Ubisoft's 'Far Cry' Isn't 'Jurassic Park', But It's Getting Closer

Last October, Ubisoft dropped an unexpected announcement trailer for the next installment of Far Cry that didn’t quite have what many players expected. Gone were the days of AK-47s and wingsuits, in favor of a more “primal” approach: bows, stone-tipped spears, and tamable mammoths. Sure, Far Cry Primal is shaping up to be an interesting addition to the series, but it’s missing one thing — dinosaurs.

Ever since Far Cry 3 released on the Xbox 360, it’s been an idea floating around in many people’s heads — especially due to Ubisoft Montreal’s capacity to produce a living, open world filled with believable characters and plot points. I mean, who didn’t think about running into a Tyrannosaurus Rex while running through the jungles of Rook Island?

The nice thing about Far Cry’s current formula is that it’s designed for a setting like Jurassic Park. Think about it: You’re already hunting animals and gathering pelts for character upgrades and bonuses. This could directly translate into the same sort of concept with dinosaurs and hunting them on an island or similar location. The same goes for teeth, tusks and collectibles — all of which correspond directly to various elements within the Jurassic period.

Far Cry also has the gameplay already fleshed out, with solid hunting and stealth mechanics present in the last few installments of the franchise. Plus, we’ve already got a stable FPS element along with perfect arsenal for hunting dinosaurs too — I mean, hey, we’ve even been able to get our hands on the infamous Elephant Gun at this point.

Honestly, the most difficult part would be developing a fleshed-out story that stands on its own, but that’s something Ubisoft Montreal has proved they can do without issue. Both Both Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4 focused on dropping the player into the shows of an unprepared character who develops into a survivor as they go through the trials before them — which is probably a plot you could throw into a dinosaur-filled Far Cry. Just take a character similar to Jason Brody from Far Cry 3, throw him down into a island covered with Velociraptors and a Tryannosarus Rex, then tell the tale of how he evolves to survive.

See, that’s the interesting thing though. In previous Far Cry installments, animals have always taken a position on the side compared to the factions vying for control across the map and the main personalities behind them — who are really the stars of the show. Both Vaas and Pagan Min served as focal points for the story in Far Cry 3 and Far Cry 4, respectively, so where could a position like theirs fit into a story that flips the formula from humans to dinosaurs? I’m sure Chris Pratt may fit into it somewhere.

Either way, the reveal of Far Cry Primal has definitely shown that the franchise is willing to take steps into various directions. Here’s to hoping that a dinosaur-filled Jurassic experience is next.