world is somewhat real and alive. Especially in Fallout, where all the stations have a very 40s feel to them, making you feel grounded in a world which is pretty crazy.

What are some awesome moments have you have with music in games? Do you even care about the music? Let me know in the comments below.

Potential Movie: The Duke: Nuk'em All or Land of the Babes

Yes, I know that the Duke hasn't exactly been that popular since the 90s and his return to video games wasn't exactly well received, but let's face facts; you can't hate on the Duke.

With the return of 80s style movies, older action heroes gracing our screens once again (and kicking ass doing so!), parodies of 80s tropes and more, who couldn't see a slick comedy/action/sci-fi with the Duke played by, gee I dunno, the Governator? Maybe even throw Seth Rogen in there for comic relief? Yeah, I'd pay to see that, but then again I am a child of the 90s and love crude, crude humour (admit it, you do too). 

Well that was the last I had for you here at GameSkinny!

Each video took more than eight hours to produce, and were all made for fun and entertainment. I want to know what you all thought of my videos, so please leave a comment below, and I'll be happy to reply. If you like them, why not check out more on my YouTube channel Shark Tank Gaming.

Potential Movie: Abe's Exoddus or The Oddworld Inhabitants

I was watching the trailer for Warcraft the other day, and don't get me wrong, I think it will be awesome. The trailer is fantastic and it has one of my favourite actors, Travis Fimmel in the lead (though what's up with that Ragnar accent yet again? Is he Viking in Warcraft as well? I digress).

It got me to thinking, if a movie like Warcraft has been made and the graphics look fantastic, then why hasn't our resourceful, little buddy Abe, a.k.a Stitchlips,, not made the cut? It has a dark and gritty (yet engaging and original) story, cannibalism, aliens, traps and body possessions; the list goes on. I could really see a big budget studio take this on, and if they stick close to the original material, it could be a gold mine. Who doesn't remember sending those helpless, poor Mudokons to their doom, by accident of course...right?

Who do you think should play (or voice) the main and supporting characters?

Potential Movie: Mass Effect or Dawn of the Reapers (3-Part Trilogy)

Absolutely one of my favorite gaming franchises since, I can't even remember, Mass Effect had it all except a proper ending. (Or did they? Look up 'The Indoctrination Theory' and prepare to have your mind blown!) Still, it has everything you loved in a game, but as a movie, it may not be that engaging. Passively taking in Shepard's story may not have the same effect but...I don't care. Seeing Commander Shepard on the big screen would be glorious, especially if done as a sci-fi (duh)/action/psychological thriller (yet again). Imagine a crazy twist or journeying into Shepard's mind while the Reapers toy with him? I'm already salivating...

Who do you think should play (or voice) the main and supporting characters?

Potential Movie: FarCry (3)

By far my favorite FarCry of them all. I absolute love the storyline and the characters in the third installment, especially Vaas. (Anyone else see a little bit of the Joker in there?) If you actually look further into the story and the symbolic/psychological undertones, you have some great material for an action/adventure/psychological thriller. Take my money...

Who do you think should play the main and supporting characters?

*Video courtesy of YouTube channel, WatchMojo.

 With all of the video game movies that are produced eventually being churned out as horrible, B-grade disasters, I've always wondered why the film industry selects games that don't work as movies? With so many story rich titles out there prime for the red carpet, for the life of me, I just can't understand it. Once, just once, I would really love a team or studio to tackle a game they really understand AND have the budget to pull it off (pointing fingers at YOU Uwe Boll).

I haven't found a video game adaptation that I have really enjoyed yet, and those that I can stand seem to be getting fewer every year with little hope on the horizon.

Having said that, I created a few mock trailer videos of my own, inspired by games that I love (and would make killer movies) in hopes that maybe, just maybe one day, we can see some justice done.

Click next to check out which titles I think would rock the world and put games on par with comic book movies! ENJOY!

*NOTE: Please select the highest display settings for best quality! YouTube has a habit of marking them down.*

Over the years, we've had some disastrous game-to-movie adaptations. But what are the worst? You may be thinking all of them, and you wouldn't be far off! But considering the franchise as a whole, which have been the most damaging?  

1. Resident Evil

The game was a huge success and has turned into a mass franchise. The films unfortunately haven’t followed suit. Resident Evil and then Resident Evil: Apocalypse weren’t half bad. But then after that, things just got embarrassing. Based on the famous zombie outbreak caused by Umbrella, it is hard to believe that we have had five films produced! No doubt another one will come churning out soon.

2. Silent Hill

The game was originally released in 1991 by Konami and was a Japanese horror. Since then two movies have spawned and unlike the game, have given no justice to the original terror and quality. Understanding just what the hell is going on in the first Silent Hill film is a challenge, however, some of the creeps and scares make up for it. Despite Silent Hill: Revelation having a strong cast that was just as painstakingly bad. The game hasn't been able to last the ages and was cancelled last year.

3. Hitman

Possibly a controversial choice, but the original Hitman film just seemed to lack so much of the character and intensity that the game has. Starring Timothy Olyphant, it simply has too much of an "origin story". However, I do feel as though Olyphant captures what a Hitman would be like, even though he perhaps doesn’t stick to the similarities of the games character. The action that goes along with it is all good and proper but lacks real likenesses to the game. Hitman: Agent 47 isn’t even a sequel, but a reboot and it doesn’t really do that. However, Hitman is the game which has had the most outlays because of it, and even got a casino game.

