5 Games to Play If You Like Far Cry
Far Cry built its identity on open world freedom, explosive encounters, unpredictable wildlife, and villains who dominate the story. Whether you loved Far Cry 3‘s…
Far Cry 5 builds its experience around fast-moving objectives, open-world combat encounters, and a steady stream of resistance activities across rural Montana. Players fight against a militant cult while liberating towns, clearing outposts, and disrupting enemy operations.
Encounters often escalate quickly. Patrols, helicopters, and wildlife can collide during firefights, forcing players to adapt their tactics in real time.
Built primarily for the Sprint Player, Far Cry 5 rewards short bursts of action through clear objectives and constant opportunities for progress. For the Resilient Player, combat scenarios frequently spiral into chaotic engagements that require quick recovery and improvisation.
When Far Cry 5 released in 2018, it represented both a refinement and a reinvention of the series. Ubisoft brought its signature brand of chaotic open-world action to a setting that felt startlingly real: the backroads and pine forests of Montana. The change of scenery, combined with its bold story about cult fanaticism, made it feel like the most grounded Far Cry yet while still delivering the absurd, over-the-top freedom that defined the franchise.
Now, years later, Far Cry 5 holds up remarkably well. It is not perfect, but it might be one of the most complete and satisfying entries in the series. It’s a mix of beauty, tension, and freedom that rewards both methodical players and those who thrive on chaos.
In Far Cry 5, players join a local resistance fighting against a cult that has taken control of Hope County, Montana. Progress is made by weakening the cult’s influence through missions, sabotage, and liberation of key locations.
Each completed activity contributes to the resistance effort while unlocking new allies and story events.
For the Sprint Player, the game’s objective-driven structure creates constant forward momentum.
Hope County is filled with enemy patrols, aircraft, and heavily armed outposts. Combat often expands beyond the player’s initial objective as reinforcements arrive or environmental threats enter the fight.
Players must react quickly, switching weapons, repositioning, and using vehicles or terrain to regain control.
For the Resilient Player, surviving chaotic firefights becomes a central part of the experience.
Beyond the main story, players can hunt wildlife, discover prepper stashes, recruit companions, and clear enemy outposts across the map.
These activities strengthen the player’s equipment and expand the resistance network while revealing more about the region and its inhabitants.
Exploration supports both progression and experimentation.
Far Cry 5 keeps the action moving through a steady stream of resistance activities scattered across Hope County. Outposts, hostage rescues, sabotage missions, and prepper stash hunts all contribute to weakening the cult’s control over the region.
Each completed activity builds resistance points and pushes the story forward, ensuring that progress happens quickly even during short play sessions.
For the Sprint Player, this structure creates clear goals that can be completed in focused bursts.
Encounters in Far Cry 5 rarely stay contained. Reinforcements can arrive by truck or helicopter, nearby cult patrols may join the fight, and wildlife can suddenly turn a firefight into chaos.
Players must react quickly by repositioning, changing weapons, or using the environment to survive.
For the Resilient Player, success often depends on maintaining control when situations spiral beyond the original plan.
Most objectives allow multiple strategies. Players can infiltrate outposts with stealth takedowns, attack directly with explosives, or recruit companions to assist in combat.
Vehicles, aircraft, and environmental hazards further expand tactical options.
This flexibility encourages experimentation while still keeping the focus on completing objectives efficiently.
A focused playthrough of Far Cry 5 typically takes 18 to 25 hours. The campaign progresses by weakening the cult’s control across three regions of Hope County, each controlled by a different leader within the organization.
Players advance by completing missions and resistance activities that gradually unlock major story encounters.
For the Sprint Player, this structure keeps progress moving through short objectives that quickly contribute to the larger campaign.
Exploring Hope County opens a wide range of optional activities. Players can liberate outposts, complete prepper stash puzzles, recruit allies, and take on additional side missions that expand the world.
These activities strengthen the resistance while unlocking weapons, upgrades, and new locations.
Engaging with these missions can extend playtime into the 30 to 40 hour range.
Players who aim to clear every outpost, complete regional activities, and fully explore the map may spend 40 hours or more in the game.
Different combat approaches also encourage replay. Missions can be completed through stealth, long-range tactics, or direct combat depending on player preference.
For the Resilient Player, replay value often comes from refining tactics and surviving increasingly chaotic firefights.
Curious what Far Cry 5 is all about? The trailer gives you a great first look at the world, the vibe, and the kind of story you're stepping into.
These videos give some tips and pointers on getting started with Far Cry 5
Want to see what Far Cry 5 actually looks like in-game? These screenshots will hopefully give you a feel for what the world of Far Cry 5 is like.
