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Far Cry 4
My last appointment of Gamescom 2014, was a double dose of Far Cry 4. 2012's Far Cry 3 was one of my favorite games of that year thanks to its open world gameplay, rewarding stealth, and vibrant wildlife. What I played of Far Cry 4 captured that same feeling, including a return of the spiritual and supernatural.
The first demo I played took me high into the mountains to find and kill a warlord. Missions like this were peppered throughout Far Cry 3, and just like those optional activities, you need to end your target with your knife.
This time out, you'll be able to carry a number of throwing knives, though. That means you still need to get close, but you won't necessarily need to bum rush or go for an up-close takedown.
Along the way to the warlord, I used some bait to lure a snow leopard into the encampment. I also took out enemies silently with the autocrossbow and enlisted the help of a caged bear to dispatch some of the soldiers. Despite the snow instead of the tropics of Far Cry 3, this mission felt exactly like one in the last installment (except with the new bells and whistles like the grappling hook).
Next, I got to spend some time in Shangri-La. During these segments, you play as a mythical warrior tasked with saving the world from demons. You'll have a bow and a knife, along with a spyglass that can be used to tag enemies like the series' camera.
In addition, you can send your white tiger, Shangri-La's protector, to attack the demons. This is crucial for some of the larger enemies, as they become distracted and vulnerable to melee attacks.
The Shangri-La segments can be handled just like the rest of Far Cry 4. You can go in loudly or approach the scene with stealth. The latter seems like the better bet, especially since pulling back an arrow triggers a limited focus mode.
The demons pop in and out of visibility, so timing your shot correctly is important. I found the segment to be challenging, and the relevance and context within the rest of the story isn't immediately clear. From a gameplay perspective though, both segments I played felt familiar. Given my enjoyment of the last installment's action, that's just fine by me.
For more on Far Cry 4, check out our coverage from the July 2014 issue by clicking the banner below. Far Cry 4 will be out on November 18 for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC.
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