Highlights

  • Far Cry 2 set the groundwork for the franchise with realism, immersion, and a complex faction system, paving the way for future innovations even though that realism was more or less dropped in later entries.
  • By drawing inspiration from FC2 while adding new twists, Far Cry 7 could potentially break away from recent middling entries and deliver a fresh experience.

Far Cry was a big part of the start of an era in open-world FPS titles during the early-to-mid-2000s. The series' exotic locale sandboxes and FPS gameplay broke new ground and were the beginning of publisher and later developer Ubisoft's presence in the genre space. With six mainline titles and multiple spin-offs under its belt over 20 years, Far Cry has long been a standard of AAA open-world action titles.

Presently, though, the IP has seen its longest gap between new releases and very little information regarding the direction of the next Far Cry projects. Though nothing is confirmed so far, some indications could point to the seventh entry possibly looking deeper into the franchise's past for inspiration, specifically with some potential similarities to ideas seen in 2008's Far Cry 2.

Far Cry 7 leaks and rumors were variously reported in the course of 2023, and continue to surface, while Ubisoft remains largely tight-tipped on its plans.

far cry 6 danni and juan looking down
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Far Cry 7's Rumored Time Limit is a Double-Edged Sword

Far Cry 7 is allegedly incorporating an in-game time limiter mechanic, and this approach could be as risky as it is innovative.

Far Cry 7 Could be Calling Back to Some of FC2's Major Designs

Far Cry 2 Was Its Prototype, Warts and All

Far Cry 2 was a generational leap in a few notable ways. Some of the aspects that made audiences originally take notice were its focus on immersion and realism. Having elements like players' guns frequently jamming or misfiring, as well as needing to manage their malaria level, added to its atmosphere and grittiness. Other mechanics and designs were strictly kept in the diagetics of the world, like the map only being viewable from an in-game perspective versus a pause screen or standard UI mini-map.

While mileage certainly varied on their fun factor, the second installment served as the start of the series attempting to set itself apart by experimenting and innovating on earlier open-world FPS designs.

Far Cry 2 felt much more organic at the time in terms of freedom of exploration. It also had a more complex faction system than many contemporaries, wherein players could choose to support or subvert various organizations throughout, adding a wrinkle to its mercenary tale of a war-torn fictional African country. Finally, FC2's villain, The Jackal, was an early iteration of the iconic larger-than-life baddies the series strove to associate itself with afterward.

How Far Cry 7 Looks to Be Channeling FC2's Elements

According to an Insider Gaming report from late 2023, Far Cry 7's biggest change might be its inclusion of an in-game timer. A major structure shift like this would indeed mark a drastically different direction than the free-form and bombastic style of the previous few games, instead leaning more into some of FC2's more restrictive/realistic and subdued designs.

This could be an indication that Ubisoft is also thinking of incorporating other previously seen and related ones, such as FC2's aforementioned weapon/item behavior, compared to ones like FC6's backpack abilities. Something like FC7 having warring factions players can interact with alongside this rumored timer could be a possibility too, if it is going to be drawing more heavily from FC2 in general. Other interesting details have also been noted, such as Far Cry 7 potentially featuring a cult of antagonists on a tropical island—highly evocative of Far Cry 3's setting mixed with FC5's setup.

Ubisoft might be considering hopping back to some of the design philosophies behind FC2 in conjunction with iterative twists on others seen since. Though this vision, if accurate, may pose a bit of a risk by potentially restricting some prior aspects, Far Cry could hopefully see itself rise from the middle-of-the-road status that it has acquired in recent years, and deliver a satisfying seventh title that takes the best cues from Far Cry 2 in addition to any fresh surprises it brings to the table.