And yet it feels like “Far Cry 5” never quite takes advantage of its setting to say much about the outbreaks of dissent and violence currently afflicting the country. The violence is different when a dictator king has your friends hostage as opposed to shooting your way down the steps of an American church, as the stars and stripes wave on a flagpole. And while it’s fair to say “violence is violence” to a certain degree, there’s something more intrinsically powerful about watching it unfold on the streets of America. “Far Cry 5” does not take place in a fictional land or a world of mastodons. The fourth game moved the action to a corrupt government in a fictional country in the Himalayas and a great spin-off called “Far Cry: Primal” reimagined all of this chaos hundreds of years ago with warring tribes and prehistoric animals to skin. You had to learn to survive in the wild, killing animals for supplies and defeating warlords to ensure you made it home safely. The series turned a corner with 2012’s goofier but truly excellent “Far Cry 3,” a game that put you in the shoes of an American tourist kidnapped on an unnamed series of islands in the Pacific and felt built more on the template of the “ Grand Theft Auto” games but with its own personality. The “Far Cry” games of the ‘00s were more difficult and stealth-driven, playing off the success of the games of the era about heroes rescuing victims in far-off lands. It may not progress the conversation around violence in video games in a way that will satisfy those looking for either a scapegoat or an absolution of the form, but it could be even more valuable in the way it allows people to escape it.įirst, a little background on the “Far Cry” games. But, overall, it’s a remarkably ambitious accomplishment, a game that sucks you into its world in a way that’s addictive and overwhelming. In some ways, it captures its cultural moment more than any game has in years. And into this conversation, one of the biggest video game companies in the world drops “Far Cry 5,” a game that weaves religion, Americana, and extreme violence into a tapestry of total chaos. In the wake of the massacre in Parkland, and the national movement that arose from it, people have been looking more closely at the violence in video games and asking if they play a role in the desensitization of people who have made the world more dangerous. I’m old enough to remember when rap music was blamed for youth violence and ' Dungeons & Dragons' would lead to Satanism. It’s easier to point the finger at art than to honestly ask difficult questions about gun control, mental health, or even our national addiction to technology. Pop culture has been a scapegoat for real-world problems for as long as it has existed.

Ubisoft’s highly-anticipated “Far Cry 5” comes along at an interesting time in the national conversation about American violence, especially how it relates to the world of video games.

Game far cry 5