Ever since the first release of Far Cry in 2004, gamers have been traveling to exotic locations to survive the harsh conditions that inhabit the island. Whether that’s from the mercenaries that have swarmed the location, in the hunting of the player. Or, the natural wildlife that turns the player from predator to prey. Each Far Cry installment has dangers galore.
Something that the Far Cry franchise never lacks is putting a spotlight on the antagonist, and having interesting locations. One game could take players to the vibrant green jungles of a tropical island, whereas another could have them in a backwater American county. The setting is important to the Far Cry franchise, and can often be the driving force of the game.
9 Far Cry
By no means is Far Cry the worst title in the franchise, or a game that lacks an interesting setting. For the beginning of a franchise, Far Cry (2004) provided players with a good story that involved Jack Carver, a former Special Forces operative turned private boat charter, attempting to survive what some would see as a tropical paradise, turned into a war-torn hellscape.
For the first game, Far Cry takes a safer approach and blends well into the action genre that inspired it. The locations are nothing to rave about but make for a great setting in the earliest iteration of the franchise. From the warming sands to the healthy glow of green forests, Far Cry doesn’t skimp out on the atmosphere.
8 Far Cry 3
Set on the tropical Asian-Pacific archipelago of Rook Islands, Far Cry3 follows a young American, Jason Brody. Jason and his friends visited Rook Islands in seeking adventure and the thrills that come to spoilt young adults. They enjoyed their time until they were caught by the psychotic Vaas.
Far Cry3 features a lot of animals, hostile pirates, and a lot of psychedelic drugs to turn Jason Brody from a safe American male, into a tribal warrior, with a lust for slaying all enemies of Citra. The setting is great, but once again is set on the tropical islands of forests, sands, and ocean.
7 Far Cry Primal
One of the more interesting settings to grace the Far Cry franchise, Far CryPrimal has players roll the clock back a few thousand years to land before guns, cars, and video games. Enter Oros, the fictional land after the end of the last Ice Age. Players embark through Oros in the year 10,000 BCE.
It’s a more mystified setting, as players will play as Takkar, a hunter of the Wenja tribe, and the last of his namesake. The game has players utilize spears, bows, and crafted weaponry to survive the hardship of a land pre-civilization. Takkar also utilizes beasts, like sabretooth tigers, making for Far CryPrimal to be a more interesting setting than others.
6 Far Cry 6
Set on Yara, a location inspired by Cuba, players find themselves in a tropical paradise. However, this location is unlike others and is lost to time on an island torn between rebels and fascism. The dictator of Yara, Antón Castillo, acts as the villain of Far Cry6. This character is played by the ever intimidating, and wonderful talent of Giancarlo Esposito.
What sets Far Cry6 apart from the rest, isn’t just the talent of the central antagonist, but the setting itself. Players can utilize old cars, and horses to make their adventures through Yara safer. It’s a dangerous island, and players will need their wits to escape.
5 Far Cry: New Dawn
The direct sequel to Far Cry5, Far Cry: New Dawn takes place 17 years after players choose the “resist ending” from the previous entry. in this spin-off, the player embarks on a post-apocalyptic fictional Hope County, a location in Montana, USA. This comes after a nuclear war, and the world thrives with exciting new wildlife, with no one around to trim the grass.
There are interesting characters and great locations. It’s a definite step up from a usual tropical island, and interesting to see Far Cry take a unique direction of nuclear war. There is beauty to be had in the destruction, as the growth of flora makes for an interesting setting despite the countless dead needed for the plants to flourish.
4 Far Cry 4
The fictional Himalayan country, Kyrat, takes center stage here in Far Cry4. This location is based in Nepal, and the team at Ubisoft took a great deal of care in crafting this location. It’s thriving with wildlife, from rhinos to elephants. The culture surrounding Kyrat is beautiful and filled with real-life inspirations from other foreign and exciting cultures.
With the country ruled by the self-appointed King Pagan Min, players need to rebel and resist the fascists, to help the beautiful country thrive once more under a fair hand. It’s a great setting that features many things for the player to explore and enjoys.
3 Far Cry 5
For the first time in the Far Cry franchise, players are taken to America. This location is set in the fictional Hope County, a region of Montana in the United States. The player embarks as a rookie, a silent protagonist, and sets to dismantle and discover the Project at Eden’s Gate, a doomsday cult that has taken over the county in part to their charismatic leader, Joseph Seed.
The influences of American cultism and Charles Manson is clear in Far Cry5, and make for a great setting. It’s also rather unique for a game to take the combat into America, as most games are simply set on a fictional island, fighting unnamed combatants, yet Far Cry5 puts players in America, against Americans.
2 Far Cry 2
This title takes place in an African country without a name, devastated by war. In Far Cry2, the player takes on the role of a mercenary on a mission to assassinate a notorious arms dealer known as The Jackal. After the mission becomes botched, the protagonist is forced to work with the rival factions, all whilst maintaining his malaria disease.
Far Cry2 is relentless and innovative. Guns can jam up and stop working, and players will have to take care of their malaria to survive. The game is true grit and demands players’ attention and skills to survive. The location itself is dry, and humid, and makes the player wish for a nice outdoor pool with a cocktail in hand.
1 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Far Cry is no stranger to interesting settings. From BCE, to after nuclear devastation. Yet none adds the charisma and charm quite like Far Cry3: Blood Dragon. This title is set in a dystopian, futuristic world of 2007. It is a great homage to the 80s VHS era and their vision of the future.
The player follows the typical 80s story, gets the girl, kills the bad guys, and saves the world. It’s great fun and an amazingly well-crafted parody. It stands alone from the other Far Cry games and is notably shorter, but never lacks the absurd 80s fun, with laser weapons, robots, and a cool protagonist.