Intense action segments, expansive open worlds, and a totally intense first-person experience should be the foundation of games that are similar to Far Cry.
The first game in the series was developed by Crytek and was released in March of 2004. Due to the popularity of the game, Ubisoft obtained the rights to the franchise, and Ubisoft Montreal handles most of the development.
The Far Cry series is comprised of six main titles, all of which are equally intense as the previous one.
If you’re a fan of the franchise and you’re jonesing for another title that offers a similar experience, then you’ve come to the right place. There are several titles that are like Far Cry, and we took the liberty of compiling a list of the top picks for you.
Far Cry Game Features
📅 Release Date: | March 23, 2004 |
⚙️ Developer: | Crytek |
📀 Publisher: | Ubisoft |
🎮 Platforms: | Microsoft Windows Xbox Xbox 360 Wii Arcade PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 Xbox One Google Stadia Amazon Luna Xbox Series X/S PlayStation 5 |
🕹️ Genre: | First Person Shooter |
🚀 Setting: | Wilderness |
🧑 Game Modes: | Single Player / MultiPlayer |
1. Borderlands 3
First up on our list of games that are similar to the Far Cry franchise is Borderlands 3. This action-packed open-world first-person shooter game is just as intense as Far Cry, and it’s bound to impress. It was developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games.
It was released in September of 2019 on macOS, Windows, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and Google Stadia. What really makes this title so awesome is that it boasts enough RPG elements to create an interactive New Game+ playthrough.
In Borderlands 3, you will play as one of the Vault Hunters. All of these characters have an active ability, as well as three skill trees. As such, when you select one, and by leveling, you will have the opportunity to customize your character and make super-powerful and impressive builds.
The Hunters in Borderlands 3 are on a quest to find alien vaults that are scattered about the realm on different planets. These vaults contain treasures, and you need to find them before the Calypso twins, your adversaries, and their minions do.
You’ll use a hub ship to travel across planets and explore them freely for loot. You’ll also come up against enemies, which of course, you will need to shoot. The size of the loot is incredible, as there are literally millions of weapons, gadgets, and different kinds of armor that you can loot; moreover, much of the loot is randomized.
Finally, the combat in Borderlands 3 is rapidly paced and very unpredictable. Your adversaries are very violent and they are calculated. The amount of weapons that are available will force you to swap gears every five minutes. As such, you will always be on your toes and you will never get bored. It’s really an awesome game; however, be forewarned, because it can be a bit addicting.
2. Crysis Remastered
Developed by Crytek and published by Electronic Arts, Crysis Remastered was released in September of 2020 on Windows, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch.
This title is the successor to the Crytek’s debut Far Cry title. The remastered version was greeted with bad reviewed when it first came out, mainly because it was packed with bugs and glitches; however, the developer has corrected these issues and it working flawlessly now.
When it was first released, Crysis pushed far beyond the technical boundaries in the areas of sound and visuals. In fact, the title of the game was the foundation of a meme that urged people to test their PCs.
The newly released version, however, Is much easier on the hardware, yet the game remains the same. An action FPS that takes place in a sci-fi setting, Crysis is an action-packed adventure that takes place on 11 levels, which are semi-open, and where you go up against hordes of aliens, as well as adversary factions.
The story starts with a rescue mission. You’ll play as the main character, a soldier who is donning a cutting-edge Nanosuit. The suit turns the wearer invisible for stealth mode, and it can withstand intense fighting. Additionally, this Nanosuit can offer the solider momentary boosts in strength and speed.
In addition to the skills the suit possess, you’ll have access to a wide array of weaponry. As the AI learns, you will need to modify your tactics to accommodate the ever-changing environment. Furthermore, you have the ability to customize your weaponry, operate vehicles, and create your own path across each level.
3. Halo: Infinite
Next up we have Halo: Infinite. The Halo franchise was massively popular, but it did start losing traction; however Infinite, which had a two-part debut, put the franchise back on the map. This title was developed by 343 Industries and was published by Xbox Game Studios, and it was released in December of 2021 on Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Windows.
The multiplayer portion was the first part of the game to debut, and though it’s free, it’s lacking in the content area. This campaign debuted after, and a lot of people consider it to be the best Halo single-player experience yet.
You’ll play as Master Chief, and you are humanity’s only hope against a new, sinister threat. A new villain is introduced in this story, dubbed the “Harbinger”, and Cortana’s rogue AI plot from past entries is back, too. Additionally, Infinite presets a semi-open-world design to the Halo series.
The story takes place in Zeta, a ringworld. You have the ability to explore parts of the world freely, and you will come across closed areas until you are able to complete parts of the main story. Next, the primary quests progress on the surface and the dungeon-like locations that advance the plot.
Throughout the map, you will find lots of side content, such as “high-value targets”, propaganda towers that you can destroy, Marine squads that you can rescue, and the like.
