Despite facing a downhill with its most recent installment, the Far Cry franchise has been a strong contender in the FPS genre. With each game dropping the player into a brand new area of wilderness and outlaws, the series has both wowed and disappointed fans with its subsequent additions to a classic open-world survival FPS genre.
Now that many are likely to have time to revisit their favorite franchises, it's the perfect occasion to appreciate the good, the bad and the ugly in Far Cry's franchise. Ranked based on Metacritic's user ratings for PC primarily, and console when they're exclusive, the only games not included are smaller DLCs, as well as Paradise Lost, which is a simple arcade game port.
12 Far Cry New Dawn (2019) - 3.8
It's a sad truth, but the latest release has been a bitter disappointment. Set 17 years after the events of Far Cry 5, instead of offering a brand new, fresh experience, Far Cry New Dawn just feels like a lazy copy of the previous game.
With less content, less immersion in story and boring gameplay that forces players to grind, it's really not worth the investment.
11 Far Cry Primal (2016) - 5.5
With rumors going around about Primal using the exact same map as Far Cry 4, this installment in the franchise really wasn't primed for much success.
While the concept of the game is a bit different, setting the player in pre-modern days to grind to become a tribal leader, Primal offers little to do after a while, and has a screaming lack of weapons and great storyline in general.
10 Far Cry Vengeance (2006) - 5.5
Vengeance's lack of popularity may have had something to do with the fact that it was released on Nintendo Wii. Given that the Wii isn't known for being shooter-friendly, it's no wonder many fans weren't excited about this game.
The graphics are the primary problem, along with lackluster enemies. Due to the Wii's restrictions, the game doesn't quite live up to the hype of the previous Far Cry offerings.
9 Far Cry 2 (2008) - 5.9
While the first sequel of a game usually tends to be good, Far Cry 2 is not among them. Sure, it features an amazingly beautiful open-world and a brand new environment to get lost in. However, it falls apart with how repetitive it gets. One of the main complaints has been the insanely quick respawn rate of enemies, which takes away from immersion and can be extremely annoying to deal with.
8 Far Cry Instincts (2005) - 5.9
Serving as inspiration for Paradise Lost, Instincts was actually a pretty good Xbox game back in 2005. It came out at the time of the Halo boom, and was successfully able to compete in the world of console shooters.
Instincts looked great, felt great and its multiplayer didn't leave any fans cold. But keep in mind, it's an old game, so it does have its flaws as well, namely its rudimentary enemy AI.
7 Far Cry 5 (2018) - 6.1
Highly controversial, Far Cry 5 still solidly makes it just past the average mark due to its gorgeous graphics, refreshing setting and doomsday cult storyline.
That being said, players have complained about the AI being subpar to previous Far Cry games, making this game far too easy as a shooter. Moreover, many were disappointed by the fact that the main character had no unique voice or personality.
6 Far Cry Instincts: Predator (2006) - 6.4
Although it could technically be considered a DLC, Predator still deserves its own honorable mention here as a separate Xbox 360 game. It did to Instincts what was desperately needed in the franchise: upgraded it.
With even better graphics and the ability to edit maps and edit characters for online gaming, it was just what the fans could have hoped for at its time.
5 Far Cry Instincts: Evolution (2006) - 6.6
Another addition to Instincts, this sequel expanded on the popular FPS title for Xbox by introducing a new storyline. While graphics haven't improved yet in Evolution, it brings in a respectable amount of new content, including weapons and vehicles.
Evolution also introduced the map creation tool for the first time, which was revolutionary for its time, especially on console.
4 Far Cry 4 (2014) - 6.8
Overall, Far Cry 4 isn't a bad game, and ranks easily at the top of the franchise. It improves a lot of features from Far Cry 3, and has all the building blocks of a successful game of the series, including a gorgeous open-world and an actually scary villain.
Especially after the game was patched to be better optimized, it's become a staple in the series. However, some fans have criticized Far Cry 4 for being too similar to its predecessor, having hoped for something even more different and better.
3 Far Cry (2004) - 8.0
The first in the series always tends to be among the best, and this is no different with Far Cry. Although the game is about 16 years old, it still holds up as a solid introduction into the adventure and shooter genre.
At its time, Far Cry was revolutionary. Players could complete stages in different ways, whereas typically games used linear progression to complete missions.
2 Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013) - 8.1
While it could be considered a DLC, Blood Dragon was released as a standalone game, and therefore deserves its own mention here. Not only does Blood Dragon look very different with its cyberpunk dystopian style, but it's based on the best version of Far Cry so far.
The support for this game is overwhelming, thanks to its cool, somewhat comedic '80s art style. Although a short game, its unique look makes it unforgettable.
1 Far Cry 3 (2012) - 8.3
A massive success when it came out, Far Cry 3 is the crown jewel of the franchise, with real stakes, real choices and real consequences. Not to mention, its villain, Vaas Montenegro, became one of the most iconic characters in gaming history.
Immersive exploration, vast open-world and a truly engaging story that takes the player into the shoes of Jason, who needs to save his friends from pirates, it's everything a Far Cry fan could wish for in a game.