Steven’s Man-Cave: A mother’s final wish

ARTS_Far cry 4

‘Far Cry 4’ PS4 review

By Steven Cayer, Senior Columnist

5/5

A dying mother asks her son for one last wish: for him to spread her ashes in a northern lake of Kyrat, a fictional representation of Nepal. Thus begins the story of Far Cry 4.

As soon as Ajay Ghale steps off the bus, he’s immediately thrown into a civil war between the Royal Army of the sadistic Pagan Min and the rebel forces of the Golden Path. Much to the surprise of Ajay, the Golden Path was founded by his parents. As the story progresses though, it loses much of its steam. The spot where Ajay’s mom wanted to go is inconveniently in dense enemy territory, forcing him to join the Golden Path and ultimately help them win the war.

The world of Kyrat more than makes up for the somewhat weak story. You have so many things to do, find, and explore, you’ll have a hard time putting this game down. You can find and remove propaganda posters, letters written by Ajay’s father, and even masks of a serial killer. Collectibles aside, you have an entire skill tree to level up and upgrade with animal pelts and skins, as you did in Far Cry 3. The outposts are also back in this game. Taking them over opens a fast travel spot and more missions to complete.

The biggest improvement by far is the online component. In the campaign, you can have a friend join you at any time, making everything you do even more fun and sometimes ridiculous, such as you riding in a fortress on the back of an elephant while your friend flies above in a Buzzer. Not only did Ubisoft successfully add co-op, but also a great competitive 5v5 multiplayer as well.

No matter what you do in Far Cry 4, you’ll be smiling throughout your time on Kyrat.