For cloud, console, and PC

Microsoft has just revealed this morning that a Far Cry 5 Game Pass release is on the horizon. It's not one of those let-down "oh it's coming to Xbox Game Pass, but cloud only" (cue Microsoft exec laughs) deals either. It's hitting Xbox?? Game Pass on July 1 on everything: cloud, console, and PC.

It's not alone, either. The Shadowrun Trilogy is set to debut on Xbox Game Pass today, on both cloud devices and consoles. It's significant in that it's actually three games: Shadowrun Returns, Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut, and Shadowrun: Hong Kong. The rest of the week is rounded out by Total War: Three Kingdoms, FIFA 22, and Naraka: Bladepoint. As usual, Game Pass is getting down ?with a degree of variety with its offerings: tactical RPGs, sports, a?nd AAA shooters. Not bad!

Microsoft also reminds folks that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge recently came ??????????????????????????out on Game Pass, which is perfect for the service for those who are on the fence about a beat 'em up.

Xbox Game Pass week of June 20:

• Shadowrun Trilogy, June 21 (Cloud and Console)
• Total War: Three Kingdoms, June 21 (PC)
• FIFA 22, June 23 (Console and PC)
• Naraka: Bladepoint, June 23 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Xbox Game Pass week of June 27:

• Far Cry 5, July 1 (Cloud, Console, and PC)

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'Raccoon City'

People are doing some amazing things with the Far Cry 5 map editor. In addition to the DLC billing itself as a Rambo, zombie, and sci-fi simulator, folks have built anything and everything, including the Lost island.

Well, Far Cry 5 user ZergRex managed to lovingly recreate the intro to Resident Evil 2, calling me the map Raccoon City. It's just the first part of the game, from the explosive start all the way to the Raccoon City Police Dep?artment, but it's d??one very well and uses the zombie-like NPCs infected with Bliss.

Seeing Kendo's gun shop again made me want to just go through Resident Evil 2 all over again, but I could just wait until the planned remake is done!

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All of the locations, none of the nonsense

Lost's first two seasons are among the most compelling television I've ever watched; seasons three through six are among the most incomprehensibly bad television I've ever watched. I, like most Lost-wat?chers, have a love/hate relationshi?p with the show.

That's why this incredible recreation of Lost's island in Far Cry 5's map editor is so conflicting. It's all there -- the beach camp, nine Dharma Initiative stations, the Lighthouse, and a lot more. It's so neat seeing all of it made from tools that were used to build rural Montana. It's also a stark reminder of how much time I wasted? at those locations trying to follow an inane and indecipherable narrative.

Island-maker Un-Break-Able says that this isn't as faithful of a recreation as it could be. Far Cry 5's technical limitations won't allow the map to be true to scale. But, it's as big as it can be. And w?hat ?it lacks in size, it makes up for in detail. However, there doesn't appear to be any sign of the grave of Nikki and Paolo -- everyone's two favorite characters.

Here's?? ?The Island From Lost, Recreated In Amazing Detail In Far Cry 5 [Kotaku AU]

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How many wolves must die?

Far Cry 5 has a bit of an obsession with shovels, and that fascination goes even further?? this week with the latest live event, White Collar Job. How many lives would you trade for a gun that launches shovels?

Turn in those white collars to Jess and claim this week’s exclusive rewards- including the brand new shovel launcher! Track your progress here: //t.co/gM1x46LoNY pic.twitter.com/INoPbDyBsX

— Far Cry 5 (@FarCrygame) May 1, 2018

I hadn't messed with any of these limited-time in-game events before, but the allure of a shovel gun was too much to resist dipping back into Far Cry 5. To take part, you just need to go in?to the map menu and flip over to the Online tab. From there, you'll see a listing for the current live event.

To earn the weapon, you just have to kill 10 of Jacob's Judges with arrows. Or, if? you've completed the main story and don't mind slaying a pack of normal, non-monstrous wo?lves, that works too.

Here's one potential location in Jacob's region:

Head here, toss some bait, and wait. A wolf wi??ll come running up and then you can do what? must be done. Skin 'em for their "collar," throw another hunk of meat, and do it again. It's not a pretty sight.

Once you've ??collected 10 collars, you'll see a little pop-up. Check the Onli?ne menu again to make sure your progress registered, then travel to any store. You'll find the shovel launcher in the rightmost tab.

