Better Than Big Sky Country: Five Better Locations for Far Cry 5

If you’re like me, you were super disappointed to hear that Far Cry 5 is taking the series to beautiful and mysterious Montana.  Sigh.  Don’t get me wrong, Montana is a beautiful place but Far Cry is a series that usually takes us to mysterious and remote locations like Tibetan mountains or African deserts or beautiful tropic islands (twice!).  Add to that the potential for a religious cult gone crazy and you might as well be playing Outlast 2.  We’re used to Far Cry taking us to far-flung locations that we will probably never see in real life.  Here are five better places for the next Far Cry to take place.

The Amazon

Holy crap, how have we not had a Far Cry game set in the Amazon yet?  This remote location has everything Far Cry games love: varied wildlife, diverse environments, and communities of both expat explorers and indigenous populations.  There is plenty of potential for battles against all sorts of enemies.  The Amazon also has plenty of pharmaceutical potential as well, so those elements from Far Cry 3 and 4 could return here as well.  And man, think of the Heart of Darkness references that you could make with a game like this?

Myanmar

Maybe it would have drifted a little too close to Kyrat, but if you keep the tropical feel of Far Cry 3 and interject some massive temples you get a pretty nice version of Myanmar.  The temples would make great locations to visit on a map.  While there are amazing temples to visit, it wouldn’t be hard to set some villages and airfields around as well.  In this fictional version, there could also be plenty of armed troops around for battling all over the place.  And if you like tigers and snakes and elephants, Myanmar’s got those too.  Again, we might be drifting a little close to Kyrat, but there’s a lot to be mined from a culture as varied and interesting as this one.

Australian Outback

Think of it, Far Cry taking place with enemies straight of out Mad Max.  The accents alone would make this title fantastic.  Imagine flying the gyrocopter from the previous two titles just like the pilot in Mad Max 2 and 3.  Sure, it might drift a little close to the Borderlands franchise, but we think there’s plenty of room in the outback for two first-person shooters.  And think about the possibility for wildlife (attacking kangaroos!).   And as a bonus, the downloadable content could take you to nearby New Zealand (complete with Lord of the Rings inspired locations!).

Easter Island

Is there anywhere more remote than Easter Island?  Granted, the island itself is not huge, but the building a fictional version of Easter Island with a mystic backstory and a large population of pirates.  Neighboring islands could be incorporated as well.  And the island is perfect for hang gliding, horseback riding, and scuba diving.  And the final boss?  An full-bodied, animated Moai rising from the Earth and towering over you, flinging lightning and fireballs.

Iceland

Iceland is pretty great because the country is so diverse.  There are ice castles and hot springs as well as verdant fields and vibrant rivers.  And when you think about the history of Viking explorers and Nordic mythology, there’s a lot of supernatural stories and local history to draw from.  Imagine a level in which you ingest a hallucinogen and play a level as Thor or Odin.   Sure, Iceland today is pretty much a paradise, but creating a kingdom somewhat similar with a local population of pirates or terrorists could be really interesting.