4. Far Cry

In my opinion, the best game on the list. But once again a film simply is not doing it any justice. With the recent release of Far Cry: Primal, we can at least appreciate that the movie didn’t do any harm to the gaming franchise. Director Uwe Boller (Who must give up game-to-movie adaptations) made this film far too much about the human mutants running around and ruined a natural, compelling story.

5. Max Payne

It held so much promise. With Mark Wahlberg at the helm, it could have been heading in the right direction. He seemed like the perfect actor to take on the role of a gritty detective fighting for the revenge of his family and would certainly have suited the distinct action of the film. Instead, we got drug addled hallucinations of Norse warriors with a plot that only really made sense halfway through!

The list could go on, with some game-to-movie adaptations just about making it as a half descent film. Prince of Persia springs to mind. But let us hope that eventually we get a top quality one. Our hope rests on Assassin's Creed.

Ubisoft’s Far Cry has always been compared to Bethesda’s open world hits such as Elder Scrolls and Fallout. Many consider contributions from Bethesda to be superior to those of Ubisoft. However, the last two installments of Far Cry proved that there is much more to the series than just being another open world clone.

The new game titled Far Cry Primal, to be officially released on February 23, 2016, will once again strengthen the place of the series in the world of gaming. It is clear now that it will mainly focus on hunting tactics, looting, crafting, and taming wild animals, whose role is now more important than ever.

The developers are well-adapted to changes in the new era of gaming and it looks like Far Cry Primal will be the most complete and well thought out game in the series to date. Let’s see what we already know about its main features.

The setting and the story

The setting takes us back in time to the Mesolithic era that took place 12,000 years ago. If you’re not familiar with the era, then imagine a stereotypical Stone Age with hordes of savages, wooly mammoths, saber-toothed tigers, and other wild pre-historic animals.

The protagonist of the game is a man named Takkar whose hunting group is murdered and he winds up the only survivor. Now he needs to re-gain his authority and create a tribe of his own. During the course of the campaign, Takkar will fight his way through the main storyline alongside wild beasts that will help him successfully gather a strong tribe around his new family.

The story is quite simple, and it looks like there will be a huge number of side quests, too. The developers promise that the new game’s map size is on par with Far Cry 4’s map, so there will be more than enough things to do.

Game mechanics

Wild animals play the central part in Far Cry Primal’s gameplay. One of the most important features that animals will be used for is transportation. In Far Cry 4 it was relatively easy to travel around with all the abundance of vehicles, which you could seize and drive to almost any part of the map. But in 10,000 BC these possibilities were limited solely to riding the wild animals.

However, if you remember, in Far Cry 4 you could also ride an elephant and in the Blood Dragon expansion players could ride a dragon, so these mechanics transitioned into Far Cry Primal as well. Here, Takkar will tame and ride wild animals such as bears, jaguars, wolves and others.

Scouting mechanics had to be re-invented, too. Previously the protagonists could use their binoculars, but in the new game you have to use a bird or an owl. You can control this owl just like you would control the drone by directing its path of flight over the land. More than that, this wild creature can attack enemies from above, which is a nice addition to an old trick.

Creatures and their abilities

Taming wild animals in Far Cry Primal is really easy - all you have to do is throw some kind of bait, wait before the creature reaches the bait and use your tame ability to get hold of the wild animal. In this way, you will be able to tame a lot of different creatures, where each of them has its own peculiar abilities.

You will start with the smaller ones, such as the owl and the badger, and then you will be able to tame bigger ones like bears, wolves, sabre-tooths, lions, etc. So, this means that the tame ability will be upgradable, and your companions will grow bigger in size.

At a certain point there will be a whole herd of wild animals in your company. You will be able to take care of them and even bring back to life, if they die on a mission. It is important to have different kinds of animals, as some of them are more useful in specific situations than others.

• For example, panthers are highly resistant to fire damage, while dogs can bring you food and other useful items.

• Wolves are your living and breathing security system – they will howl at the presence of an enemy, thus alerting you.

• Jaguars are excellent for stealthy attacks; however, they are not very good in the open combat. They will also imitate your behavior, so if you start crawling, they will do the same.

• If you decide to go into an open battle, then bear is your best choice.

Weapons and crafting

These two aspects of the game – weapons and crafting – are closely interconnected. Takkar will have to craft all of his weapons using items scattered around the map. But it doesn’t mean that his weapons will be primitive.

His most versatile and used weapon is a longbow, which can be crafted and used alongside a whole range of different kinds of arrows. There is also an opportunity to make bombs of various types: some can contain poisonous gas while others might hold a swarm of bees.

When you’re going to be out of your arrows, you can quickly make plenty of throwing spears, as they are the easiest things to craft in the game. Other more common types of weapons, such as knives and maces will be present as well. You can also use fire to burn enemies and their settlements.

Lack of co-operative mode

Ubisoft took a leap of faith and decided not to include multiplayer in Far Cry Primal and limit this particular installment only to a single campaign. Who knows, maybe this decision will have a positive outcome for everyone involved, as previous attempts at co-op have never been received too well.

The best multiplayer in Far Cry could be experienced years ago, at the times of the very first game in the series developed by Crytek. But hopefully, the changes that Far Cry Primal brings to the gamers’ tables will have a huge resonance in the community no matter what.

What are your predictions concerning the upcoming Far Cry Primal? Share your opinion in the comments section below.