The Far Cry series has always been at the forefront of open world game design, meshing not only the kind of action that makes for some of the best FPS games out there, but a freedom in mission design that means you can approach things your own way. For the first three games, there was nothing else like it on the market. It's been redefining what "open" means in gaming for the past two decades. Each one has added more complexity, from smarter enemies, to adding to your arsenal of weapons with deep customization systems. Ubisoft have created something special here.
But, given there's so many, and each so massive and jam-packed with content, where to begin? Especially as a series that's defined its genre, not every entry will be easy to revisit in a modern context. And, with different settings and theming each time, there's plenty to distinguish them on that front. Each has its own storyline, weapon feel, and approach to structure that'll appeal to some more than others. Still, it's a mission we've chosen to undertake, ranking them right here for you.
Recent updates
This list of the best Far Cry games was updated on November 6. Now that all of Far Cry 6's expansions have been released, we've made sure to factor that in when assembling our new ranking
10. Far Cry Instincts
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): Xbox
Release date: September 27, 2005
Far Cry’s console debut is understandably less ambitious than the pioneering 2004 adventure that started the series. Limited by original Xbox hardware, this more linear shooter strips down the agency of the first PC game to provide a technically confident, yet predictable OG Xbox shooter. Does Instinct come close to challenging Halo for Team Green’s FPS crown? Obviously not. But as far as early '00s shooters go, Instincts ain’t half bad.
Learn more in our Far Cry Instincts review where we said that it "feel[s] more focused thanks to slightly less freedom to go anywhere and do anything"
9. Far Cry
Developer: Crytek
Platform(s): PC (Classic Edition: PS3, Xbox 360)
Release date: September 27, 2005 (Classic Edition: February 11, 2014)
The tropical adventure that kicked off Ubisoft’s ambitious series was initially developed by Crytek, not one of the French publisher’s internal studios. Perhaps the most freeform shooter of the early noughties, Far Cry was one of the first games to introduce sandbox mechanics into the FPS genre. Letting your Hawaiian mercenary cut loose across a gloriously sunny archipelago, the original Far Cry distanced itself from the shooter pack by giving you a variety of vehicles, optional routes, and a hugely open map to cause chaos across. Are the late-game mutants you fight utterly silly? Absolutely. Still, as a pioneering showcase for early 2000s era PC hardware, Far Cry is right up there with Half-Life 2 and Doom 3.
8. Far Cry Primal
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: February 23, 2016
Perhaps the ultimate expression of Far Cry’s obsession with animal sidekicks. Far Cry Primal is a caveman detour that remains the most experimental of all of the series’ mainline entries. Shunting players into the fury toga of a surprisingly talkative neanderthal, Far Cry Primal channels the prehistoric spirit that the first Far Cry initially aimed to tap into – turns out, the 2004 Crytek shooter was originally going to involve dinosaurs, not slightly disappointing mutant murder.
Primal may not give you shotguns or AK47s, but who needs automatic weapons when you can command a chorus line of ancient feral beasts to murder your enemies at the drop of a prehistoric hat? Tame wolves, bears, leopards, and even sabertooth tigers, then set them on your cavemen foes with all the precision of furry, heat-seeking missiles. While Primal’s bows and clubs are perfectly satisfying, no other game in the series nails animal assaults quite like this bold prequel. We'd love to turn back the clock in a future entry in the series.
Learn more in our Far Cry Primal review where we said its "limited selection [of weapons] turns Primal into a far more aggressive game than its predecessors"
7. Far Cry 6
Developer: Ubisoft Toronto
Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One
Release date: February 23, 2016
Far Cry 6 is set on the fictional island of Yara (loosely based on Cuba) you're tasked with leading a guerilla revolution, taking up audacious experimental weapons to fight back against a brutal dictatorship led by Antón Castillo, as portrayed by Giancarlo Esposito. Gorgeous visuals, weighty weapons, and smart enemy AI paint a promising start, evolving series pillars in mostly smart ways. Yet, for some reason, it leans heavily on spin-off Far Cry New Dawn's RPG-like leveling system, aggressively scaling up enemy strength at certain points which butts heads with the Far Cry promise of offering freeform sandbox fun. Instead, it can make stealth feel pointless, and force you to use certain weapons just to match enemy strengths. The higher level you get, the less joyous it becomes, turning into more of a chore. It's a shame, as the basis here is great, but it's simply at odds with itself. The same goes for its tone, which doesn't know if it wants to be zany or serious. For the next game, Ubisoft really needs to return to the core of what makes Far Cry so special.
Learn more in our Far Cry 6 review where we said that "the series' delight in total chaos is still front and center"
6. Far Cry New Dawn
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: February 15, 2019
Far Cry New Dawn is an unnecessary yet enjoyable Far Cry 5 spin-off that, if nothing else, proves the forthcoming apocalypse is going to be really pink. This brash side adventure succeeds by taking its parent game’s gorgeous open-world and making it overgrown… and extra homicidal. Battling a doomsday cult led by charismatic twin antagonists Mickey and Lou, you earn new homemade specialist weapons like the saw launcher. Introducing a leveling system of sorts, the open world doesn't always feel quite as on equal footing, making where you explore a bit risk-reward. Still, it leaves quite the impression.
