Far Cry 5 Arcade Hands-On: Insert Coin

Last week I took you all on a trip to Hope County, Montana to get a closer look at the single player and co-op aspects of Far Cry 5. Now, it’s time to dive even deeper and take a look at the game within the game that is Far Cry Arcade.

As Shacknews reported earlier in the week, Far Cry Arcade is the new home for custom modding in Far Cry 5. Players will have access to all the in-game assets as well as those from Far Cry 4, Far Cry Primal, Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed: Unity. Creative players will be able to build all sorts of unique experiences for solo, co-op, and PvP within the confines of Arcade. Using the tools provided, players will be able to create their own levels and scenarios, along with custom weapon load-outs and share their creations with other Far Cry players online. 

During my hands-on time with a PS4 build of Far Cry 5, I was able to get a look at a few examples of what’s possible with Arcade. The first demo found me in a strange, creepy house full of upside down and sideways rooms, some of which were full of goats and bloody walls. Other areas were filled with things like floating clocks and furniture on the ceiling.

My task was simple: get from the room I was initially trapped in to the exit. It was basically just a giant, spooky puzzle house. Nothing ever attacked me, but I was creeped out several times by the goats as I attempted to make my escape. The exit itself was a fairly trippy experience as well, like something out of a Poltergeist film.

Where the first demo offered up an interesting twist on what could be done from a creative standpoint, the second was more of a traditional action-based experience. There was still a get from point “A” to “B” aspect to the design, only this time it involved running through a factory or warehouse designed level. It was also full of enemies and a specific target that needed to be hunted down and taken out before making my own escape.

While the house maze had been a casual exploration, this was a frantic, fast-paced action sequence. Heavily armed enemies would pop up around just about every corner. At one point I had to get to higher ground, which just made me an easier target for whatever AI opponents were left on the ground floor. My experience ended with me ziplining onto a rooftop with barely any health left to take out my target. The whole thing felt like something out of a James Bond title.

After getting a brisk grasp of the breadth of possibilities that single and co-op mods had to offer it was time to dive into PvP mode. If my experience with team deathmatch is any indication, competitive multiplayer is gonna be the good kind of ridiculous.

The PvP map was a small, asymmetrical island made up of Far Cry 4 assets, that had one team spawn in some ancient temple ruins and the other team in a small village. Two basic weapon load-outs were made available to start off with, but more powerful weapons were strewn around the map. Vehicles, including a four-person truck with a mounted turret gun, spawned on both sides of the island leading to some epic moments of violent chaos. Then there was all the wildlife running around the island, meaning there were times where’d I’d be in a shoot-out when suddenly my arm was being torn to shreds by a badger.

I feel like PvP mode is going to lead to some of the more interesting Far Cry 5 Youtube videos. I’m sure there will be plenty of people that make balanced, serious maps, but I loved the chaotic atmosphere of the level I played. I feel like it echoed the sentiment of the core game, which is that crazy stuff can happen anywhere at any moment.

For what it’s worth, I feel like Far Cry 5 was already offering an impressively full package with just their core single-player and co-op experiences. Throwing in an endless sandbox of creative tools just amplifies the potential replayability of the game. I was already looking forward to Far Cry 5’s narrative experience, and now I have another reason to look forward to launch date.

Far Cry 5 is set to launch on March 27 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

Blake Morse

Events Coordinator

Blake has been writing and making videos about pop-culture and games for over 10 years now. Although he'd probably prefer you thought of him as a musician and listened to his band, www.cartoonviolencemusic.com. If you see him on the street, buy him a taco or something. Follow him on twitter @ProfRobot