Why Making Far Cry 5 Is Challenging, According To One Writer

Far Cry 5
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Ubisoft's upcoming first-person, open-world shooter is gearing up for release at the end of the month for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. However, ahead of its release Ubisoft has been opening up more and more about the development, and one developer explained why writing the game was challenging.

Far Cry 5's lead writer, Drew Holmes, sat down to talk with GameSpot about the upcoming title, and explained why the cohesiveness of the story was so difficult to bring to life due to the game's open-world, non-linear gameplay, saying,

But for me, it's really challenging to make it all feel cohesive, but at the end of the day when you can sit down with the controller in your hand play through it, it's just so enjoyable. It's fun, it's frightening, it's scary, but also really f_*_ing funny in places. But that is really the special sauce that makes it Far Cry.

The interview is actually extremely lengthy, as Drew Holmes has to breakdown exactly why it was so difficult and challenging to make everything feel both cohesive and open for the player.

So basically it works like this: Far Cry 5 is a truly open-world game. Players are allowed to travel and explore any and all areas of Hope County, Montana. You don't have to engage with the main story mode at all, you can instead go fishing, scavenge for weapons, or race around the countryside.

According to Holmes, if you do want to dabble into the story, even inadvertently, you can do so by getting the attention of the Eden's Gate militia. When the militia comes after you, it's mentioned that players will then be intertwined back into Joseph Seed's story.

And this is where Far Cry 5 slightly differs from the previous outings. The main story is centered around the game's villain. Usually the villain is a side-dressing to the exploits of the main hero. In Far Cry 3 it was more about Jason Brody and his attempts to escape from the island, and Far Cry 4 was more about the main character attempting to resolve decades-long civil war while Pagan Min was an overseer of the chaos. But Holmes lets you know that all the elements from the franchise will persist throughout the gameplay experience.

I think that'sFar Cry. When you look back at 3 and 4, it is that chaotic and dark story running through, but also fighting tigers and bears with a rocket-launcher. You can't separate that, that's a part of what the game is

While a lot of gamers thought Vaas was a really well written and well depicted villain, he wasn't actually in Far Cry 3 all that much. It was very much the same way with Pagan Min, who was basically there with just a few cameos throughout the player's adventure.

This time around the story will focus on Joseph Seed and how he came to power in Hope County, Montana. So players who engage in the main story will be able to see more of Joseph and the origins of Eden's Gate, along with unraveling the family he's built up around him alongside the militia. The shift of focusing the story on the villain this time around is because the main player character is actually a created character, just like in Far Cry 2, so the focus is more-so oriented around the exotic palette of individuals that occupy the county, along with the tapestry of visually awe-inspiring environments that characterize Hope County.

You'll be able to experience the story for yourself when Far Cry 5 launches later this month for home consoles and PC.

Will Usher

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.