10 Best Open-World Games Of 2018
9. Far Cry 5
Ubisoft, even more so than Activision with Call of Duty, has fashioned itself a reputation for being at the forefront of relying on iteration rather than innovation for its (bi)annual franchises, and while that model inevitably leads to overfamiliarity and fatigue, Far Cry 5 sets itself apart from its predecessors with just enough changes under the hood to make Hope County worth the time investment.
Topping that list of welcome changes is Ubisoft's decision to do away with gating huge chunks of playable space behind arbitrary story progress, instead allowing free reign of Hope County from the get-go. It's that same reluctance to hold players' hands that elevates Far Cry 5's narrative progression system above its predecessor's too, even if its core characters ultimately failed to leave a lasting impression like Far Cry 3 and 4's Vaas and Pagan Min respectively.
Those highs, coupled with an exhaustive list of new gadgets and tools - including Far Cry Primal's adored animal taming system - make strategising outpost liberations and other inevitable conflicts more freeform than ever before.