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The Far Cry series is easily one of Ubisoft's most popular franchises, with this first-person action-adventure series being full to the brim with some of the best games ever made. Far Cry 3 sparked the trend of this franchise to feature dastardly antagonists and explosive open-world action. With the release of Far Cry 6 around the corner, players can't wait to see the steps Ubisoft will take to improve upon this established formula.
However, one thing to keep in mind when it comes to the Far Cry series is a substantial number of fans lament the changes that have impacted the series over time. While this issue is subjective, there's no denying the fact that the Far Cry series has discarded a large number of tropes in order to evolve as a franchise.
8 Linear Level Design
The first Far Cry title featured levels that were quite open-ended, with multiple paths that could be taken to tackle any encounter. However, these levels still followed a linear structure, which was especially evident during the indoor sections.
The latest Far Cry titles, on the other hand, don't feature any sort of linear gameplay barring a few select levels. The open-world sandbox structure means that players can progress through the game at their own pace.
7 Challenging Enemy Encounters
One thing that was consistent in the first Far Cry title was the extreme challenge of dealing with enemies. Stealth was pretty much mandatory during shootouts against a large group of enemies, since the player could easily get gunned down from range if they were spotted in an open environment.
This isn't the case in later Far Cry games, where players can blast through outposts and enemy encounters without having to worry about being shot from what feels like miles away. It's a great way to play the game...although some would still prefer a fairly tactical approach regardless.
6 Environmental Diseases
Far Cry 2 had a rather unique mechanic that is yet to be explored in any other title in the series. The player had to constantly avoid getting malaria in the African landscape, by taking a pill every half an hour.
This was a fairly interesting experimental mechanic, so it's a shame that later games in the series didn't really build upon this mechanic. It might be nothing more than a pipe dream, but one can't help but wonder whether Far Cry 6 will bring this mechanic back.
5 A Physical Map
Far Cry 2 had a massive emphasis on realism that could be seen in each and every aspect of its game design. The fact that the player took out a map and looked at it in real-time was definitely one element indicative of Ubisoft's approach when it came to developing this title.
Later titles in the Far Cry series discarded this real-time map and replaced it with a simple digital one that could be opened at any time without any repercussions. It might be a small change, but some fans of the second game definitely miss the urgency and immersion that came with checking out a map in real-time.
4 Weapons Degrading Over Time
Another mechanic that Far Cry 2 integrated into the game for the sake of realism was weapon degradation. Weapons in Far Cry 2 could either jam or break completely if the player didn't take care of them at regular intervals.
This isn't the case in later games in the series, which prioritize fun action set-pieces over realistic tactical encounters. While most players would prefer the former as it allows them to shoot everything around them at a moment's notice, some gamers miss the realism that came with the concept of weapon degradation. Perhaps this mechanic could see a comeback in Far Cry 6.
3 Playing As A Fixed Protagonist
This constant aspect of the Far Cry series didn't change until the fifth installment. For the first several games, players had no choice when it came to selecting the character they could play with. Instead, they had to play as Jason Brody, Ajay Ghale, or any other character that the game's writers had chosen as the main protagonist.
This wasn't the case in Far Cry 5, where players had the opportunity to customize various aspects of the main character. While it didn't really matter since the player never really got the opportunity to look at their character, the game featured moments where the camera would zoom out to show what the protagonist was up to. It's clear that Ubisoft is going to make custom characters the norm in the Far Cry series from now on.
2 Enemies Behaving Differently According To The Weather
Far Cry 2 is easily one of the most complex games Ubisoft has made. The realistic nature of their systems has been discussed before, but perhaps the most mind-blowing inclusion in this title is the fact that enemy AI actually changes based on the weather.
At night, enemies are more alert but take longer to see the player. Meanwhile, enemies crowd together under the shade during the mornings to get some respite from the African heat but can spot players easily too. Later games in the series feature simpler enemy AI in comparison to Far Cry 2, which is quite a shame.
1 Realistic Fire Systems
One of the coolest parts of Far Cry 2 was the way in which fire interacted with the game's elements. The manner in which fire spread was extremely realistic, with the speed and distance covered by a blaze being governed by the humidity and flammability of the objects around it.
This realistic fire propagation system was only present in Far Cry 2 and has been absent ever since. It's a shame, since many players would have been thrilled to see these advanced systems developed even further.