Far Cry 4

According to Steam, I've put more time in on Far Cry 4 than I did with 3. It doesn't feel that way to me. 4 felt... sort of short somehow. Maybe I didn't get into the optional missions as much, though I still cleared towers and outposts and fortresses. The story is also not quite as compelling. As Zero Punctuation's Yahtzee pointed out, there's really no main character arc in 4 like there was in 3. You just sort of show up, get pulled into a civil war, and start a murder (well, largely self-defense perhaps) spree. The only real twist/development to be found is in uncovering what happened with the main character's parents. And while that is a bit twisted, I didn't find it particularly satisfying or suitable justification to their son getting embroiled in the conflict.

The game offers some illusion of choice by letting you back one of two rebel faction leaders who could probably make a decent place if they could work together. Since they can't, however, both options paint a somewhat bleak picture of the future for Kyrat. Is it better to have a poor, traditional state that embraces its heritage for better or worse (symbolized to me by the crumbling temple you're asked to defend at one point), or a more progressive state pushing equality among citizens while being funded by drug sales? Neither sounds all that appealing. And while I found myself sympathizing with some of the enemies, there's really no chance to redeem or save anyone.

The game itself plays well (though I had a couple crashes and some screen flicker here and there). It's a good-looking shooter. I enjoyed the hunting. I guess at this point it wouldn't be a Far Cry game without "random animal attack!" Wolves, tigers, badgers - all annoying when they get the drop on you. Eagles, though, are the epitome of random damage in the game, potentially swooping down out of nowhere to maul you. Heh. But overall it's not a bad "open world" style FPS.

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