Ubisoft made a rather striking announcement concerning Far Cry Primal on Steam the other day. The game is going to be all offline and entirely solo. Unlike other entries in the series, players will have to go it alone as they face a primitive, fantasy world. Regarding that, I feel I must say something: bravo.
In an age when companies go out of their way to shoehorn multiplayer in when it doesn’t belong, Ubisoft and Ubisoft Montreal decided to pare back. Rather than include something for the sake of saying Far Cry Primal offers it, they decided to focus on the story and game quality.
Because really, a solo jaunt makes sense for Far Cry Primal . After all, the hero is a sole survivor. When his tribe is attacked, Takkar is one of the very few who manages to live and tell the tale. He begins alone, defenseless in an inhospitable and unforgiving world. By cutting co-op, Ubisoft Montreal is forcing a player to connect more with Takkar by making him or her more like this unfortunate soul. He’s alone, but guess what? So are you. You can learn to survive and weather whatever may come together.
It’s also smart, because a Far Cry game has never gone in this direction before. We’re accustomed to modern settings. Identifiable situations. Experiences where yes, a number of other people could be milling around to join the fight. A historical fantasy is new for Ubisoft Montreal. By narrowing the focus on Far Cry Primal , the developer can make sure the single player adventure is strong and entertaining. Attentions won’t have to be divided. Excuses won’t need to be made for why suddenly Takkar could have allies.
Besides, it isn’t like open world adventures need to have multiplayer to be a success. People are just used to Far Cry titles having that feature. Games like Fallout 4 , Skyrim , Batman: Arkham Knight , and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas got by just fine with just a single player campaign. Playing alone takes some adjustment for people who are used to enjoying titles with masses, but it doesn’t mean the game will automatically suck without another living person playing nearby.
Ubisoft and Ubisoft Montreal are really taking a chance with Far Cry Primal . The companies could have played it safe and turned out another modern, open world shooter where you could roam around with other folks. They didn’t. They decided to use their imaginations with Far Cry Primal , and if that means making us go solo, we should applaud their effort and support that choice.