Learn more in our Far Cry New Dawn review where we said it "push[es] Far Cry’s survivalist formula further than it’s ever been"
5. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Release date: April 30, 2013 (Classic Edition: December 16, 2021)
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is perhaps one of the silliest spin-offs in video game history… and that’s in no way a complaint. Following the huge success of Far Cry 3, Ubisoft naturally decided to follow up the landmark shooter with a game starring *checks notes* ‘80s action hero Michael Biehn. Sounds about right. One of the first post-Millennium games to embrace 1980s culture, Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon went big on synth-heavy, deliciously cheesy music, neon dragons so bright they could singe your corneas, and a knowingly stupid script that makes Commando look like Citizen Kane. Blood Dragon is a joyously fun, self-deprecating side excursion. Many have since tried to imitate its deliciously irreverent tone. Many have failed.
Learn more in our Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review where we called it "the kind of game you get when developers have a chance to really let their imagination run free"
4. Far Cry 3
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Release date: November 29, 2012 (Classic Edition: June 26, 2018)
I know, I know. Vaas is iconic and near peerless, and the way he hangs over the opening hours of this tropical island-set open world is fantastic. But if anything, how great the first half of Far Cry 3 is only serves to highlight how it loses its way a bit towards the end, not quite knowing what it had until it lost it. Even so, this is arguably the most influential title Ubisoft has ever made, Far Cry 3’s reach spans way beyond the shooter genre. Everything from The Crew to Assassin’s Creed has benefitted from the features the Rook Islands shooter introduced. Revealing key map points by scaling a lofty structure. Taking enemy outposts through a combination of stealth and outright slaughter. Hunting critters for equipment upgrades. Whether inspiring gameplay features in Red Dead Redemption 2 or Horizon Zero Dawn, Far Cry 3 should be held in the same sort of genre-defining company as Grand Theft Auto 3.
Learn more in our Far Cry 3 review where we said that "when tigers, bears, or other distractions randomly interrupt those missions, you'll have some pretty awesome stories to tell"
3. Far Cry 4
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Release date: November 18, 2014
There are two ways to feel about Far Cry 4. After three games of experimentation, the massive success of Far Cry 3 cemented a firmer formula. Why fix what isn't broken? One one hand, though, that makes this Himalayan-set sequel feels very much like a sequel in the same mold. Pagan Min is another campy villain like Vaas was, and the camp clearing is structured similarly, but across (of course) more mountains. Yet, what an iteration it is. Cross-gen, it stunned on the newer platforms at the time, and still looks gorgeous today. Co-op is a blast too. Weapon handling feels better, and there's even a gyrocopter you can use to take advantage of that verticality. Both enemy and animal AI is much improved, better selling the location as a real environment you must react to. And, say what you will about Pagan Min, but he's an interesting evolution of the Vaas-type villain, and is at least utilized more here. There's nothing wrong with iteration if you're genuinely moving things forward, and front to back Far Cry 4 is just one of the most exhilarating rides there is.
Learn more in our Far Cry 4 review where we said that "the firefights mash together AI and terrain features in brilliantly silly ways"
2. Far Cry 2
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release date: October 21, 2008
Ah yes, the one with all the fire. Well over a decade on, Far Cry 2 attracts a cult following unlike any other entry in the series. Far removed from the Dr. Moreau monster-slaying action of the original game, this brutally gritty sequel is a shooter that loves to make you suffer. Contract malaria, then gobble down pills every 15 minutes to avoid a game-ending blackout. Barely survive one of dozens of highly guarded roadside outposts, only for your rickety jeep’s engine to stall after you’ve gunned down half a dozen tooled-up guerrillas. Head into a firefight with a loyal sidekick… then revive them every 17 seconds because they constantly keep getting shot in the spleen.
But crucially, this commitment to harsh realism does make this African open-world super rewarding. When every victory you scratch out involves the constant juggling act of pill-popping, engine-fixing, gun-repairing instant reactions, the eventual victories prove hugely satisfying. Oh, and the fire effects are amazing. Want to burn down an entire virtual Sergenti with a flamethrower? Have at it! Just try not to flamegrill all those lovely zebras.
Learn more in our Far Cry 2 review where we said that "an intelligently designed game with the concept of thoughtful killing at its centre"
1. Far Cry 5
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Toronto
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Release date: March 27, 2018
Trading far-flung locales for something closer to home in the USA, it's deliberately uncomfortable how little difference that actually makes in Far Cry 5. Villainous cult leader Joseph Seed has just as much power as any of the antagonists in earlier games. In the right circumstances, that balance can shift. Fanaticism is always dangerous. As a deputy sheriff it's up to you to put a stop to his world-endangering schemes, and the freeform open world really lives up to that promise, allowing you to tackle situations almost entirely as you please whether that's exploding silos, bopping topless cultists on the noggin, or harvesting, uh, bison, testes. Revisiting the themes of control and sanity of Far Cry 3, here it's simply more cohesive throughout, making this the strongest full experience and an adventure you simply can't afford to miss.
Learn more in our Far Cry 5 review where we said that "five comes alive with a great location, sharper design, and less clutter"
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