#fc wasn’t that great but the ending cutscene saved it

[dobercorgis]

I did say before that I didn’t really want a dlc prequel and after playing fr I still do kind of think that. Even just thematically an epilogue seemed more fitting, but I guess not.

It did have some good parts! I think I understand N some more now (tbh I didn’t care for him in the main game) and family angst/drama is always spicy. Loved seeing Shulk and Rex again and I loved the interactions with them and their kids. Esp Shulk and Nikol just nerding out together. Also did not expect Rex to have that kind of parenting style haha. They really did go all out on the fanservice which I adored and found funny at the same time. And some of them were references to side quests or just lore which I appreciated so it wasn’t just all surface level references. Also they mentioned how Melia has been captured several times and Shulk never comments on it which is an interesting choice.

But I feel like overall it didn’t answer a lot of my questions about the main game and left me with more questions instead. Also it was much shorter than I expected. Even with the forced community padding in torna… it still feels like fr was much shorter. When I was fighting Alpha I was like this feels like a final boss but it feels like I haven’t been even playing for that long. Pacing was fine don’t get me wrong, it just felt… lacking. Also with how xc3 and to an extent fr was supposed to be the ending for the klaus trilogy, it doesn’t really feel like one? It’s not that there’s loose ends, I don’t really think there are any, it’s just that it doesn’t really feel “complete” ig and just leaves a lot of things unanswered. And while I don’t rlly like info dumps, xc does a decent job at them and is sometimes crucial for understanding the lore, and we just don’t really get one in xc3. I was kind of expecting a few scenes or maybe just a glimpse of the post-merge world of the xc3 or fr cast but didn’t get that. Which I get, but I still would’ve liked to see it.

I’m not really sure how to feel about how they handled Alvis. Man really did lose his melanin when he split but you never really see him in proper lighting so it’s not as obvious as in the art ig… Honestly with all the xc1 fanservice I expected more interactions with Shulk and A but uh nothing much happened other than Shulk calling A Alvis at the end. I get that he’s a computer and the logic behind how he became that way makes sense but it just seems so contradictory towards xc1 Alvis where he understood yes humanity shapes future with their own will, etc. Ik that part of Alvis became A but idk it’s complicated.

I saw ppl saying how Shulk and Rex overshadowed the rest of the cast when they were introduced, and I think I’m the only one that didn’t feel that way. I think the narrative just shifted course to focusing on those characters to focusing on the lore and world. And a lot of those were references to xc1 and xc2 which did give those two some more screen time since they’re one of the very few that remember those worlds. That being said, I do think Matthew is the weakest protag in the series. He just didn’t have a lot of time to shine and the story’s focus isn’t really on him. Glimmer and esp Nikol also felt lacking in the character department. They weren’t bad characters but they didn’t have much presence. At least they had connections to Rex and Shulk to work with.

The exploration was great though. Have a fully connected open world was cool, and I loved the little things you could look for like the ether, containers, relics, etc. Didn’t play X, but I think fr had the best exploration so far.

OH and the xc1 parallels! Like the zoom in on A’s eye at the end! And how you warped to the final boss similar to how you went to memory space after beating Dickson. And apparently it was intentional??? Like Alvis Alpha what are you cooking???

While the credits song isn’t my favorite, seeing scenes from all 3 games just made me feel stuff esp after seeing older Shulk and Rex. Like yes look at how they used to be, look at how they and we have come. And it was just AGH

Maybe I just need some time to sit on it, but I think it’s my least favorite dlc story so far. I think my expectations for both xc3 and fr were a bit too high which might be why I feel this way. Overall, I think I could’ve been satisfied which just watching the cutscenes or a let’s play.

[teamhawkeye]

Top 10 Far Cry Songs

i wasn’t tagged to do this, but i saw @tomexraider‘s post and choices and it got me thinking and i wanted to make my list too!

i’m gonna totally cheat and break this down by the background score and the original soundtrack + licensed soundtrack songs, because having the pick just 10 out of all the FC music would be absolutely impossible for me. without further ado-

RULES: list your top ten songs from the Far Cry franchise and list your reasoning behind your picks.

score:

Far Cry 3 / Further (feat. Serena McKinney) - Brian Tyler (both of them) | Far Cry 3 (they’re nearly identical songs - one has a solo vocalist and the other has a violin solo - so i included them both. both so powerful: the first is at the start of the game and the second is played into the credits so they bookend the entire game for you. still give me chills)

Journey Into Madness - Brian Tyler | Far Cry 3 (the moment this one’s tied to - your first up close glimpse of Hoyt and the rush to get the information to save your buddy Oliver - is one of my favorites. So tense and urgent and makes you feel a little small after the high of “Kick the Hornet’s Nest” immediately preceding it)

