One of the most unexpected, and welcomed, surprises for many fans of some of Ubisoft’s most well-loved franchises over the last year has been the announcement that two of the publisher’s premier properties would be taking a back-to-basics approach for their next entries. With both Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown and Assassin’s Creed Mirage marking a return to Ubisoft’s roots, and receiving a positive response from many franchise fans in the process, the prolific publisher may be well advised to follow a similar strategy with Far Cry 7.
After several of the most recent Far Cry games divided fans, a return to form for the series’ next outing could do wonders for the franchise. By following the lead of titles like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and delivering a smaller, more focused experience with Far Cry 7 Ubisoft could help the series regain its once-prominent place in the gaming landscape. Taking this sort of back-to-basics approach to Far Cry 7 would not only let Ubisoft address some longstanding complaints about the series’ gameplay, but also potentially serve as a way to reinvigorate the franchise as a whole.
Returning to Far Cry's Roots Would Let Ubisoft Address Some Ongoing Player Complaints
After taking the gaming world by storm with the release of the original Crytek-developed Far Cry in 2004, subsequent entries in the franchise sought to up the ante by introducing a larger sandbox for players to tear through. But even as the size of the game worlds and the outlandishness of the series’ entertaining antagonists ramped up with each new release, review scores for the Far Cry games steadily dropped as many players grew tired of the franchise’s increasingly repetitive gameplay. Giving Far Cry 7 a smaller scale would give Ubisoft the chance to rethink, or even outright eliminate, some of the controversial gameplay mechanics that have become staples of the series.
One move likely to be welcomed by many players would be eliminating the tedious tasks of capturing territory, clearing out checkpoints filled with respawning enemies, and climbing Far Cry's ubiquitous radio towers to unlock areas on their map. Instead of spreading the action out across an expansive but largely empty game world, as has been common with recent franchise entries, Far Cry 7 could instead feature a smaller and more richly detailed map for players to explore. By dropping these contentious Far Cry staples and returning to the original game’s somewhat more linear approach, Ubisoft could create a more streamlined game with Far Cry 7 and potentially breathe new life into the franchise.
A Lighter, Leaner Far Cry Could Reinvigorate the Franchise
A Far Cry 7 that delivers a focused experience rather than just another sprawling map would let Ubisoft experiment with new gameplay mechanics while also leading to a title with a shorter runtime, making it more likely that players will complete the game before getting burned out. A smaller scale for the next game would also allow Ubisoft to move away from the ever-expanding cast of characters of the franchise’s recent outings and place a much-deserved focus back on Far Cry’s memorable villains.
By following the lead of Assassin's Creed Mirage's throwback gameplay and embracing the mechanics that made the franchise a hit in the first place while eliminating anything extraneous, Far Cry 7 could bring back players who’d lost interest in the series’ sequels. It would also give Ubisoft an opportunity to refocus before it begins planning the next round of entries in the franchise, taking lessons from a pared-down Far Cry 7 and applying them to future sequels.
With no new Far Cry game for 2023 currently announced, Ubisoft should use this downtime to retool the franchise as it nears its 20th anniversary. By looking back to the series’ past, and Ubisoft’s own Assassin’s Creed Mirage for inspiration, Far Cry 7 could revitalize the franchise and ensure that it has a bright future for years to come.