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Our top pick for the best Far Cry games, after looking at the main series and all the spin-off titles, is Far Cry 5. Thanks to its more focused gameplay and varied side missions, it's still the strongest full Far Cry experience. If you are looking to meet the best villain in the series, Far Cry 3 is our pick, and for the best spin-off, we'd go with Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.
Our ranking of the best Far Cry games is here to help you discover the highlights of Ubisoft's long-running FPS series.
Counted among some of the best action games of their day, and delivering ingredients commonly found among some of the best FPS games out there, the series has taken us to many sprawling open-world locations. So if you're ready to explore the standout adventures, read on below as we take you through the best Far Cry games.
Article continues belowThe 10 best Far Cry games, starting with...
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.
Currently, you can still try it out today via Xbox backwards compatibility with the Xbox 360 release, Far Cry Instincts Predator, which includes the original game.
9. Far Cry
Developer: Crytek
Platform(s): PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Release date: September 27, 2005
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.
You can play Far Cry today on PC via Steam (without the multiplayer component) or on Xbox with Far Cry Classic.
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 sabretooth 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. Read our Far Cry Primal review for more details.
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 head 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. Head over to our Far Cry 6 review for more insights.
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.
5. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC
Release date: April 30, 2013
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. Read our Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review for more insights.
Thanks to the release of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Classic Edition, you can try this one out on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 today (without online features).
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 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. Check out our Far Cry 3 review to learn more.
Far Cry 3 Classic Edition is optimized for Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 if you want to revisit this entry today.
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? On one hand, though, that makes this Himalayan-set sequel feel 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 are 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. Read our Far Cry 4 review for more details!
Far Cry 4 got a free update to run at 60FPS on Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 in 2025 if you want to tuck into this adventure on current-gen consoles.
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 the 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, and 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 flame-grill all those lovely zebras. Learn more in our Far Cry 2 review, where we called it, "an intelligently designed game with the concept of thoughtful killing at its center."
Far Cry 2 is playable today on PC via Steam and on Xbox via backwards compatibility.
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. Read our Far Cry 5 review for more on our top pick of the best Far Cry game to play right now.
Looking for something fresh to get your teeth into? Check out our list of the best adventure games next.
