Part of what makes the Far Cry series so beloved as a franchise is the fact that every game is unique, with each new title taking the core elements of the previous games and then building on them in an entirely new setting and environment, meaning players can jump into any game they like the look of without having to worry about missing out on any important plot points.

Since every game puts its own spin on the open-world genre, this does also mean that some of the Far Cry games feature specific mechanics and features that ramp up the difficulty considerably, making each gunfight much more intense, but often more rewarding too.

While the series is considered to be very accessible and easy to get to grips with, as players make their way through Hope County, Yara, Kyrat, and the plethora of other beautiful locations featured in the games, they will soon discover just how punishing these titles can actually be for those who don't take the time to prepare for the adventure set before them.

Updated on September 18th, 2023 by Geoffrey Martin: This List has been updated to include a video version of the article. The video version details every entry in the piece, showing off each game for readers who have never seen the gameplay in action.

8 Far Cry 4

Despite Far Cry 4 being a fairly easy game to run through, this isn't to suggest that it still isn't worth playing, because it certainly is, even if it's just to admire the gorgeous Nepal-inspired country of Kyrat in all of its glory. The truth is, while there are plenty of new skills and deadly weapons that can make the gunfights even more chaotic and fun, the game becomes incredibly easy when the player utilizes stealth and spends a lot of their points in that specific set of abilities.

In previous Far Cry games, the enemies would immediately spot the player once they had taken down two to three foes at a time, but in Far Cry 4, it's incredibly easy to wipe out entire outposts just by using the bow without anyone suspecting a thing. Pair this with ferocious animals who can devastate groups of enemies in mere seconds and who often ignore the player entirely, and it results in the game being a little too easy, even on Hard Mode.

7 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon

Despite the first hour, which pits the player into some intense combat encounters that can take a lot of coordination and well-placed shots to overcome, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a fairly straightforward game with the biggest spikes in difficulty being the Blood Dragon fights.

If the player goes out of their way to play and complete the side missions, they will reach max rank about three-quarters of their way into the game, making it very easy to take down hordes of enemies with a set of enhanced guns and skills. Additionally, a lot of the unique and crazy weapons scattered throughout the expansion come off as overly powerful, such as the devastating quad-barrel shotgun, which can spit out flame or even explosive rounds.

6 Far Cry 3

The fan-favorite third game in the series isn't too difficult so long as players pay attention to some of the core mechanics of the game, especially the hunting system. If players don't take the time to go hunting and acquire animal skins and resources to upgrade their gear, they'll be gunned down in seconds when attempting to take an outpost.

RELATED: Far Cry: Hardest Outposts In The Franchise

Reaching the radio towers is also incredibly important in this game since it allows Jason to buy new guns, many of which have much higher stopping power than standard or enemy weapons. While Far Cry 3 can be a nice and easy experience that only becomes difficult when it needs to, it will only seem extremely challenging for those who don't take advantage of everything the game has to offer.

5 Far Cry 6

When booting up Far Cry 6 for the first time, players will have the choice between Story Mode or Action Mode, depending on how difficult they want the gameplay to be. So long as they pick Action Mode, their journey to ending Antón Castillo's tight grip on the island of Yara is a long and challenging one, with plenty of difficult outposts scattered across the gigantic map that players will need to use strategy and careful planning to take on.

Admittedly, if players spend a good amount of time crafting the Resolver weapons, which become accessible early on, they can easily make some devastating weapons that will annihilate groups of enemies, vehicles, and aircraft with ease. Weapons like the La Varita, which can shoot through walls, or the El Susurro silent nail gun, can make the game a cakewalk if the player relies on them.

4 Far Cry 5

It's not the actual gameplay of Far Cry 5 that makes it so challenging. In fact, when players acquire a few companions and skills, the gunfights with the militarized cult members are actually fairly easy. The real challenge comes from just how many random encounters the player will face during their time in Hope County.

RELATED: Video Game Franchises With The Best Villains

When traveling between missions, it's hard to go more than a few seconds without a group of cultists attacking the player, kidnapping them, or even simply firing at them from a helicopter. There are also fierce animals including bears and bison that will gladly knock the player over whenever they catch sight of them roaming around the world. While the game will keep the player on their toes from start to finish, this only adds to the uneasy atmosphere that the developers were going for when creating Far Cry 5.

3 Far Cry: Primal

Due to the pre-historic setting of Far Cry Primal, players won't be able to use any of the hyper-powered automatic weapons that they are accustomed to in previous games, which already forces them to adjust their playstyle to keep up with the challenge presented by the game.

No armor means taking cover and playing stealthily in Far Cry Primal, and players will need to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each enemy archetype and animal if they stand any chance of taking outposts without dying. While investing a lot in health and stamina upgrades can make the biggest impact in terms of combat, when spreading the skills out and experimenting as the game intended, the experience provides a great challenge that really fits with its context.

2 Far Cry

The first Far Cry game is regularly praised as one of the greatest, and certainly the most influential FPS games ever made, often being compared to the likes of Halo and Doom. Not only is the AI incredibly smart despite the game's age, but they are also extremely offensive and will usually spawn in large groups to rush the player.

The lack of overpowered upgrades or destructive weapons means the best way to run through each of the 20 missions is to take cover as much as possible, and only peek out when absolutely necessary to pick off enemies with the fast-firing M4 Carbine until the AW50 sniper rifle finally appears, making the game a little easier from then on.

1 Far Cry 2

So many of the features that fans of open-world games take for granted now were purposefully stripped back in Far Cry 2 to create what for many players is one of the most immersive games ever made. Almost as soon as the main protagonist begins their search for the mysterious arms dealer, the Jackal, they become afflicted with Malaria, which the player must then constantly keep in check for the entire game going forward by receiving medicine.

On top of this, guns in Far Cry 2 follow a degradation system and will eventually jam if they aren't repaired, making them incredibly unreliable. The extremely detailed healing animations also take a long while to perform, and players will be required to use an in-game handheld map and GPS to navigate the world. Mix this with incredibly challenging AI and unsuspecting animal encounters, and it creates an amazing game that succeeds in training the player to become an opportunistic survivor, which is what the Far Cry games are all about.

MORE: Every Far Cry Game To Date, Ranked Worst To Best