Ubisoft's Far Cry series is something of a genre veteran. The popular first-person open-world shooter series has been around for 20 years, and in that time has seen numerous distinctive iterations being released to a mostly positive reception among fans. That being said, by 2021 and the release of Far Cry 6, the general consensus was that, for all that the franchise does right, its formula is becoming a little stale and needs a shake-up. With Far Cry 7 rumored to be in development, it seems the perfect time to refresh the series' tried-and-tested formula, and if rumors of a potential time-limit mechanic being implemented are true, then this could provide a sense of tension not experienced before in the series, while moving things in a completely new direction at the same time.

Since 2012's Far Cry 3 established the blueprint for the series, typically each installment lets the player loose in a different open-world setting, giving them a plethora of main and side missions, activities, and other objectives to achieve as they explore the map at will. Settings have ranged from lush tropical islands to urban cities and rural mountains. The variety in the environments has served as a stark contrast to the lack of innovation in the gameplay mechanics, which have remained largely the same since Far Cry 3 and are primed for an overhaul.



Far Cry 7 Needs to Shake Up the Series' Well-Established Formula
Rumors have been swirling regarding Far Cry 7 for a little while now, but nothing concrete has been announced yet. The most popular theories currently point to the project featuring a plot that revolves around a wealthy family being kidnapped. It is up to the game's protagonist to rescue their family. While none of this sounds particularly innovative, a few of the rumored mechanics could certainly spice things up. Firstly, the non-linear narrative means this family can be rescued in any order the player wishes, and they can even choose not to rescue some of them at all.

Far Cry 7 Could Use a Time Limit Mechanic to its Advantage
A new interrogation mechanic is also rumored to feature, and it sees the enemy able to lie to the player, giving false information, or even sometimes being able to escape during the interrogation. Perhaps most interestingly though, early builds of the game are said to feature a time limit mechanic, whereby the player must rescue their family before the in-game clock reaches zero. The concept of a time limit is an interesting one, and for a series that has been accused of playing it a little too safe at times, it represents a considerable deviation from the standard Far Cry formula.

Games such as the Dead Rising series have experimented with in-game time limits. When executed well, they can add urgency and tension in a way that further immerses the player into the world. No doubt this will be what Ubisoft is trying to achieve if it does stick with this mechanic, but of course, these are just rumors at this stage, and they could prove to be unsubstantiated. Time will tell which approach Ubisoft takes, but it does feel like Far Cry 7 needs to take a bold, fresh approach, for the long-term future of the franchise to be successful.

The concept of a time limit is an interesting one, and for a series that has been accused of playing it a little too safe at times, it represents a considerable deviation from the standard Far Cry formula.

There's been no official word from Ubisoft regarding the existence of Far Cry 7, but given the series' popularity, it seems a pretty safe bet that it will emerge at some stage. It's been almost three years since the last installment, and traditionally, the series would've released a new game by now, so news of the next one shouldn't be too far away. Fans will be hoping that when it does eventually release, Far Cry 7 can prove to be the shot in the arm that the franchise needs.

Posted: Jan 20, 2024 2:49 pm
Related Forum: Gaming Discussion

Source: https://gamerant.com/far-cry-7-rumored-time-limit-good-tension-plot/