Sometimes I don’t know what I want until I know what I don’t. It’s been six years since Far Cry 6 dropped us off on the island of Yara, five of which I’ve spent wondering how developer Ubisoft might one-up on its greatest hit (cough: that’s Far Cry 5) with Far Cry 7 in development as of 2021.
But I’m not here to argue about the best Far Cry games, despite how correct I am. I wish I had more positivity to share, but from Ubisoft’s alleged use of generative AI to the harsh real-world time limits spoken of in various rumored “leaks”, I have to be blunt about one of my favorite FPS series: the future of Far Cry sounds impossibly bleak.
Planting the Seeds
The most fun I have ahead of a major game launch is indulging myself in fan theories. Sometimes, they can be better than the actual thing – I still can’t believe Capcom didn’t actualize my wildest prediction about Resident Evil Requiem. When it comes to Far Cry 7, that rumor mill has been going haywire for years now.
It’s not all been bad news. I could handle the heavier tilt toward online multiplayer, as was theorized five years ago. More recent leaks suggest a Taken-style plot, where the protagonist character must rescue their family in a certain real-world time frame, and I don’t hate the idea as much as begrudge the prospect of rushing through a stunning open world just because the game says so.
Again, all of this is pure speculation at this point. But with recent news suggesting that Ubisoft has been using Far Cry 7 to experiment with generative AI, I have to kindly ask: has Ubisoft been huffing some of Hope Seed’s psychotropic flowers, or is there something else in the water?
That “something” happens to be a massive company-wide restructure. The move, which is still ongoing, saw Ubisoft consolidating its brands under five creative houses, with the first seeing Far Cry, Assassin’s Creed, and Rainbow Six Siege to be managed by Vantage Studios from hereon out. This change has led to “disappointing” short term financials, according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot in the company’s latest earnings call, with a sight to see a turnaround later down the line with major releases for these top IPs slated for 2027 and beyond.
All that to say, it’s clear Ubisoft is taking its time with Far Cry 7 and Assassin’s Creed Hexe as it cleans up house. The fact that we have zero details confirmed about Far Cry 7 at this stage wouldn’t usually bother me too much (see above), but the silence paired with Ubisoft’s restructuring has me feeling uneasy. Even if the developer is allegedly playing around with generative AI using its current build of Far Cry 7 to test out Teammates, its separate gen-AI NPC initiative is enough to make me balk.
Destination unknown
I’d hate to see Ubisoft play with its food too much on the hunt for novelty
I’m not ready for generative AI in my Far Cry, and I’m less ready for whatever Teammates is. But if Ubisoft is comfortable enough to experiment with gen-AI in this capacity at all, it speaks volumes about what the restructure might bring.
Ubisoft’s poor fiscal performance in the past two years has brought with it a desire for change, and what better way for it to leverage its newly-minted Tencent partnership by leaning into the Chinese company’s penchant for AI-powered gaming solutions? Implementing something like Tencent’s Giinex – which helps developers experiment with generative AI-powered NPCs – in a Far Cry game is suddenly an actual possibility, as is the use of GameGen-X in creating procedurally-generated AI open worlds.
Generative AI in video games is not my cup of tea (shock, horror), but it also sounds like a terrible move for Far Cry 7. This is an FPS series where Ubisoft has delivered some of its most inventive work, from Blood Dragon’s ridiculous ’80s camp to romping about Midwest America with a friendly bear called Cheeseburger. Then there are those Far Cry 7 leaks which, if true, point to it being the most adventurous take on the series’ format yet. With rumors of timed conditions and numerous protagonists being enough of an envelope-push for the new game as it is, I’d hate to see Ubisoft play with its food too much on the hunt for novelty over a game that players actually want.
Surely with this much time on its hands, Ubisoft can find a way to actually make a game rather than let a machine generate one – even if it’ll be hard pressed to top Far Cry 5. Like, ever.
Check out all the upcoming Ubisoft games that have been revealed so far, from Assassin’s Creed Codename Hexe to the future of Rainbow Six Siege.
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