Was it worth it? Yes. Yes it was.

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People are doing some neat things with arcade mode

Ubisoft has unleashed Far Cry 5's arcade mode into the world, and they're doing some pretty great things with it already. TheRedTieGuy over on YouTube has a full video of the Baker house from Resident Evil 7, which showcases just how impressive and detailed the offic??ial mod creators can be (the creator is listed as wim_buytaert).

Right now the Baker house is an outside affair and a very short "point A to point B" objective, but it's just a matter of time u??ntil people start recreati??ng entire games and stringing them together level-by-level in the arcade.

I haven't messed with the arcade?? a whole lot, but after seeing some pretty great stuff this week I'll probably start looking a little harder.

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Hell hath no fury

Hope County is heartbreaking. The stretch of Montana country is beautiful but racked by tragedy; a region of breathtaking views marred by the violent and vengeful grip of a doomsday cult called Eden's Gate. That clash of bucolic, frontiersman-like Americana and end-of-days gloom brought on by the cult informs every aspect of Far Cry 5 but also highlights s??ome of its biggest shortcomings. 

Far Cry 5's opening sequence establishes a dark tone. As the junior deputy on a mission to arrest Joseph Seed, the leader of Eden's Gate, players arrive at the commune's base woefully outgunned. Seed stands in his chapel, preaching to those gathered of society's failings and imminent collapse right up until the moment the deputy places him in handcuffs. It's a tense few minutes after that, as players escort Seed back to a helicopter as his flock begins to close in. Eden's Gate is powerful, seemingly unstoppable, and with their leader threatened, it's no surprise that the cult is quick to action. Members throw themselves onto the helicopter willingly, as if their only purpose in life was that?? single action, and send it hurtling to the ground. Before long, Seed is free, and the deputy takes up arms to stop the cult once and for all.

Far Cry 5 (PC, Xbox One, PS4 [reviewed])
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: March 27, 2018
MSRP: $59.99

Although Far Cry 5's first hour conveys a sense of urgency, it quickly falls in line with the series' established framework. Hope County is a playground dressed up as an inviting, albeit chaotic, environment. The ongoing threat of Eden's Gate always looms overhead -- it's hard to go a few minutes without runni??ng into a dozen armed cultists -- but players can distract themselves by fishing, hunting, and exploring the map just as easily as they can work towards taking Seed and his family down. There's plenty to do, and while Montana might not sound like the most exotic or exciting location on paper, there's even more to see.

But by throwing players into an open-world sandbox, Far Cry 5 casts its narrative direction by the wayside. Althoug??h your goal is to kill Seed's th?ree generals (one in each of Hope County's different biomes) before capturing the cult leader, the storytelling quickly takes a backseat.

The game's more interested in joking about Seed's man bun than exploring Eden's Gate with a critical eye, opting to paint the cult in broad strokes as a group of vague zealots and torturers than an organization built on the backs of broken people. And while the scattershot storytelling doesn't make the game any less fun to play, it makes for an e??xperience that feels toothless rather fast -- Seed and his lot are easier to understand?? as cartoonish villains spouting rhetoric than characters capable of complexity, all the way up to the game's final cutscene.

Fortunately, Eden's Gate cultists aren't the only people you'll meet in Far Cry 5. Hope County is also home to a small grassroots collection of rebels and freedom fighters. Among them are nine (six humans, two wild animals, and one Very Good Boy) characters who can accompany The Deputy into the wilderness and provide support. Each one of the partners has a unique set of skills that complement varying playstyles, like Nick Rye, who uses his agile plane to strafe and divebomb enemies. AI buddies often get a bad rap, but they're mostly all useful here, especially considering that Far Cry 5 isn't afraid to overwhelm pla?yers at any given moment. 

And though it's not uncommon to be up against a dozen foes at once, firefights are where Far Cry 5's sandbox structure shines. During both main story missions and open-ended play, Eden's Gate cultists have a bad habit of fighting dirty. They're armed to the teeth and unafraid of calling in reinforcements, be it waves of fresh fighters or aerial support. Even with a partner or two, surviving large-scale fights isn't a guarantee. It's best to prepare before assaulting a cult outpost, though even the stealthiest approach tends to go tits up, leading to shootouts full of explosions, near-death escapes, and absurdly high body counts. Gunplay in Far Cry 5 is feverish and enjoyable, with customization and a stead?ily unlockable arsenal that allows players to mix up engagements h??owever they see fit.

