Far Cry 4

Far Cry 4 is an open world action-adventure first-person shooter video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows.

Initial release date: November 18, 2014

Series: Far Cry

Awards: The Game Award for Best Shooter, BAFTA Games Award for Music

Modes: Single-player video game, Multiplayer video game

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

Developers: Ubisoft Montreal, Red Storm Entertainment, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Kiev

Far Cry 4 is an open world action-adventure first-person shooter video game developed and published by Ubisoft for the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows. It is the successor to the 2012 video game Far Cry 3, and the fourth main installment in the Far Cry series. The game was released on November 18, 2014.

The game takes place in Kyrat, a fictional Himalayan country that mostly consists of sprawling mountains and forests, vast water systems, and villages. The main story follows Ajay Ghale, a young Kyrati-American, as he is caught in a civil war involving Kyrat's Royal Army, controlled by tyrannical king Pagan Min, and a rebel movement called the Golden Path. Gameplay focuses on combat and exploration; players battle enemy soldiers and dangerous wildlife using a wide array of weapons, while completing side missions, collecting useful items, and progressing through the game's main story. The game features many elements found in role-playing games, such as a branching storyline. In addition to the game's campaign, the game features a map editor, a co-operative multiplayer mode, and an asymmetrical competitive multiplayer mode which was developed by Red Storm Entertainment.

Announced in May 2014, development on Far Cry 4 began immediately after the shipment of Assassin's Creed III in late 2012. The team originally intended to develop a direct sequel to Far Cry 3 that continues 3 's story, but the idea was later scrapped and the team decided to develop a new setting and new story for the game. Certain aspects of Far Cry 4 were inspired by the Nepalese Civil War, and the costume of the game's antagonist Pagan Min was inspired by Japanese films Ichi the Killer and Brother.

Far Cry 4 was met with a mostly positive critical reception upon release. Critics praised the open world design, visuals, soundtrack, and characters, particularly antagonist Pagan Min. There was also praise for the new gameplay additions, such as the grappling hook, and the wealth of content. However, some critics disliked the story and found the game too similar to its predecessor. The game was a commercial success, selling seven million copies by the end of 2014, and was the biggest launch in the franchise's history. Several downloadable content were subsequently released.

Gameplay
Far Cry 4 is a first-person action-adventure game. Players assume control of Ajay Ghale, a Kyrati-American who is on a quest to spread his deceased mother's ashes in thefictional country of Kyrat. Throughout the game, players can run, leap, and crouch, and have the ability to use weapons including shotguns, crossbows, sniper rifles, mines, throwing knives, bows, flamethrowers, and rocket launchers. The game allows players to take cover to avoid gunfights and to perform melee takedowns from above or up-close. Unlike previous installments in the series, Far Cry 4 gives players the ability to kick objects and the ability to hide the corpses of enemies.Players can use a variety of methods to approach missions. For instance, players can utilize stealth to evade enemies and complete objectives without being noticed, or they also have the option to assault enemies with firearms and vehicles. The player-character is equipped with a digital camera, which allows him to mark and highlight all visible enemies, animals, and loots. Players are also able to ride on elephants, which serve as tank-like, offensive weapons for players. Players can throw bait towards enemies, which attracts nearby wildlife that is hostile to both the player and enemies. Players can also hunt and skin animals.

The game features an open world environment that is free for players to explore. It features several environments, including forests, rivers, and mountains. To allow players to travel between places faster, the game features various vehicles, including buggies, trucks, and water vehicles like speedboats. Players can drive and shoot at the same time, and can enable auto-drive, in which the game's artificial intelligence takes over the role of controlling the vehicle and guides players to their objectives. Players can also hijack other vehicles while driving. The Buzzer, an aerial, helicopter-like vehicle, is introduced in the game, allowing players to gain a tactical advantage from the air. Parachutes, wingsuits, and grappling hooks are also featured in the game; these items help players swing across cliffs and quickly navigate the environment. Parts of the game take place in Shangri-La, a mystical dreamland where players battle demons as the Kyrati warrior Kalinag. While in Shangri-La, players are accompanied by an injured tiger which serves as their companion. Players can issue commands to the tiger, which assists them in battle.

The game world is divided into two halves: North and South Kyrat. Players start in South Kyrat and are free to explore it almost immediately, but can only unlock North Kyrat over the course of the story. The map is progressively opened by liberating bell towers, freeing them from Pagan Min's influence and allowing the Golden Path to expand. These towers help players reveal new areas and mark new locations of interest on the map. The world is scattered with outposts controlled by Pagan Min, which can be infiltrated by players. Four larger outposts, or fortresses, can also be found, and feature stronger defenses and more difficult combinations of enemies. If players successfully liberate these outposts, they will serve as fast-travel points, allowing quick navigation through the game's world. Additional missions and quests also become available. There are many side-missions that can be completed, including hostage rescues, bomb disposal quests, and hunting missions. The collected animals' parts can then be used for crafting new pouches and belts.

