Far Cry 4 Review | GameRevolution

GR: A good cry.

Far Cry 4's Kyrat, the scenic destination of protagonist Ajay Ghale, is both a playground and a slanted microcosm of Tibetan culture, guerrilla warfare, and an authoritarian regime. It's a world where the capriciously sadistic Pagan Min has pushed the diminishing Golden Path resistance to the southern border, where the bounty of mountainous cliffsides come pre-installed with grappling points, where the local wildlife approach and murder civilians on a regular basis, and where the flashing treasure chests littering the landscape hide such wonders as condoms and birth control pills.

The incongruence—a pristine, sacred setting adorned by waterfalls and massive statues to gods and goddesses yet at the same time torn by constant warfare—mostly works in favor of the game. Peering at the carved sky can bring moments of peace and awe where the nearly endless number of firefights do not. The open world has such freedom and verticality that it's almost impossible not to feel invigorated by the sheer geography of Kyrat's natural world.