There's something deeply satisfying about approaching a guarded camp with a recurve bow and silently picking off enemy snipers. There's something cathartic about tossing remote-controlled explosives at a cult VIP and rushing in with a shotgun to clean up anyone left standing. But there's nothing better than starting a gunfight and reacting with fury in the form of a few well-placed headshots. Violence is Far Cry 5's primary language, and if nothing else, the game s?peaks it well.

With so much combat, it's only natural to seek some quiet respite. Hope County, with its mix of forested mountains and rolling rivers, offers plenty of pretty scenery to soak in. It's hard not to be impressed by the environments, which balance the beauty and brutality of the American wilderness in a way that few games have before. Reaching the summit of a steep peak, tracking down a doomsday prepper's long-forgotten supply stash in an underground bunker, and wandering through a park dedicated to prehistoric mammoths are just a few of the poignant, quiet moments that make Far Cry 5 worthwhile when the shooting stops. It's possible (and recommended) to take a break from the action, turn off the game's HUD, and wander around in the woods for a while. That Far Cry 5 lacks a photo mode is a crime.

Far Cry 5 is a solid first-person shooter set in a vibrant, breathtaking location. It plays well, looks great, and is packed with enough content to keep players ??invested in Hope County for a good, long while. Though Joseph Seed and Eden's Gate work better in theory than in practice, the Montana-based doomsday cult marks a departure for the franchise that pays off.

_{[This review is based on a retail version of the game provided by the publisher and pertains to the core single-player story. An in-depth report on Far Cry 5's Arcade mode and online features will be available later this week.]}

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Battle of the iconic icons

Although Far Cry 5 will see its brand of gun-toting carnage relocated to a disquieting county in Montana, the game's post-release DLC is a toybox of scenarios. Not only will FC5's add-on campaigns feature war-torn Vietnam, zombie mayhem and even outer space, but Ubi??soft has announced the game's map editor will revisit the publisher's back catalogue.

Renamed Far Cry Arcade, the editor will allow players to build their own single and multiplayer maps out of assets from previous Far Cry titles as well as other Ubisoft games, such as Assassin's Creed and Watch Dogs, allowing players to make their own adventures featuring items and settings from the aforementioned games. Maybe we'll get an Ezio vs that-guy-from-Watch-Dogs death match (but probably not.)

The Far Cry Arcade is part of Far Cry 5's Season Pass, which also includes single-player campaigns Lost on Mars, Hours of Darkness and Dead Living Zombies. If that's not enough, you'll also get the full game of Far Cry 3: Classic Edition. Groovy.

Far Cry 5 launches on PS4, PC and Xbox One March 27.

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Inside Eden's Gate

In anticipation of Far Cry 5's launch on March 27, Ubisoft has created a live-action short movie that seemingly precedes (or at least runs tangential) to the events of the game. It's called Inside Eden's Gate, it releases on March 5??, and it will only be available on Amazon Prime's video streaming servi?ce.

Inside Eden's Gate tells the story of three vloggers who go to Montana to unravel the mysteries surrounding a cult of religious zealots, because that makes for #goodcontent. Things go poorly. It sounds like Red State by way of both Blair Witch Project and Jake Paul's Misadventures.

Anyway, don't expect this film to put a bow on everything and wrap it up nicely. These sort of things only exist to amplify the intrigue around a game, not to squash the conflict entirely. But, it'd be pretty good if a trio of vloggers took down the cult and then Far Cry 5 had an ev??en more sinister?? antagonist: three vloggers.

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Whoosa good boy?!

Methodically dismantling a cult seems like a tall task to undertake alone. Far Cry 5 won't make you fly solo, though. There are theoretically seven different aides that will assist ??you in murdering your way throu?gh all of Eden's Gate.

It's theoretical because, well, you're going to pick the dog because he's a very good puppy. The stealthy hunter lady is probably great at picking off enemies with her bow. The fl??y boy raining hellfire from his plane is probably an inc?redibly useful tactic for getting out of jams. Both of these options are inferior because neither of these options are dogs.

