Summary
Part of what makes theFar Cryseries so beloved as a franchise is the fact that every game is unique, with each new title taking the core elements of the previous games and then building on them in an entirely new setting and environment, meaning players can jump into any game they like the look of without having to worry about missing out on any important plot points.
Since every game puts its own spin onthe open-world genre, this does also mean that some of theFar Crygames feature specific mechanics and features that ramp up the difficulty considerably, making each gunfight much more intense, but often more rewarding too.
While the series is considered to be very accessible and easy to get to grips with, as players make their way through Hope County, Yara, Kyrat, and theplethora of other beautiful locationsfeatured in the games, they will soon discover just how punishing these titles can actually be for those who don’t take the time to prepare for the adventure set before them.
Updated on September 18th, 2023 by Geoffrey Martin:This List has been updated to include a video version of the article. The video version details every entry in the piece, showing off each game for readers who have never seen the gameplay in action.
8Far Cry 4
DespiteFar Cry 4being a fairly easy game to run through, this isn’t to suggest that it still isn’t worth playing, because it certainly is, even if it’s just to admire the gorgeous Nepal-inspired country of Kyrat in all of its glory. The truth is, while there are plenty of new skills and deadly weapons that can make the gunfights even more chaotic and fun, the game becomes incredibly easy when the player utilizes stealth and spends a lot of their points in that specific set of abilities.
In previousFar Crygames, the enemies would immediately spot the player once they had taken down two to three foes at a time, but inFar Cry 4, it’s incredibly easy to wipe out entire outposts just by using the bow without anyone suspecting a thing. Pair this withferocious animalswho can devastate groups of enemies in mere seconds and who often ignore the player entirely, and it results in the game being a little too easy, even on Hard Mode.
7Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Despite the first hour, which pits the player into some intense combat encounters that can take a lot of coordination and well-placed shots to overcome,Far Cry 3: Blood Dragonis a fairly straightforward game with the biggest spikes in difficulty being the Blood Dragon fights.
If the player goes out of their way to play and complete the side missions, they will reach max rank about three-quarters of their way into the game, making it very easy to take down hordes of enemies with a set of enhanced guns and skills. Additionally, a lot of the unique and crazy weapons scattered throughout the expansion come off as overly powerful, such as the devastating quad-barrel shotgun, which can spit out flame or even explosive rounds.
6Far Cry 3
The fan-favorite third game in the series isn’t too difficult so long as players pay attention to some of the core mechanics of the game, especially the hunting system. If players don’t take the time to go hunting and acquire animal skins and resources to upgrade their gear, they’ll be gunned down in seconds when attempting to take an outpost.
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Reaching the radio towers is also incredibly important in this game since it allows Jason to buy new guns, many of which have much higher stopping power than standard or enemy weapons. WhileFar Cry 3can be a nice and easy experience that only becomes difficult when it needs to, it will only seem extremely challenging for those who don’t take advantage of everything the game has to offer.
5Far Cry 6
When booting upFar Cry 6for the first time, players will have the choice between Story Mode or Action Mode, depending on how difficult they want the gameplay to be. So long as they pick Action Mode, their journey to ending Antón Castillo’s tight grip on the island of Yara is a long and challenging one, with plenty of difficult outposts scattered across the gigantic map that players will need to use strategy and careful planning to take on.
Admittedly, if players spend a good amount of time crafting theResolver weapons, which become accessible early on, they can easily make some devastating weapons that will annihilate groups of enemies, vehicles, and aircraft with ease. Weapons like the La Varita, which can shoot through walls, or the El Susurro silent nail gun, can make the game a cakewalk if the player relies on them.
4Far Cry 5
It’s not the actual gameplay ofFar Cry 5that makes it so challenging. In fact, when players acquire afew companions and skills, the gunfights with the militarized cult members are actually fairly easy. The real challenge comes from just how many random encounters the player will face during their time in Hope County.
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When traveling between missions, it’s hard to go more than a few seconds without a group of cultists attacking the player, kidnapping them, or even simply firing at them from a helicopter. There are also fierce animals including bears and bison that will gladly knock the player over whenever they catch sight of them roaming around the world. While the game will keep the player on their toes from start to finish, this only adds to the uneasy atmosphere that the developers were going for when creatingFar Cry 5.
3Far Cry: Primal
Due to thepre-historic settingofFar Cry Primal, players won’t be able to use any of the hyper-powered automatic weapons that they are accustomed to in previous games, which already forces them to adjust their playstyle to keep up with the challenge presented by the game.
No armor means taking cover and playing stealthily inFar Cry Primal, and players will need to learn the strengths and weaknesses of each enemy archetype and animal if they stand any chance oftaking outposts without dying. While investing a lot in health and stamina upgrades can make the biggest impact in terms of combat, when spreading the skills out and experimenting as the game intended, the experience provides a great challenge that really fits with its context.
2Far Cry
The firstFar Crygame is regularly praised as one of the greatest, and certainly themost influential FPS games ever made, often being compared to the likes ofHaloandDoom. Not only is the AI incredibly smart despite the game’s age, but they are also extremely offensive and will usually spawn in large groups to rush the player.
The lack ofoverpowered upgrades or destructive weaponsmeans the best way to run through each of the 20 missions is to take cover as much as possible, and only peek out when absolutely necessary to pick off enemies with the fast-firing M4 Carbine until the AW50 sniper rifle finally appears, making the game a little easier from then on.
1Far Cry 2
So many of the features that fans of open-world games take for granted now were purposefully stripped back inFar Cry 2to create what for many players is one of the most immersive games ever made. Almost as soon as the main protagonist begins their search for the mysterious arms dealer, the Jackal, they become afflicted with Malaria, which the player must then constantly keep in check for the entire game going forward by receiving medicine.
On top of this, guns inFar Cry 2follow a degradation system and will eventually jam if they aren’t repaired, making them incredibly unreliable. The extremely detailed healing animations also take a long while to perform, and players will be required to use an in-game handheld map and GPS to navigate the world. Mix this with incredibly challenging AI and unsuspecting animal encounters, and it creates an amazing game that succeeds in training the player to become an opportunistic survivor, which is what theFar Crygames are all about.
