Is it Surprising that Far Cry 5 Will Take Place on American Soil?
- Ben Stembridge
- Jun 9, 2017
- 3 min read
The United States of America is a complicated package. I should know - I live here. In fact, most everyone that lives here understands that the United States is a complex and wild tapestry. Currently, without getting too damn dramatic, the good ol’ USA is in a bit of stressed state. A combative and deliberately divisive man occupies the highest office in the nation, and the tense mindsets of Americans is becoming more rigid by the minute. Ubisoft’s Far Cry, an anthological video game series has recently announced its fifth incantation. The series typically features an unexpected visitor (usually American) to an exotic locale being pitted against warlords, drug lords, or insane kings. Duality of man, the pitiful and violent tendencies of societies, and the “third world’s” lack of stability have been key themes throughout the series. With that in mind, Far Cry 5 will take place in the state of Montana.
Far Cry on American soil? Insane! Or maybe perfectly appropriate? The maps of the games follow violence-stricken areas under the control of hostile parties, official or otherwise. As you can see from the announcement trailer, Far Cry 5’s villain is a religious American militia. I can’t express how unsettling it is to see a franchise coming to States. While unsettling, it is not at all a surprise. I’m no hippie, but let’s face it, there has not been this kind level of hostility among Americans since the Civil War. While I’m fairly moderate, I certainly won’t deny my disdain for the current man weaving untruths and fueling a cavalcade of hate from the far right of this nation. To keep this level, I’ll refer to him as the Great Deceiver, a moniker given to Sauron after he dooms the human nation of Númenor through deception and lies before the events of The Lord of the Rings (which I am mildly obsessed with).
Let’s quit talking the about the innards of our stressed political system, and shift to the significance of Far Cry coming to the states. As I stated earlier, the past four games have starred Americans visiting exotic places; Central Africa, an island in the South Pacific, and most recently a fictional country similar to Nepal or Bhutan. These places were stripped of a functional government, peace keeping forces, and appropriate shelter and infrastructure. The series has always focused on the themes of violence and contempt, but has now clearly shifted the attention from the more “obvious” locales to this country. The US is a big and complicated nation, so it is out the question that there is a place in the rural corners of the midwest that a bereft of law, restraint, and peace? Not in my opinion.
The enemy in Far Cry 5 is a ultra-christian militant group that appear bent on controlling and “cleansing” Hope County, Montana. Americans running wild in an open setting with free reign to kill and maim - not a group of desperate soldiers in an underdeveloped country. Rather than condescendingly having an American fight enemies in a foreign environment, players will be fighting other Americans. It’s a telling switch that portrays the insanity of violence and extremism affecting American soil, which is not out of the question.
Let’s be honest with ourselves - whether you’re right, left, or in the comfortable balance in between, the Great Deceiver has sparked something dark. We’ve seen it in every instance of Muslim-Americans, LGBTQ persons, and even just women being attacked physically or verbally with a fervor that we all know the origins of. The team at Ubisoft is commenting on the ability for this to all burn further out of control. While many expected to be playing the next Far Cry in an isolated village region of some distant country not yet named, myself and many others haven’t batted an surprised eye at Far Cry 5’s announcement.
Hope this didn’t get too political on you all. We’ll keep you posted on news from Ubisoft as they reveal more information about Far Cry 5.
Ben Stembridge, Editor-in-chief
Ben leads the reviews and news coverage for Game Chop. He also offers opinions on games and the industry, covering a wide range of genres and platforms. Ben especially enjoys discussions on game narratives, design styles, and independent titles.
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