Yes, Far Cry 5 is Absolutely Worth Playing in 2026

As an open world FPS fan and gaming expert, I highly recommend Far Cry 5 in 2024. With its huge open world, addictive gameplay, and cinematic story campaign, Far Cry 5 remains one of the best FPS games on the market over 4 years after its release. This article will provide an in-depth look at why Far Cry 5 is still worth your time and money in 2024.

What is Far Cry 5?

For those unfamiliar, Far Cry 5 is the fifth main installment in Ubisoft‘s popular Far Cry series. It was released in 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game is a story-driven open-world first-person shooter set in fictional Hope County, Montana. This rural county has been overrun by a militant doomsday cult called Eden‘s Gate. You play as a rookie deputy tasked with arresting Joseph Seed, the charismatic leader of Eden‘s Gate. After a failed arrest attempt, you must build a resistance to take down Seed and his cult.

Far Cry 5 returns to the series‘ origins with a fully open-world setting after the more constrained environments of Far Crys 2-4. It also introduces some new mechanics like Guns for Hire, Specialist Perks, and Resistance Points. In terms of narrative scope and open-world size, Far Cry 5 was the most ambitious entry in the series upon release.

Reasons Why Far Cry 5 is Still Worth Playing in 2024

Now 4+ years after launch, here are the biggest reasons why Far Cry 5 remains worth your time:

The Addictive Core Gameplay Loop

Like all Far Cry games, the core gameplay loop of exploring, completing activities, and taking over outposts is incredibly addictive. There is a constant sense of progression as you build up your resistance across the regions. The wide variety of weapons and approaches to encounters keeps the action feeling fresh. Unlocking new Guns for Hire adds more tactical options as well. Taking down cult outposts never gets old.

The Massive and Diverse Open World

Hope County offers one of the largest and most diverse open worlds ever in a Far Cry game. The map comprises farmland, forests, mountains, rivers, lakes, and small towns. There are so many hidden areas to discover and activities to complete like Prepper Stashes, Treasure Hunts, and side quests. Players could easily spend 50+ hours exploring Hope County before even finishing the story. Driving ATVs through the woods or flying planes over the mountains makes traversal exciting.

The Memorable Villain

Joseph Seed stands as one of the greatest villains not just in the Far Cry series, but in all gaming. The charismatic cult leader has a mesmerizing presence thanks to the excellent face capture and voice work. Seed gets under your skin with his prophecies of doom for your character. And unlike previous games, he directly involves himself in the plot from start to finish. I still get chills whenever I hear his speeches on the radio during gameplay.

The Cinematic Story Campaign

While not perfect, Far Cry 5‘s story provides a solid 30+ hours of mission-based gameplay. The premise of slowly building a resistance to stop a cult takeover is very engaging. Recruitable characters like Pastor Jerome, Mary May, and Nick Rye are memorable. The plot builds to an intense confrontation with Joseph Seed himself. Some story outcomes and endings proved controversial, but the journey is still worthwhile. There‘s enough variation in missions and set pieces to keep the campaign exciting.

The Wealth of Activities and Side Content

Beyond the 50-hour story, there is easily another 30+ hours of side content in Far Cry 5. Activities like Prepper Stashes, Treasure Hunts, and hostage rescues are fun bitesize challenges. Catching record fish and hunting legendary animals provide rewards. liberating Dutch‘s Island unlocks a zombie-filled dungeon. The Hours of Darkness DLC transports players to the Vietnam War setting. And the challenging Arcade mode features near-infinite player-created maps and scenarios to test your skills.

The Co-Op Experience

Far Cry 5 allows you to adventure through Hope County with a co-op partner. Having a friend along adds new dimensions of strategy and chaos. You can take a stealthier approach by synchronizing shots with a partner. Or go in guns blazing together against cultists. Reviving and assisting each other in tense fights is rewarding. And you‘ll get unique banter between the protagonists. Co-op is a great way to experience the massive open world and story.

By The Numbers: Some Key Facts and Stats

• 10 million+ copies sold – Making it the fastest selling Far Cry game as of April 2018 (source)
• 6th best selling game of 2018 – Ranked only behind Red Dead Redemption 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, FIFA 19. NBA 2K19, and Marvel‘s Spiderman. (source)
• #8 on Metacritic‘s 2018 PS4 Game Rankings – With a metascore of 85/100 based on 113 critic reviews (source)
• 51 Hours – Average time to complete all achievements according to HowLongToBeat (source)
• 92 Main Story Missions – Provide 30+ hours of narrative-driven gameplay
• 26 Side Quests – Offer diverse side activities from rescues to infiltrations
• 18 Prepper Stashes – Challenge players to find secret caches in puzzle-like levels
• 52 Perk Magazines – Reward exploration and allow you to unlock perks and abilities
• 6 Special Vehicles – Like fighter planes and armored trucks offer unique abilities and firepower

My Expert Verdict: Absolutely Worth Playing in 2024

Given its incredibly fun sandbox gameplay, huge and diverse open world, memorable villain, and wealth of content, I firmly believe Far Cry 5 remains 100% worth your time and money in 2024. The core gameplay loop still feels just as fresh and addictive as it did in 2018. Joseph Seed stands out as one of the top villains in FPS history. Exploring Hope County remains a joy thanks to the stunning graphics, varied landscapes, and dynamic wildlife.

There is easily over 100 hours of content here between the story, side activities, co-op, and DLC expansions. All of this adds up to an expertly crafted open-world shooter that offers extreme value for money. The overall experience still holds up strongly today and feels like a must-play title for FPS fans. So in summary, I highly recommend picking up Far Cry 5 if you have yet to play it. Just be ready to lose dozens if not hundreds of hours taking down the Project at Eden‘s Gate!