DLC just means more of a good thing. Here are some for Far Cry 5
Far Cry 5: Dead Living Zombies presents a series of standalone missions built around exaggerated zombie outbreak scenarios. Each level is framed as part of a low-budget action film directed by the eccentric filmmaker Guy Marvel, placing players in over-the-top survival situations.
The missions take place across a variety of environments, including military installations, rural farmland, and urban rooftops. Each scenario focuses on surviving waves of enemies while completing specific objectives.
For the Sprint Player, the DLC delivers quick, self-contained combat challenges that can be completed in short bursts.
Zombie hordes constantly push players into fast-moving firefights. Limited resources, tight spaces, and overwhelming enemy numbers force players to react quickly and reposition when situations spiral out of control.
Each mission gradually increases the pressure, requiring efficient weapon use and careful movement to survive.
For the Resilient Player, success comes from maintaining control during chaotic encounters and adapting when defenses break down.
Completing the missions unlocks additional challenge variations that encourage players to return and improve their performance. Score-based modes reward faster completions, efficient combat, and survival under heavier pressure.
These replay systems shift the focus from narrative progression toward skill refinement and experimentation with different tactics.
For players who enjoy refining strategies and handling increasingly difficult encounters, the DLC adds a series of replayable combat challenges to Far Cry 5’s action-driven gameplay.
Far Cry 5: Lost On Mars moves the action from Hope County to an alien environment on the surface of Mars. Players take control of Nick Rye, who is transported to the planet to help prevent an extraterrestrial threat from reaching Earth.
The campaign unfolds across a series of missions that send players between research facilities, alien structures, and open Martian terrain. Objectives focus on eliminating hostile forces and shutting down the alien infrastructure supporting the invasion.
For the Sprint Player, the mission structure delivers clear objectives that can be completed quickly between exploration segments.
The DLC introduces several new mechanics that change how combat and movement function. A jetpack allows players to move vertically across the environment, making it easier to navigate cliffs, structures, and open areas during combat.
New weapons designed for alien encounters provide alternative ways to handle enemy groups and environmental hazards.
These tools encourage experimentation while reinforcing the fast pace of encounters.
Enemy encounters escalate as players progress through the Martian landscape. Swarms of alien creatures and defensive structures force players to move constantly while managing limited resources.
Combat often shifts rapidly between aerial movement, ground engagements, and defensive positioning.
For the Resilient Player, surviving these encounters requires quick adaptation when enemy pressure increases beyond the original plan.
Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness places players in the role of Wendell “Red” Redler during the Vietnam War. After a helicopter crash leaves him stranded behind enemy lines, Redler must locate and rescue captured squadmates while navigating hostile territory.
The mission unfolds across a jungle environment filled with enemy patrols, military installations, and defensive positions. Progress depends on locating allies, gathering equipment, and finding safe paths through heavily guarded areas.
For the Sprint Player, the objective structure allows players to move quickly between rescue missions and escape routes.
The dense jungle environment encourages stealth approaches. Players can avoid patrols, quietly eliminate enemies, or sabotage defenses before engaging in direct combat.
Weapons and limited resources make each encounter feel more deliberate than in the main campaign. Choosing when to fight and when to evade becomes a key survival strategy.
This flexibility allows players to approach missions using either careful infiltration or aggressive combat tactics.
The DLC emphasizes survival under constant pressure. Enemy patrols, reinforcements, and defensive outposts create dangerous situations that can escalate quickly if alarms are triggered.
Players must adapt their tactics as situations change, especially when attempting to extract rescued allies from enemy territory.
For the Resilient Player, success often comes from recovering quickly when stealth plans fail and combat becomes unavoidable.
Far Cry built its identity on open world freedom, explosive encounters, unpredictable wildlife, and villains who dominate the story. Whether you loved Far Cry 3‘s…
When Far Cry first released in 2004, it wasn’t yet a household name. It was an ambitious PC shooter from a small German studio, Crytek,…
Yes. The entire campaign of Far Cry 5 can be played with a second player through online co-op. The host player retains story progress, while the partner keeps earned weapons, money, and character progression.
Yes. Players can recruit Guns for Hire, which are companions that assist during combat. Some companions specialize in sniping, air support, or stealth takedowns, while animal companions like Boomer and Cheeseburger provide unique tactical advantages.
When the resistance meter fills, the region’s cult leader eventually confronts the player through a story mission. Defeating that leader removes their control over the region and advances the main campaign.
Yes. Unlike earlier Far Cry games, Far Cry 5 allows players to create and customize their character, including appearance, clothing, and gear.
Yes. Far Cry New Dawn serves as a narrative continuation of Far Cry 5’s ending and takes place in the same region of Hope County several years later.
There's more to Far Cry than Far Cry 5. Check out some of the other games in the franchise.
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