In this second part of the analysis of Farcry 5, we’ll be paying close attention to the overall gaming experience that the game provides as well as the Big Questions and themes that Ubisoft has woven throughout it. If you missed part one of the analysis, you can read it here.
Overall Experience
When we talk about an overall experience when it comes to gaming, we’re mostly talking about how a gamer feels as the end credits roll. Is there a feeling of satisfaction? Confusion? Are you left wanting more? Was the overall experience worth the price of the game and the hours put into it?
When it comes to Farcry 5, this experience is largely subjective to each individual player. After all, not everyone enjoys a game that may be too clever. Sometimes players simply prefer a shoot ‘em up. After I finished the game, I sat dumbstruck as I watched the credits rolling up my screen. Some part of me even hoped Ubisoft might have taken a cue from Marvel and put an end credits scene. The overall feeling that I possessed was a craving for more.
Not the bad kind of more either. Farcry 5 did well in bringing a story through its beginning, middle, and end. The resolution was quite sound though I was extremely curious to know how the Deputy would transform after spending years in a bunker with Joseph Seed. Besides just wanting to know the date of the Deputy, however, I wanted to know about the characters who were part of my family. Did the Ryes make it back together? Where did they all run to during the Collapse? Is Boomer safe?
Besides just a continuation of the story, I also wanted to know more about the Seed family. While I’m aware that is at least one novelization that takes place before the events of the game (and hopefully there will be more in the future), I still would love nothing more if Ubisoft continued to make games featuring the Seed family. Farcry: New Dawn is out, certainly, and while that does continue the tale of Joseph Seed, I’d love nothing more than to see further content with John, Jacob, and Faith.
This thirst for more isn’t a bad thing either. It means that the game was successful in making me invest in the world and the characters that the game developers created. If a gaming company can do that, then the game, itself, has been successful. Graphics, combat, all of that other stuff aside, if you leave me wanting to know more and interact more with the characters in your game, then you’ve done a successful job.
Themes/Big Questions
While not every game tries to be something more than just a video game, I have a lot of respect for those that are bold and courageous enough to push their gamers to ask or answer questions about themselves or the society in which they live. Farcry 5 asks a lot of those questions with some of the themes that they’ve placed in the game.
Discussed in my analysis of Joseph Seed, one question and a common theme that Farcry 5 has throughout it revolves around the second coming of Christ. The Bible suggests that Christ is supposed to emerge during the time of the millennia. That’s when this game takes place. If you read the analysis of Joseph Seed, then you know that I believe that Joseph Seed is supposed to be the second coming of Christ. Or, at the very least, the idea of the second coming of Christ. This begs the question of how the world has decided to treat this supposed savior who died for their sins. It demands the audience, particularly those of Christian faith, to examine themselves and how authentic they are to the teachings of Christ. Are Christians really Christians? Would God find them a disappointment?
Because the Project at Eden’s Gate is founded on Christianity, there are understandably a ton of biblical themes throughout the game. Ubisoft doesn’t just tackle religion in this game, however. It also makes a social commentary on war and war veterans as in the case of Jacob Seed. Not nearly enough attention has been brought to the crisis facing many war veterans when they return home. They’re often left to heal and depend on themselves. While Jacob certainly suggests the worse that a vet can become, it’s through him that Ubisoft can ask its audience important questions. Is the price these soldiers pay worth the war they fight in? How important and revered are they when they just get dumped by society when they return home? How can we better help veterans return to civilian life? These are big questions that need to be asked.
If that wasn’t enough, Ubisoft also makes a few nods to politics. This game was created during the presidency of Donald Trump. Understandably, for many artists and those of liberal hearts or even common sense with conservative hearts, his presidency has come with it a lot of problems. Ubisoft isn’t afraid to make its slightly left-winged preference known. It does so, however, without blatantly stating which side of the aisle it prefers. This is likely due to the publisher not wanting to saturate their gaming audience with a political-heavy game when they’re already so saturated with politics in their daily life.
However, they offer just enough to provide a social commentary on how they feel about Trump’s presidency. This is something that can be easily missed unless you take the time to listen to the voice recordings on the phone. One of those messages comes from Hurk Drubman Sr who is running for office. If you listen to his platform, it’s clear that Drubman is a member of the right-wing. The juicy bit of commentary about those who support the red and supported Trump comes with a small mention of how Drubman intends to, “make Healthcare more expensive than ever!” It’s a promise. It’s also something that many people essentially voted for when they chose to vote Trump into office.
It’s delicious. It’s tongue-in-cheek. If you visit Drubman, you can also read a piece of paper that he wrote which lists his reasons for why he should be voted into office. One of those is that he’s never been caught cheating. While this, in itself, hilarious, it also offers more questions to the audience in regards to those we vote into office. Is this really all it takes to enter into a prestigious office? And when a senator or representative does make a mistake, what are the proper ramifications? We are quick to judge others even if we make the same mistakes ourselves. However, considering that these are the men and women we have chosen to represent our best interests rather than our best mistakes, does personal accountability and a strong moral sense of character matter?
Clearly, there are a ton of questions that Ubisoft asks of its audience. For a gamer like myself, I love these kinds of big questions. It’s often why I like to play games in the first place. If a game can get me thinking just a bit wider with a new perspective, then that game is in my list of all-time favorites.
Let us know what your overall experience of playing Farcry 5 was like! Did you walk away from it with any big questions? Tell us in the comments!
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