[Originally posted on 03/28/18.]
I’ve been waiting for a game like Far Cry 5: it’s thoughtful, chaotic and fun, and for the life of me, I cannot stop playing it.
You’d think a game that centers around a cult and its intimidating leader would be dark, and it does have its serious moments (given that the cult’s looming threat follows you wherever you go). But there are also plenty of light characters and hilarious moments that made me think: is this really happening?!
After rescuing Boomer (which you can see in our Let’s Play video), I had an intense urge to go back into Hope County. Here are my five most memorable moments from playing the first few hours.
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5. Face-to-Face with Joseph Seed
Joseph Seed is intimidating. I can’t place exactly what it is: the shades? The man bun? The seven deadly sins carved everywhere on his chest? Ubisoft did a fantastic job building up his character before we even meet him in-game, and there’s a culminating dread by the time you meet him face-to-face.
What’s frightening about the Father is that when you first meet him and arrest him, he goes along with it: he doesn’t struggle, he doesn’t yell, he doesn’t fight. His calm and collected demeanor speaks to an incredible yet frightening confidence that things will go his way.
Although you explore Hope County building up the Resistance against the cult, you can feel his hold across the entire county. Even when he’s not around, his presence is omniscient—and that’s what makes Joseph Seed terrifying and that first meeting with him unforgettable.
4. Rescuing Boomer
Boomer is very much America’s good boy! If you’re a dog person, the moment you rescue Boomer is going to fill you with joy and love as it did for me. Not only is having a four-legged companion awesome, but Boomer is extremely valuable: he steals enemies’ weapons and revives you when you’re down.
You can watch our mission to rescue Boomer here, where you can see my shamelessly-fangirl reaction to recruiting our dog.
The best thing about Boomer as your companion is that he wants your love as any man’s best friend would, so make sure to give him a pat on the head every once in a while and remind him what a good boy he is for fighting the Resistance.
3. Flying Planes, Driving “Widowmaker” and Anything Vehicle-Related
I can’t choose one, here. Driving anything in Far Cry 5 is hella fun (maybe it has something to do with the fact that I don’t drive in real life—my license expired, okay?), but this game takes driving to a whole other level.
You want to do a barrel roll? Done. Drive a huge truck with machine guns named Widowmaker? Do it. Chase a green-and-purple machine gun jeep called Death Wish? Mandatory. Forget gunning down the cult members in a sedan—do it in style. Sometimes, your Guns for Hire will even hop in with you and take care of passing-by cult members so you can focus on the road.
Hope County is huge. Sure, you can go from region to region on foot if you want, but Far Cry 5 makes it fun to cover vast distances by allowing you to pretty much drive anything.
2. Traveling through Montana
I’ve never visited Montana, but I sure want to now. Creative director Dan Hay and lead writer Drew Holmes spoke extensively about the inspiration they drew from real-life Montana to create a realistic Hope County. You can see it in the details: lush grass, clear skies and luminous mountains in the background trail you everywhere you go.
Hope County really is a beautiful place, and at times I’d lose myself in thought while driving down the roads. You may be kept busy rescuing civilians and destroying cult properties as you venture, but don’t forget to take in the picturesque sights and appreciate how far graphics have come!
1. Rescuing Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger, the diabetic bear whose diet consists mostly of salmon—the quest to grab him as a Fang for Hire opens after you liberate F.A.N.G Center, the animal center where the cult’s been training wolves to help do their dirty deeds.
Recruiting Cheeseburger begins with a fishing trip. He likes salmon. So you have to go and catch salmon. Then you have to give him said salmon. After stopping the cult from taking him, Cheeseburger joins your roster to fight the cult—and he might just come close to Boomer as the best companion. I can’t choose! He’s fierce, terrifying and loveable: the perfect combination for a Resistance partner.
A+ for his adorable cheeseburger-patterned collar.
Bonus: The Testy Festy
The “Testy Festy” is quite possibly the best side-quest I’ve ever played in any video game, period. It is exactly what it sounds like: a testicle festival, a joyous occasion in Hope County that’s unfortunately been stalled due to cult activities in the region, and it’s up to you to start it back up and bring the party back after you liberate Fall’s End.
I won’t spoil too much here, but you should go for this mission as soon as it becomes available. Let’s just say it starts off with delivering an amusing “Testicle Festival”-branded trailer to hunting down some crucial items set to a sexy, mood-setting song.
And yes, you get to partake in the festival.
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There you have it. I’m nowhere near done this game, so by no means is this a complete list—I’m sure I’ll find plenty of things that’ll expand this list to a top 10, top 20.
If you’ve played Far Cry 5, what are your favorite moments in the game? If you haven’t, be sure to pick up the game and start your Resistance against the cult!
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Annie Lee, Product & Content Marketing at AMD. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies, or opinions. Links to third party sites and references to third party trademarks are provided for convenience and illustrative purposes only. Unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such links, and no third party endorsement of AMD or any of its products is implied.