One of the most unexpected, and welcomed, surprises for many fans of some of Ubisoft’s most well-loved franchises over the last year has been the announcement that two of the publisher’s premier properties would be taking a back-to-basics approach for their next entries.With bothPrince of Persia: The Lost CrownandAssassin’s Creed Miragemarking areturn to Ubisoft’s roots, and receiving a positive response from many franchise fans in the process, the prolific publisher may be well advised to follow a similar strategy withFar Cry 7.
After several of the most recentFar Crygames divided fans, a return to form for the series’ next outing could do wonders for the franchise. By following the lead of titles likeAssassin’s Creed Mirageand delivering a smaller, more focused experience withFar Cry 7Ubisoft could help the series regain its once-prominent place in the gaming landscape. Taking this sort of back-to-basics approach toFar Cry 7would not only let Ubisoft address some longstanding complaints about the series’ gameplay, but also potentially serve as a way to reinvigorate the franchise as a whole.
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Returning to Far Cry’s Roots Would Let Ubisoft Address Some Ongoing Player Complaints
After taking the gaming world by storm with the release of the original Crytek-developedFar Cryin 2004, subsequent entries in the franchise sought to up the ante by introducing a larger sandbox for players to tear through. But even as the size of the game worlds and the outlandishness of the series’ entertaining antagonists ramped up with each new release,review scores for theFar Crygamessteadily dropped as many players grew tired of the franchise’s increasingly repetitive gameplay. GivingFar Cry 7a smaller scale would give Ubisoft the chance to rethink, or even outright eliminate, some of the controversial gameplay mechanics that have become staples of the series.
One move likely to be welcomed by many players would be eliminating the tedious tasks of capturing territory, clearing out checkpoints filled with respawning enemies, and climbingFar Cry’s ubiquitous radio towersto unlock areas on their map. Instead of spreading the action out across an expansive but largely empty game world, as has been common with recent franchise entries,Far Cry 7could instead feature a smaller and more richly detailed map for players to explore. By dropping these contentiousFar Crystaples and returning to the original game’s somewhat more linear approach, Ubisoft could create a more streamlined game withFar Cry 7and potentially breathe new life into the franchise.
A Lighter, Leaner Far Cry Could Reinvigorate the Franchise
AFar Cry 7that delivers a focused experience rather than just another sprawling map would let Ubisoft experiment with new gameplay mechanics while also leading to a title with a shorter runtime, making it more likely that players will complete the game before getting burned out. A smaller scale for the next game would also allow Ubisoft to move away from the ever-expanding cast of characters of the franchise’s recent outings and place a much-deserved focus back onFar Cry’s memorable villains.
By following the lead ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage’s throwback gameplayand embracing the mechanics that made the franchise a hit in the first place while eliminating anything extraneous,Far Cry 7could bring back players who’d lost interest in the series’ sequels. It would also give Ubisoft an opportunity to refocus before it begins planning the next round of entries in the franchise, taking lessons from a pared-downFar Cry 7and applying them to future sequels.
Withno newFar Crygame for 2023currently announced, Ubisoft should use this downtime to retool the franchise as it nears its 20th anniversary. By looking back to the series’ past, and Ubisoft’s ownAssassin’s Creed Miragefor inspiration,Far Cry 7could revitalize the franchise and ensure that it has a bright future for years to come.