Like its predecessors, the game features some role-playing elements. Players can earn experience points by completing missions and defeating enemies, and these experience points can then be spent on performance boosts and upgrades. There are two sets of abilities for players to choose from, called The Tiger and The Elephant. The Tiger upgrades mainly improve players' offensive abilities, while The Elephant upgrades improve players' defensive skills. A variety of random events and hostile encounters take place throughout the game; for example, the player may unexpectedly be attacked by an eagle, be hit by a car, or witness an animal attack. Players can accumulate karma by performing kind actions towards the rebels, such as by assisting them in battles when they are attacked by wildlife or enemies. Doing so will give players discounts when purchasing new items at trading posts, and will allow players to call in support and back-up from members of the Golden Path. Players can also gain experience by collecting items like masks, propaganda posters, and mani wheels. There is also an Arena mode, in which players battle human enemies and animals for additional experience points and rewards.

Multiplayer
Far Cry 4 features a co-operative multiplayer mode known as "Guns for Hire", which supports up to two players. The mode is separated from the game's campaign, and players are free to explore the game's world, defeat enemies, and infiltrate outposts with their companion. In addition to the co-operative mode, players can gain access to several competitive multiplayer modes which have an asymmetrical structure. Players play as either a Rakshasa or a Golden Path member. The Rakshasa are equipped with bows and arrows, and have the ability to teleport and to summon wildlife to assist them, while Golden Path members are equipped with guns and explosives, and have access to armored vehicles. Known as "Battles of Kyrat", players fight against each other in three modes, called Outpost, Propaganda, and Demon Mask. Far Cry 4 also contains a Map Editor that allows users to create and share custom content. Similar to that of Far Cry 3, players can create their maps by customizing landscapes, and by placing buildings, trees, wildlife, and vehicles. However, the Map Editor did not support competitive multiplayer levels at launch. Multiplayer support was added to the game on February 3, 2015.

Plot
After the death of his mother Ishwari, Ajay Ghale (James A. Woods) returns to his home country of Kyrat to carry out Ishwari's final wish by returning her ashes to Lakshmana. However, his mission is interrupted when the bus he is traveling on is attacked by the Royal Army and he is taken prisoner by Pagan Min (Troy Baker), the country's eccentric and violent king, who claims to have been romantically involved with Ishwari. After finding his way through Pagan's mansion, Ajay escapes with the aid of Sabal (Naveen Andrews), a commander in the Golden Path, a rebel movement established by Ajay's father, Mohan Ghale. Ajay is not able to leave the country as the Royal Army has taken control of Kyrat's only airport and sealed the borders.

In the twenty years since Ishwari and Ajay fled Kyrat, the rebellion has stagnated, with the Golden Path now fighting for their very existence. As the son of Mohan Ghale, Ajay becomes a symbol for the Golden Path to rally around. After freeing a group of hostages and liberating territory held by Pagan, the Golden Path plan on breaking Pagan's stranglehold on power by targeting his three regional governors: Paul "De Pleur" Harmon (Travis Willingham), who oversees opium production and runs Pagan's torture chambers; Noore Najjar (Mylène Dinh-Robic), who runs poaching and prostitution rings and who became a victim of Pagan's cruelty herself after he kidnapped her family; and Yuma Lau (Gwendoline Yeo), Min's adopted sister and trusted general who is obsessed with uncovering the secrets of the mystical realm of Shangri-La.

However the Golden Path's newfound momentum is threatened by deep divisions between its commanders, Sabal, who favors traditional values, and Amita (Janina Gavankar), who argues for progress, which includes relying heavily on drug trade. Ajay is forced to intervene on several occasions, with his decisions influencing the direction the Golden Path takes. The first governor to fall is De Pleur after Noore helps Ajay find a way to infiltrate De Pleur's stronghold, allowing the rebellion to capture him. Amita and Sabal later task Ajay with confronting and killing Noore. She dies in her fighting arena, either with Ajay killing her, or with Noore committing suicide upon learning Pagan had her family executed years beforehand.

As the Golden Path secures Kyrat's southern provinces, Ajay is contacted by Willis Huntley (Alain Goulem), a CIA agent who offers intelligence for the rebels and pages from his father's diary in exchange for killing Yuma's lieutenants. After Ajay kills several of them, Huntley admits they were in fact CIA assets, and that he was sent to clean up after the CIA as the agency did not see Pagan as a threat anymore. Huntley betrays Ajay to Pagan just as the Golden Path prepare to push into Northern Kyrat.

Ajay ends up in Yuma's mountain prison, from which he manages to escape. In the process he finds out that Yuma has started despising Pagan, primarily because of his affections toward Ajay's late mother. The Golden Path pushes into the north, and while Ajay attempts to reconnect with another faction of the rebels, Pagan, aware of Yuma's plotting against him, betrays Yuma to the Golden Path. Ajay is drawn into a confrontation with her and prevails, but tensions between Amita and Sabal reach new heights, and Ajay is forced to make a final decision as to who will lead the Golden Path. Whichever leader he chooses then sends Ajay to kill the other to prevent them from starting another civil war, and Ajay can choose to either kill them as ordered or let them go. With the Golden Path now united under a single leader, Ajay joins them for an attack on Pagan's fortress and pushes on alone to Pagan's palace while the Golden Path holds off the military.