Completing quests and side quests levels up your Valor, allowing you to unlock new weapons and vehicles, and as in other Halo titles, the gameplay in this title relies on first-person shooting against a variety of alien enemies. You will use a variety of sci-fi weapons, vehicles, and gadgets in order to take down positions, take control of fortresses, and defend locations.
4. GTA V
Grand Theft Auto as long been a popular franchise, and V is one of the biggest titles, not only in the franchise, but in the entire industry. Developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games, V was released in September of 2013 on PS3, PS4, PS5, Windows, Xbox One, Xbox Series, X/S.
This action-adventure open-world game, though it came onto the scene quite a while ago now, still continues to be relevant. What’s even more exciting is that Rockstar is going to be releasing a new-generation version, too.
In GTA V, you will play in the third-person perspective as three separate protagonists, and you can trade out at any time. These protagonists come with distinctive personalities, relationship, and lines; however, the gameplay is quite similar to Far Cry.
Speaking of gameplay, it’s a sandbox world. It’s set in an expansive open-world city, known as Los Santos, and you have the ability to explore it freely. You can also loot or purchase item. The heists continue to increase as you go. You’ll start out with small robberies, and then will move up to massive heists at large, multi-national banks, thefts, expensive vehicles, and more.
The gameplay might feel a little wonky (aiming and shooting really could be a lot better); however, the story, the driving force and the reactive authority, has made a must play.
5. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
While any title from the Assassin’s Creed series would absolutely make a suitable replacement for Far Cry, we have to say that Odyssey is the best of the best.
The game was developed by the same developer – Ubisoft Quebec – and it was published by Ubisoft. The title was released in October of 2018 on Xbox One, PS4, Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Google Stadia.
Odyssey features a massive open world, a long adventure across different locations, and dozens of map markers that pinpoint a variety of side activities. It’s the 11th main entry in the Assassin’s Creed series, and if’s set in ancient Greece.
The story places lots of emphasis on historical characters and settings. Additionally, the setting provides unique options, such as looking mystical tombs, defeating myth monsters, and going up to combat as a gladiator.
You’ll play as either Kassandra or Alexios. Both are descendants of Leonidas I, a Spartan king. Whichever character you choose, you’re a mercenary who is alive in the middle of the Peloponnesian War. Your goal is to reunite your family and defeat the Cult of Kosmos.
There are a lot of RPG elements in this action-adventure game, with tons of action; however, there isn’t a lot of stealth. You will explore, complete quests, unlock skills, level up, loot, and take on quests that get more challenging as time goes on.
Finally, the game takes place in a fully open world; however, the enemy level gates your progress. Furthermore, you do have dialogue options available, which can slightly chance the tone of a scene. It isn’t a full-on RPG, so there aren’t any branching paths or endings, despite the fact that you can choose where you go.
6. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
The latest entry of the Metal Gear Solid series, The Phantom Pain was developed by Kojima Productions and was published by Konami, and it was released in September of 2015 on PS3, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Windows. While the plotline is a bit confusing, there is a stand-along experience, which is enjoyable.
Metal Gear Five, the Phantom Pain features a semi-open-world design, so completing missions on certain parts of the map opens up new regions. Furthermore, you can approach tasks in a variety of ways; via combat, stealth, traps, and gadgets, for example.
With that said, you do still have wider freedom than in any other Metal Gear title. That means you won’t need to depend on stealth as much if you don’t want to ; however, adversaries, particularly bosses, will prevent you from accessing certain areas.
The story takes place nine years following Metal Gear; Ground Zeroes. Following a nine-year coma, you will play the game as Big Boss, the original snake. It takes place in 1984, and the character creates a private military army against the backdrop of the Cold War.
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore the world that surrounds you, and the storyline focuses on violence, war, physiological damages, and other types of atrocities.
7. Rage 2
An open-world title that was developed by che Studios and iD Software and published by Bethesda Softworks, Rage 2 was released in May of 2019 and it’s available on PS4, Microsoft Windows, Xbox One, and Google Stadia.
In addition to being an open-world game, it’s also an FPS; however, the bloodshed, violence, and overall gore really push the envelope and far exceed what Far Cry entails.
You’ll play as the main character, the last Ranger, who goes by the name Walker. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic, totally dystopian world that is far worse than the picture George Orwell painted in his famous (or infamous) book, 1984, and Walker’s goal is to help out the survivors who are most in need of help.
The gameplay involves vehicle-based combat (which is totally chaotic), fully customizable powers, and super-powerful weapons that you can use to complete your task. The world that you find yourself in is teeming with insanity, which can clearly be seen in both human and monster adversaries.
Frequently, Walker finds himself going face-to-face with sadistic gangs, and the only tools he has to take them out and survive are the horrific weapons that are at his disposal.