Anyway, Ubisoft has compiled a joint profile of these seven companions for you to peruse ahead of the game's March 27 release. But you might as well stop lying to your??self like your selection is up in the air. You're taking the only one with four legs and fur.

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2 Crew 2 Cool

Citing more time for polish and wanting to fully bring the game to its artistic vision, Ubisoft Montreal announced that Far Cry 5 will be delayed exactly one month from its initial release date to March 27, 2018. The team also announced that there will be a new look at Far Cry 5 on its Ubiblog at 10:00 PM PST tomorrow, Decembe?r 8 (1:00 AM Saturday morning EST/6:00 AM Saturday mornin?g GMT).

The announcement stated that The Crew 2 will also be delayed but with a less concrete date. Officially, it is delayed into the "first half of [U??bisoft's] next fiscal year." The cause for delay is that they want more time to playtest and implement feedback. Standard development delay stuff here.

While delays keep us from playing a game for a bit longer, in the long run I think they are good in that they allow more time for the deve?lopers to fix everything as opposed to releasing a shoddy product that is u??nplayable at launch without massive patches.

An Update on Far Cry 5 and The Crew 2 [Official]

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UK gets slightly cheaper 'Father's Edition'

Open-world shooter Far Cry 5 is almost cooked, with the backwoods shooter getting primed for its early 2018 launch. In addition to the game's standard release, GameStop will be stockin?g an exclusive a $200 "Resistance Edition" for U.S. fan??s.

The set features the game, complete with its obligatory Season?? Pass, housed in steelbook packaging. You will also receive a stars and stripes bandanna, a pin badge and postcards from the game's locale of Hope County, a "be?er koozie" (you tell me), and a 16.5 inch statue of in-game ally Nick Rye, along with his iconic mutt, Boomer.

Don't worry, European fans, there's something for you to burn money on too. "The Father Edition" which will be available for £90, comes with the game (in a different steelbook) the Far Cry 5 soundtrack, a map of Hope County, and a 12 inch statue of the game's antagonist Joseph Seed, leader of the Eden's Gate religion and all-??rou?nd sociopath. This edition will also be an EB exclusive in Australia.

Seeing multiple territories get entirely different editions brings out the cynic in me, wondering allowed if these marketing strategies aren't thinly-veiled efforts to get hardcore fans to empty their wallets entirely to make sure they have all the collectibles. Surely not.

Whichever way you choose to pick it up, Far Cry 5 launches on PC, PS4 and Xbox One on February 27.

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His. Umm. Breed. Is. Mutt.

During the events of Gamescom, Ubisoft released eight minutes of gameplay footage from their upcoming open-world shooter Far Cry 5, taking its brand of survivalist mayhem to the?? fictional Hope County of Montana, currently under the thumb of doomsday preacher, Joseph Seed.

The footage features some shootin' some drivin' some fly??in' and even some fishin' whilst showcasing the lush, green environment, juxtaposed with the creepy, cultish vibe that has plagued the county??.

In true Ubisoft style, the footage is uncomfortably narrated by the game's scriptwriter and associate producer, both of whom sound thoroughly distracted as they read their carefully plotted scripts in-time with the on-screen action. It even contains some of that Ubisoft-trademark "real-life-soundi?ng" banter.

And yes, something gets referred to as "iconic."

Y'all know me by now, I see as much good as I can in everything, and I certainly don't rag on games "just because," but Ubisoft are the gods of awkward "gameplay experience" videos. They? always seem so scripted, so hollow, and it just comes across as disingenuou??s.

Regardless, the game appears to look and play like a Far Cry game, and they're pretty good. It will be intriguing to see what grim turns the ominous-sounding storyline takes when Far Cry 5 launches early next year on? PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

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The gameplay left me feeling ambivalent at E3

"Have you played Far Cry before?"

That was the first thing a Ubisoft rep asked ??me behind closed doors as I picked up a c?ontroller, selected a gun-fetching dog as my companion, and waited to load into Hope County, Montana.

"Most of them," I sai?d, before attem?pting to tally them up one by one.

"Wait, actually, what was the last one? Was it Primal? Yeah. I've played them all."

It's easy to forget. From Far Cry 3 on, everything blurs together in my mind. It's really just the individual stories and settings that spark my memories, not the running, gunning, hunting, and outpost clearing that make up so much of our time in these worlds. Far Cry 5 will be the same way for me.

