What we want to see from Far Cry 4!

                                                                                                                                              

It’s no understatement that “Far Cry 3” was one of the video game highlights of 2012. Ubisoft did an exceptional job of placing the gamer into a vibrant, brutal and terrifying world. However, there were some elements of the game that fell flat and others that were not as fully envisioned as they should have been.

This time around, with “Far Cry 4’s” release date fast approaching, Ubisoft has the opportunity to correct their past mistakes. Below are some of the features most needed in the upcoming title in order improve on the predecessor’s shortcomings.

More substantial side missions

 

The side missions in “FC3” were not only uninteresting, but were totally unnecessary to the overall plot. A bunch of hunt-and-gather and fetch quests with measly payout do not make for satisfactory supplementation to an already engaging story. Instead, the sad attempts for side missions were more of a blemish than anything else on an otherwise fantastic game. “FC4” could improve on the side mission model by not only making them fun to play, but by offering rare weapons and items as rewards and by revealing more in-depth secrets about the lore of Kyrat.

Denser map

 

Although beautiful and realistic, the world of “FC3” often felt empty, with little to see and explore. I know that, with Kyrat, Ubisoft can’t  compete with the world of “Grand Theft Auto V,” nor should they try. But more elements to explore and interact with would be a welcome addition to the upcoming game. A denser map would also lead to. . .

More replay value

 

Replayability was an aspect that the previous installment seriously lacked. Despite the inclusion of hidden collectibles and the Trials of the Rakyat minigame, there wasn’t a whole lot to stick around for after the main story ended. Even the cooperative play and online multiplayer felt underdeveloped, and the poor matchmaking system made both components frustrating.

“FC4” could certainly expand on its replay value by not only including more secrets to discover and more side missions to stumble across, but by beefing up the game’s online and cooperative components. It seems like Ubisoft may in fact be focusing on the cooperative feature, with the new jump-in-and-play element allowing a player who does not own the game but who owns a console to play and assist a friend in story missions. Whether this addition is enough to keep those who have beat the game coming back for more still remains to be seen.

More choices

 

Lastly, “FC4” would benefit from offering the player more crossroads, situations where the gamer is forced to choose between outcomes that dramatically change the story and the behavior of the world of Kyrat. In the previous game, apart from the ending sequence, there weren’t a whole lot of moments that really made me choose between one or even two undesirable outcomes.

Bethesda’s “Dishonored” is a shining example of how effective player choice is at dynamically altering a game’s outcome. If Ubisoft can play off Bethesda’s model and incorporate some of the aforementioned additions, “FC4” will be well worth the $60 price tag come November 18.

How would you improve “Far Cry 4?”  What are you most excited for?