Sadistic villains, a breathtaking open-word and enough guns to send John Rambo packing.
Yep, it’s another Far Cry game – albeit one with a few new tricks.
Ubisoft has ditched the lush beaches and Himalayan mountains in favour of the comparatively barren, ‘Hope County’, Montana.
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Here, a deranged pastor called Joseph Seed is violently trying to convert residents and stop them from having any contact with the outside.
This is where you come in.
Play it your way
In the demo we played at Gamescom, we had to free a settlement from enemy clutches.
Although it was a relatively small play area (it was a demo after all), it demonstrated just how much freedom Ubisoft has given the player – catering equally to those who like to run in all guns blazing and the more measured, stealthily-minded gamer.
Nearly all objects and buildings can be scaled, perfect for those who like to snipe from afar.
Bullets hit enemies with a satisfying ‘thud’ – not dissimilar from Ghost Recon: Wildlands – while red barrels and petrol tanks are ‘strategically’ placed close to large groups of sentries – perfect for those ‘Hollywood-style’ action moments.
Bring a pal
For the first time in the series, you’ll be able to tackle the campaign with a pal online.
Co-op was obviously a huge part of Wildlands but it lacked a compelling narrative – something the Far Cry team has always delivered on.
This should help give it the edge. Oh, and you can create your own character, too – gender and appearance included, of course.
You’ve got company
Similar to Far Cry: Primal, you’re able to bring along a companion during missions.
These range from a pilot, who’ll provide cover from above, to – our favourite – a trusty dog, who’ll maul enemies to death and retrieve guns for you.
Each buddy has their own strengths and weaknesses.
While the hound is great on stealth missions, the plane is perfect for those who prefer and run and gun.
Speaking of which…
There are so many guns
As is the case with nearly every Far Cry game (bar Primal) there’s a huge amount of weapons on offer.
While the demo only showed us a few, it’s clear what Ubisoft has in store in the full game.
Weapons range from sniper rifles to machine pistols, revolvers, knives and baseball bats.
Our favourite, though, is the dynamite. Simply light it then throw it as far as you can before the fuse runs out. The blast radius is massive so beware.
Weapons will be able to be customised with silencers and other attachments, catering to everyone’s play style.
Killer looks
Of course, none of this matters if it’s not great to look at – and in this respect, Far Cry 5 really delivers.
It’s powered by the Dunia engine – the same one behind the last few games, albeit a refined, tweaked version.
The result is an incredibly vibrant world, packed with intricate details. If you’re bored of the fire fights, you can park up by a river and go fishing, for example.
Far Cry 5 looks its best when there’s lots going on – with hardly any slowdown even during the most hectic of gunfights.
Draw distance is impressive, too – with Hope County’s barren plains visible for miles and miles.
For the very best visual experience, make sure to pick it up on PC, Xbox One X or PS4 Pro – they’ll all support 4K.
Getting around
The big addition Far Cry 5 is planes.
While Far Cry 4 featured a petrol-powered gyro-copter, it was slow and not particularly thrilling to pilot.
Although we’ve only seen screenshots showing aerial combat in the game, we’re already very excited.
Expect dogfights and bombing runs a plenty.
Not that planes are the only means of getting around Hope County. Huge ‘Optimus Prime’ style trucks, muscle cars, boats and all-terrain vehicles will all be for up for grabs – each handling differently. We can’t wait.
Far Cry 5 is released on Xbox One, PS4 and PC on February 27.