Driving through the backcountry roads of Montana after a long day of fishing, the radio plays what appears to be gospel music as a truck rolls past steep mountain peaks and lakes. But not is all as it seems – the billboards call out “sinners”, armed guards patrol the roads and the radio is playing a song from a religious cult, urging listeners to “keep their rifle by their side.” This is fictional Hope County, Montana, in the world of award-winning video game “Far Cry 5.”
The storyline follows the rise and fall of a religious cult in rural Montana – a plot that is engaging as it is terrifying, as thousands of cults still exist in the United States under the radar of law enforcement. Led by the leader Joseph Seed, the objective of the game is to liberate each region of the country from different cult leaders. Players do so by destroying armored convoys, liberating outposts and completing missions. The open-world style of gameplay lets each player choose how they want to tackle their ultimate objective, and makes for a much more interesting style of gameplay. Alongside the storyline, players can compete for fishing and hunting records, improve their aviation skills, and complete side quests for a more relaxing, non-combative time.
The voice acting is phenomenal, with a notable performance from Greg Byrk, who voices cult leader Joseph Seed. Additionally, the unlocking of different friendly characters throughout the game provides players with new interactions. While many of these characters have rather stereotypical personalities, they remain one of the highlights of the game, including an explosives-obsessed redneck, a loveable brown bear, and a fiercely independent helicopter pilot. Their inclusion adds so much to the story that simply could not have been done with a firm, unchanging set of characters.
What adds the most to this story, however, is the original music composed for the game by Dan Romer. Multiple songs were composed set to the tune of gospel music, but with lyrics that spread the message of the cult. These play in the in-game radio stations, and add an indescribable amount of realism to the story, and supports the idea that the cult took over the local radio station and started playing their own music. Among the best songs composed were the creepily-named “Keep Your Rifle by Your Side” and “We Will Rise Again,” both of which reflect the doomsday teachings and values of the cult.
One criticism echoed by many fans is the storyline, and specifically the ending. “Far Cry 5” has multiple different endings available to the player, some of which lead to a follow-up game. Overall, I was fairly disappointed in the ending and felt that it spoiled such a well-made game. However, those feelings are intentional – the idea from the game creators is to make players feel something at the end, and despite its controversy, it appears to have worked.
The game invokes feelings in players that are not typical to video games. To say it’s an emotional rollercoaster is an understatement – there is just something about it that makes the game feel more real and more powerful than others. Perhaps it’s the unique setting of rural, mountainous Montana, or the dozens of songs composed, or the complex storyline, but “Far Cry 5” is simply an extraordinary game to play that leaves players feeling something different at the end.
