Summary
Far Cryhas found itself in uncharted territory in a number of ways at present. Not only has it been the longest gap between mainline releases (three years and counting) in developer Ubisoft’s popular open-world FPS franchise, but the studio itself has been keeping uncharacteristically quiet about its plans for the next game, having not yet actually officially confirmed one is even in the works. Though it remains widely assumed that a seventh game is indeed forthcoming, the situation has nevertheless contributed toFar Cry’s future and direction being murky at this time, with fans left wondering what exactly to expect from the next release.
In the absence of much substantial information, rumors and leaks have consistently cropped up and continue to spur speculation and conversation aroundFar Cry 7’s potential direction. While gamers await further word on its status, there are a few pertinent elements that the studio could look at in a different light for the seventh title. And one consideration might be to go outside the bounds of the series' usual framework via a change of time period.
Among the limited confirmed facts for the next game is thatFar Cry 5’s narrative director, Drew Holmes, is now heading the IP.
Far Cry 7 Should Step Out of its Comfort Zone By Being Set in a Noncontemporary Period
Far Cry’s Period Settings Have All Followed a Familiar Path
So far,every mainFar Crygamehas been set in a period that is generally analogous to when it was released. Even in the most recent entry,Far Cry 6, while the country of Yara intentionally resembled 1960s Cuba in a variety of ways, in-game information firmly places it in the actual year of its release, 2021. However, Ubisoft has in other instances experimented with a handful ofFar Cry spin-offs and DLCs that had fans playing through settings from both the distant past and far future:
Far Cry Primalis the extreme case of the bunch, as it is set during the Stone Age of 10,000 BC. On the other end, asa sendup of 1980s and 90s action culture and properties,Blood Dragonis set in a dystopian version of an alternate sci-fi styled future. The Hours of Darkness DLC takes place during the Vietnam conflict of the 1970s, while New Dawn carries on fromFC5into aMad Max-like post-apocalypse. All of these were exceptions to the rule, and stood out all the more for giving fans a break from the modern settings of the previous numbered releases. Thus, they could serve as good inspirations for howFar Cry 7might shift time periods to give players a change of pace from the well-worn road that most other entries have walked.
How Far Cry 7 Could Switch Up the Series' Usual Time Setting
With the variousrumors and possibilities aboutFar Cry 7that have been floating around, one of the more significant is that it will make use of an in-game timer, potentially restricting the established free-roaming mechanics. Alongside this, it will allegedly be set on an isolated tropical island similar toFar Cry 3. Supposedly, this locale will be called “Kimsan, which is located in the Yellow Sea next to Korea”, having been usurped by North Korean insurgent forces.
This could provide awindow intoFar Cry 7not technically being contemporaneous in the way previous games were. If it’s set during an era (or perhaps even an alternate reality) where this region and its occupying forces are coming into power, this could lend itself to a time frame that is definitively earlier than what has been seen before. It might also assist with explaining the rumored timer and other possible narrative and mechanical alterations. Although there might not currently be many reasons to believe Ubisoft will drastically change time periods inFar Cry 7, there is precedent for it to do so, and it is something it might seriously consider in order to reinvent the franchise and offer fans a different, nontraditional perspective in the next title.
Far Cry 6
WHERE TO PLAY
Play as Dani Rojas, a local Yaran and become a guerrilla fighter to liberate the nation. Welcome to Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time. Far Cry 6 immerses players into the adrenaline-filled world of a modern-day guerrilla revolution.