You can traverse the map either via vehicles or by foot. There are multiple biomes, such as jungles, deserts, lakes, and swamps, and Walker’s quest is very cumbersome and long; the same can be said about the map. With that said, there are secrets, quests, and loot hidden around virtually every corner of the map.
Both you and your adversaries can utilize loads of vehicles and powers to achieve their goals; for Walker, the goal is taking out the bad guys, and for the bad guys, the goal is taking out Walker.
The vehicles that are available include rugged bikes, cars, and gyrocopters, all of which are robust and equipped to handle the barren wastelands that fall before you. Similar to Far Cry, the enemy locations, the action-set pieces, and the quests hold to the “rising action” concept and will only grow later as you progress.
8. Sunset Overdrive
Next up on our list of games that are similar to Far Cry is Sunset Overdrive. This title was developed by Insomniac Games and was published by Microsoft Studios. It was released in October of 2014 and it is available on Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.
It’s a third-person playground shooter game, and it involves playing through a collection of quests that take place on an open-world map. Each of the quests occur in isolated locations, such as skate parks and even circuses.
The story in Sunset Drive takes place in the year 2027, in a city that is completely under siege. A popular energy drink has turned the unsuspecting citizens into toxic, zombie-like mutants, and you, the main character and hero, are one of the few people who haven’t been affected.
While the situation is dire, the main character finds that it the opportunity that he has been waiting for; an opportunity to escape his humdrum, go-nowhere, do-nothing life and save the world.
The characters in Sunset Drive go up to combat in a third-person perspective. You’ll use a variety of weapons, and each one of the weapons causes different effects, such as damage on an elemental level. You also have loads of traversal abilities at your disposal, such as skating, gliding, diving, and a whole lot more. The combat is high-energy, rapid-pace, and super-agile.
You have loads of options to choose from, such as running up walls, leaping off of the roofs of buildings, and grinding across power lines. You have the ability to take out enemies from all imaginable angles and utilize elements from the world that surrounds you for both defense and attack.
Finally, in Sunset Drive, you have the ability to level up, which enables you to customize special abilities and weapons. Like the rest of the game, the perks each character offers are kind of cartoon-like, yet they are attractive. The game offers a high-energy parkour experience that delivers a new collection of rules for shooter titles.
9. Metro Exodus
If you’re looking for an immersive survival horror game that offers an experience that is similar to Far Cry, then you are definitely going to want to check out Metro Exodus. The title was developed by 4A Games and was published by Deep Silver.
It was released in February of 2019 and it is available on Linux, Microsoft Windows, macOS, SteamOS, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Google Stadia, Nintendo Switch, and Luna. It’s a first-person shooter game and it made a spot on our list of games that are like Far Cry because it’s offers one of the best experiences the genre has to offer, despite the fact that, when compared to Far Cry, it’s a lot more linear and grounded.
The main character in Metro Exodus is a character called Artyom, whom, of course, you will play as. He is the leader of a group of fellow survivors who somehow managed to escape with their lives after a nuclear war occurred.
During the war, residents of Moscow took shelter in the tunnels of the metro. After several years pass, you find yourself leading the group up onto the surface for the very first time since the war ended and the dust settled.
The map in Metro Exodus takes you across a variety of semi-open worlds. In order to progress to the next part of the game, you first have to successfully complete the primary quest in each area. Furthermore, you can complete side quests; however, it’s important to note that there aren’t any markers for these side quests.
As a matter of fact, there aren’t any maps and there aren’t any in-game menus. The game is, as mentioned, highly immersive, and as such, every action occurs in-game and in real-time. This includes checking the map, utilizing binoculars, illuminating locations, surveilling the levels of radiation in the above world, and modifying existing or crafting new weapons to use for defense and survival.
Combat in this game is very dangerous and highly tactical, yet very frantic. You will go up against other factions, and mutated monsters. With that said, however, your ammunition and your supplies are very scarce, so you have to use extreme care and plan accordingly when you approach each situation and determine what it is that you are going to do.
Finally, the stealth is super-strong in Metro. You do have the ability to sneak by the majority of the locations, to take out enemies in stealth mode, and utilize silent weapons. These things are necessary, especially during the first few hours that you’re playing, as your character will be weaker than the majority of the enemies that you will come up against.
All in all, Metro Exodus offers excellent gameplay, great graphics, and is highly engaging. If you are a fan of Far Cry, then you are definitely going to want to check out this title, as it definitely won’t disappoint.
Summing It Up
If you’re a fan of Far Cry and you are looking for other titles that offer a highly-engaging, thought-provoking, action-packed, and just plain enjoyable, then you’re definitely going to want to check out at least one – if not al – of the titles that are outlined above. Each of the 10 titles featured on this list boast their own unique elements, yet offer features that are quite similar to Far Cry, and will be sure to make for an enjoyable experience.