Ubisoft has officially revealed that the next game in the Far Cry series won’t be a numbered entry. Instead, it’s an Stone Age-set spin-off called Primal.
Here’s what we know about it so far. We’ll be using this page to keep track of the project as it develops, so check back often!
What’s the game about?
Unlike previous entries, which featured contemporary settings, Primal will be set during the Stone Age in a land known as “Oros.”
You play as Takkar, a hunter and the last remaining member of your tribe. Your goal in the game is to survive in a harsh world where you’re at the bottom of the food chain, to gather and lead a new tribe of people, and eventually, to defeat rival tribes and conquer Oros.
Here’s the first trailer, setting the scene:
Any gameplay specifics that we know of?
The game will be a first-person, open-world “shooter.”
Hunting has been a big part of Far Cry for a while now, so it’s no surprise that Primal puts a focus on surviving the local wildlife. In the teaser above, the mammoth and saber-tooth tiger are both featured prominently.
A behind-the-scenes video also reveals that you won’t be purchasing weapons like previous entries. Instead, you’ll be crafting them. Your first few will be simplistic, made from wood and stone. As you progress though, you’ll be able to put together much more complex gear, including bows and blades.
The game will also feature a dynamic day/night sequel that will have a big effect on the game world and its population (both human and animal). We don’t have many specifics in this area, but Ubisoft has said that these factions and tribes will have complex systems driving dynamic interaction.
This doesn’t seem like a Far Cry game at all, what links it to the rest of the series?
Well Far Cry has never been a series that’s focused on narrative links between its entries (although there are a few easter eggs). Instead, as pointed out in the BTS video above, the Far Cry series has a very strong thematic through line.
All of the Far Cry games are predominantly about survival, about being placed in an inhospitable setting with limited resources and skills. Through the course of the game, your character learns, evolves, and becomes more deadly; eventually going from the hunted to the hunter.
Despite not having guns, vehicles, and other trappings of previous Far Cry games, Primal is in the unique position of really honing in on this core idea. It isn’t a Far Cry as we know it in the purest of gameplay senses, but in spirit, it really feels like it will be a proper entry in the series.
What is the release date?
Far Cry Primal is currently scheduled for March 2016.
