Highlights
- Far Cry fans eagerly await news on the series’ future, as rumors swirl about a potential reinvention for modern times. If the series does reinvent itself, Ubisoft could take another look at how it handles animals.
- For example, Rise of the Ronin introduced a unique ‘Beast Whisperer’ skill, offering a non-lethal approach of dealing with wild animals.
- Far Cry could draw inspiration from Ronin’s non-lethal animal interactions, making non-lethal animal takedowns an accessibility setting, which animal lovers would surely appreciate.
Far Cry has been unusually quiet in the past few years. Ubisoft’s long-running action-packed FPS open-world series had a steady release schedule from 2012-2021. Since then, though, there has not been a new title, and the franchise has been cloaked in leaks and rumors, with scant official information from the studio regarding what might come next for Far Cry. As fans await firm news and speculation grows, many are wondering how the series can reinvent and update itself for the modern generation, and move away from some of the more lackluster sentiments it has garnered as it went on.
Rise of the Ronin, Team Ninja’s latest outing, was released in March this year, and channeled design and other elements from games like Far Cry and Ghost of Tsushima. Ronin was very much its own distinct IP, though, with sharp and exacting combat alongside a deep historical-based story. It includes a lot of great detail in its characters, intriguing time period, and suite of mechanics. Among them, one of Rise of the Ronin‘s stealth-related skills was a more unique spin/subversion on traditional takedowns against certain enemies, specifically wild animals. Ronin gave players the option to put an unexpectedly soft touch on this standard against its furry foes, and this is an idea Far Cry could consider playing off of in the next entry.
Far Cry 7’s Antagonist Should Borrow One Trait That Made Vaas Special
Far Cry 7 will very likely feature another charismatic villain, one that should follow in FC3’s Vaas’ footsteps in one particular area to stand out.
Far Cry 7 Should ‘Borrow’ Rise of the Ronin’s ‘Beast Whisperer’ Skill
Rise of the Ronin’s Beast Whisperer Ability
Rise of the Ronin resembles Far Cry‘s design in some noticeable ways. Like it, Rise of the Ronin sees players exploring and fighting their way through various regions, having to contend with numerous enemy forces as they navigate the fractured situation of Japan’s Twilight of Edo period. As they hone their samurai skills, players can also acquire abilities that aid in stealth gameplay, with familiar ones like takedowns/assassinations etc. Rise of the Ronin, however, has a specific skill called “Beast Whisperer,” which transforms the previous lethal approach to dealing with hostile wild animals like wolves into an alternative “elimination” method. This turns out to be a wholesome and non-threatening petting, turning them neutral/friendly and circumventing the need to harm them. It’s a subtle touch, but one that is likely to be welcomed by all animal-lovers, and certainly an approach rarely seen in similar games.
How Far Cry 7 Could Utilize a Stealth Ability like Rise of the Ronin’s Beast Whisperer
Far Cry has featured dangerous and unpredictable wildlife, with a realistic, responsive ecosystem that often means gamers will need to deal with them violently. On the opposite end, FC has also incorporated animal companions previously, with ones like FC 5‘s Cheeseburger the Grizzly Bear, and scrappy pup, Chorizo, from FC 6. Fans may also recall Far Cry Primal, where they could learn to tame and mount various prehistorical beasts such as saber-toothed tigers and even wooly mammoths. Ubisoft has thus already technically built the bones of a system/mechanic similar to Rise of the Ronin‘s, and it would theoretically not be too difficult to update and polish it to allow players an option along the same lines in the future.
As the next Far Cry is allegedly poised to introduce some big shakeups to the formula and loop, including a possible in-game timer limit, it might also be a good time for it to look to the above element from Rise of the Ronin for inspiration, perhaps by including non-lethal animal takedowns via an unlockable skill and/or accessibility setting. This would create opportunities for endearing animations etc. while being inclusive to more audiences. It could potentially extend to gameplay benefits too. For example, making these more difficult to perform, but rewarding more crafting resources (which has been a staple Far Cry component), though it may be best to limit it to a toggle option to not unbalance the in-game economy. At the very least, though, Far Cry taking a cue from Rise of the Ronin in this regard could help it regain some traction and stand out again in its next title.
Far Cry 6
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Ubisoft’s Far Cry 6 drops players on a fictional Caribbean Island under the control of Antón Castillo, a vicious dictator. Delivering fast-paced gunplay and a huge open-world, the FPS is a reliable entry in the franchise.
Fans have loved the Far Cry series ever since the first title released in 2004. The latest entry in the series takes players to the fictional island of Yara, where they must take down the corrupt “El Presidente.”
- Released
- October 6, 2021
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ due to Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mild Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 23 Hours
- Metascore
- 73