Sloan’s Assault - Power Glove | Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (i love the entire Blood Dragon OST for being synthwave/retrowave - that is absolutely my jam, synth, 80s, and 80s synth are my bread and butter. this one in particular is so heart-pumping and energizing)

Royal Reception - Cliff Martinez | Far Cry 4 (plays in De Pleur’s mansion at the very start and plays again if you play through the whole game and finally reach Lakshmana with Pagan. There’s just something very haunting about it - it’s mired in intrigue at the start, when you’re not sure where you are or just what you should be doing)

Lakshmana - Cliff Martinez | Far Cry 4 (absolutely stunning - both tragic and beautiful. it speaks of lost and eternal love and it’s both calming and sobering)

When the Morning Light Shines In - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (this one...this always feels like coming home. opening up the map and being greeted with this just brings a feeling of warmth and happiness and belonging to me)

The Blessing Just Takes Minutes - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (this is one of my favorite “battle” themes - it just speaks of high adrenaline and fighting hard to victory)

Their Thrones Become Electric Chairs - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (”YOU ARE BEING HUNTED/YOU’VE BEEN MARKED”...that infamous cue comes from this one. Very industrial, sinister, and foreboding - as most of the score in the Whitetails region is - but it’s absolutely invigorating)

Faith’s Bunker Theme (Walk the Path) - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (absolutely haunting. it perfectly fits the hallucinatory state of Faith’s Gate and the emotional state of having just beat Faith and trying to reach the Sheriff in time. never officially released, but absolutely one of the strongest tracks of the whole game)

Bold and Brave - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (the backend of John’s boss battle, after his plane gets shot down into his death cutscene. it’s equal parts sinister and tragic - which fits John so well - but there’s also such an undercurrent of energy in that first half that really speaks to Rook’s need to finally stop John)

OST + Licensed soundtrack:

Make It Bun Dem - Skrillex & Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley | Far Cry 3 (it’s iconic for a reason - such an incredible mission and objective is tied to it. always reminds you what makes Far Cry games so much fun)

Paper Planes - M.I.A. | Far Cry 3 (what an opener. FC3 has some of the best and most memorable music of the series)

Should I Stay or Should I Go - The Clash | Far Cry 4 (another great opener - and closer, if you like to get the Secret Ending a lot like i do, haha. such a promise of the chaos and fun of Pagan Min’s character)

The River - The Bombay Royale | Far Cry 4 (such a good song to amp you up for the face-to-face with Pagan after spending 90% of the game away from him and communicating via only radio. it just scales up the tension for the confrontation so well)

Oh John - Dan Romer/Hammock | Far Cry 5 (i’m cheating and putting two versions of it - you could even throw the Hope County Choir version of it in here too. it’s just such a upbeat and catchy song in its original form sung by - and the Reinterpretation version of it is so dreamy and soothing, i adore them both so much)

Oh the Bliss - Dan Romer/Hammock | Far Cry 5 (cheating again by throwing in 2 versions, but oh well. it’s such a beautiful song when sung by Jenny Owen Youngs and so haunting and captivating in its Reinterpretation version - perfect for Faith)

We Will Rise Again - Dan Romer | Far Cry 5 (i just love how beautiful this one is sung - major kudos to Meredith Godreau)

Only You (And You Alone) - The Platters | Far Cry 5 (this song has forever been changed for me after FC5 - it’s hard to explain to my parents why such a romantic and sweet song can make my hair stand on end when it’s played unexpectedly, haha. speaks to the impact it made by this particular song being chosen for such an important aspect of the story)

We’ll Meet Again - Vera Lynn | Far Cry 5 (forget John whistling it in The Confession for a sec - i’ll never forget beating FC5 for the first time and the shock of ending it with Joseph being right and he and Rook alone in that bunker as the screen faded to black and this song kicked in. it was an absolute gut punch - i wasn’t necessarily mad, just completely blown away and trying to process what had just happened. it was so powerful)

Disco Inferno - The Trammps | Far Cry 5 (”Burn, Baby, Baby” remains one of my favorite missions in FC5 - the absolute insanity of Sharky’s introduction is so outrageous and fun and represents everything to love about Far Cry games)

it hurt me to leave off some of my other favorites, but i did my best to keep things level and not have everything be solely from FC3 or FC5, lol. anyway, let me know what some of your faves are!

i’ll tag @starsandskies @seedlingsinner @josephseeds-rosary @lxmbert @foofygoldfish @chyrstis @weekend-writer @amistrio @minilev @fadedjacket @red-nightskies and anyone else who would like to jump in and make their own list - be sure to tag me so i can see it!