Far Cry 4 Strategic Preview: Rumble in the Jungle

One of the coolest features in Far Cry games are the big open worlds. You can literally get around the islands in a number of ways, whether on foot, roving around in a well-armed Jeep, skimming the ocean surface via jet ski or flying with a hang glider. You’re also free to approach missions a number of ways, and this trend continues with the highly anticipated Far Cry 4.

In this new game, you visit the mysterious Kyrat as Ajay Ghale, a soldier who butts heads with a shady bureaucrat who considers himself ruler of the land. That means combatting his enemy soldiers in a number of ways, running them over in a car or engaging in a full-blown firefight. We recently went hands-on with the game to see how each of the different styles work, and didn’t come away with a single negative approach.

First up is stealth. This is completely optional, but getting the jump on an enemy camp is a surefire way to avoid taking damage. This is usually a matter of finding a crack in the outside wall to slip through, or another route that isn’t heavily patrolled. From there, you’ll use some form of silenced weapon (or better yet, a knife) to subdue guards one-by-one. 

For fans of traditional stealth games, this is a fine way to go, although it’s not necessarily the “Far Cry way,” as it were. Still, the option is there if you wish to take it.

The next scenario involved an airborne attack, being able to strike from above with a miniature gyrocopter. It’s a small enough item that soldiers can’t hit it that well (unless they’re carrying a weapon with long range), and it carries a huge amount of firepower. Shooting soldiers with rockets and machine guns is a lot of fun from the air, and provides a tactical element we usually don’t see in Far Cry games. Personally, we’d love to play more gyrocopter-based missions later, just because it’s so much fun to fly around.

However, if you really want to see what Far Cry 4 is all about, the best way is through the front door. Don’t let your gun do all the dirty work, though. In this game, you can hop onto the back of an elephant and crush anyone foolish enough to get in the way.

You can use the elephant to smash through the entrance. Of course, this alerts all guards in the area, forcing you to pull out a well-equipped mini-shotgun or assault rifle. As long as you stay on your pachyderm, however, you can squash foes who appear right in front of you while maintaining enough high ground to pick off bad guys from a distance.

If you prefer, you can follow a technique that reminds us of Titanfall. After bursting through the front door, you can jump off your elephant and proceed on foot, taking out soldiers on the ground. This is more beneficial than it seems, mainly because the elephant now acts on its own behalf (similar to a Titan), charging enemies and running them over. It’ll even get angry enough to charge a Jeep and blow it to bits, taking itself out in the process.

The elephant does come with one drawback, as there’s only so much damage it can take before succumbing to its wounds. Still, it’s better to have an ally in the field than nothing at all, and it helps the ground game considerably.

All three of these play styles prove that Far Cry 4 is more diverse than ever, giving players unprecedented options when it comes to getting around islands, completing missions and leveling enemy forces. Throw in a lavish new environment to explore and plenty of gun-toting chaos, and you have a sequel that could easily live up to the legacy the series became famous for.

Look for Far Cry 4 on November 18th for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 and PC.