The content of this trailer from Ubisoft's press conference is what I played at E3, albeit at a more drawn-out pace and without the silly performative shooting in time with music. I was free to roam, but the demo had a way of s??ubconsciously funneling me right to the next gameplay beat. I climbed a water tower overlooking a town-street outpost (I didn't realize it was one until I had cleared it), got intel from a bartender, drove a truck, and eventually ??flew a plane for a bombing run and an aerial dogfight.

It played like Far Cry all right. Safe, comfortable, easy-to-fall-into Far Cry. And while that's what I was expecting -- Ubisoft has this slice-of-game thing down pat for its open-world games -- I can't help but be disappointed by the demo. It wasn't enough. From the outside looking in, the cathartic opportunity to dismantle a cult of America-first religious zeal?ots will be the real reason to play, but I didn't get a sense of that facet at E3. The jury's still out on whether Ubisoft can see this narrative through.

I did go fishing, though. That was amusing. I wrestled with a catch for what felt like minutes be??fore the line snapped in the final, crucial seconds. "Must've been a real big one," said the rep.

If and when I play Far Cry 5, which will probably be months after its launch ear??ly next year, I know what my first order of business will be: to catch that dang mystery fish. The cult can wait.

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Clearly fake

I've always been interested in compiling a list of petitions?? in the gaming sphere.

Seeing which ones worked, which ones didn't, and nail down a success rate. Many like Project Rainfall have gotten what they wanted, and others spawned unity like 100,000 Strong for Bringing Back Mega Man Legends 3 even if they didn't ultimately get their wish. Some have no chance -- like this Far Cry 5 petition.

Tired of "multicultural lectures and preachy games," this pet??ition "draws a line in the sand," and demands that Ubisoft cancel the game. It should only take you two paragraphs (if that) to see that it's likely fake. My favorite part is the requested alteration of the villains to "misguided patriots."

The reaction Far Cry 5 has been getting is more entertaining th?an any clip, tease, or?? gameplay announcement.

Cancel Far Cry 5 [Change.org]

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February 27, 2018

Far Cry is an interesting franchise, in that it's probably the most "Ubisoft" of all with its multitude of ra??dio towers and map screen dots, but it also excites people more than a lot of their other work.

This trailer for Far Cry 5 is pretty effective at setting up its world (as are the few character videos on their channel), with a Martin Sheen sounding villain,? and as expected, the unveiling of an American cult as the antagonistic group of the game. According to the official description locals have risen up against the "fanatical doomsay cult" Project at Eden's Gate, "cut off from the rest of the world." ??You'll be part of the resistance, with the ability to recruit NPCs and animals (bears and cougars are mentioned), and fool around with a map editor.

According to Kotaku you can play as a man or a woman (with different skin tones) and fly planes in dog fights. The setting was evidently based on recent real life happenings, but the produce?rs are stopping short of naming any actual names outside of those involved in the Oregon militia situation of 2016.

It'll drop on Feburary 27, 2018 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a solo campaign and a co-op mechanic. I'm tentatively interested as I've really enjoyed the last few mainline games outside of Primal (which was alright at worst).

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At least he's not buried up to his head in sand?

It's kind of a running joke that each Far Cry "hero" (Ajay was far more of a paragon than Jason) is screwed at the start, or on the game's packaging. I mean, more screwed than the average comeback tale, at least -- we haven't had a wistful empowering cover since t?he second iteration.

Ubisoft provided a new look at Far Cry 5 today, which? among other things, re-confirms that it's set in America, with all sorts of lampooned Americana. You have the militant religious angle (complete with crosses instead of stars on the flag), the Jesus imagery, the whole shebang. And right in the corner is w??hat we can only assume is the hero of our story (or sympathetic to his plight), screwed.

I wonder what sort of levity or nuance Ubisoft will add to this tale -- based on the rote religious angle, I'm not hopeful. Michael Mando did a fantastic job as Vaas in Far Cry 3, and is currently killing it in Better Call Saul, and Far Cry 4 basically had a more flamboyant Joker, so maybe a bearded American bad guy (I'm calling him Duck Dynasty Donald unti??l Ubisoft gives us a name) can deliver. Probably not.

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