If one thing is clear, is that Far Cry 5 was one of 2018’s top games. Ubisoft’s shooter combined superb first-person action with great open world gameplay, characters and story, and is one of the series’ best entries to date as we pointed out in our review.
So it’s not surprising (and also taking into account the game’s cool USA setting) that the game sold gangbusters last year, bringing in more than $300 million US dollars in its launch week alone.
And in a recent earnings call, Ubisoft revealed Far Cry 5 is the company’s best-selling game this generation, as was recently reported on VG247. This means Far Cry 5 even beat Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on console, the best-selling entry to date in its long-running series of historical video games.
So, what could have made Far Cry 5 such a top-seller for Ubisoft? Aside from this being a terrific game overall, it’s likely the superbly-realised USA setting helped draw people into Ubisoft’s open-world shooter. Also, the fact the story deals with cults and rural America likely resonated with gamers in the wake of president Donald Trump’s victory in the US election.
It’s also great to see how far the Far Cry franchise has come. After all, the original Far Cry, despite being a hit, did not exactly have mainstream appeal: it’s super-hard difficulty, PC-only quirks and Duke Nukem-style macho protagonist would likely turn off any gamer nowadays.
Actually, the series did not really become more appealing to the masses until Far Cry 3 was released: it’s appealing characters, superb gameplay and beautiful island setting led to it selling millions, and it’s arguably also the series’ best game to date.
Another good thing for Far Cry fans is the fact that Far Cry 5’s success almost certainly guarantees Ubisoft will be releasing another entry in the franchise – where and when Far Cry 6 will be set is anyone’s guess though. And there’s also the upcoming movie to look forward to (which will hopefully be better than 2008’s dismal effort).
Aside from revealing that Far Cry 5 is its best-selling game to date on console, Ubisoft announced sales of 1.8 billion Euros ($2 billion) overall during its earnings call, and also the fact that it’s gearing up to launch three new AAA games in the coming months – we’ll likely know more about these at the E3 show taking place in Los Angeles next month.
This is aside the launch of Ghost Recon Breakpoint which is coming this October, while the French company’s much-vaunted pirate simulator Skull & Bones has now been delayed until at least 2020.
But still, Far Cry 5’s success is still something to celebrate if you’re one of the millions who enjoy the franchise, while Ubisoft’s recent success will likely bring a smile to many taking into account this is one of the most iconic companies in gaming, so here’s hoping the French company keeps delivering great games in the future.