So I've been playing some Far Cry 5 for the past couple of nights. First, let me say that from what I've seen so far Phase & everyone else is right, the cult is clearly defined as a cult and not some "church gone bad" or some nonsense. So that's a non-issue, unless something changes (and from what I've heard ppl saying, I don't expect that).
I'm glad too, because the game is a lot of fun! They've made some changes to the formula of past Far Cry games. Not to the degree that AC Origins broke away from the other AC games, but enough to make it feel fresh. Actually, it seems to me that they're trying to differentiate those two franchises more because for a bit they were borrowing ideas from each other back & forth so much that they were starting to feel same-ish gameplay-wise. So that's a good thing. The crafting element is gone, but hunting is still a thing - you hunt now for money (by selling the skins/etc.) and to complete "challenges" which reward you with skill points. You can spend the skill points to unlock basically the same upgrades you used to get through the crafting system. One thing I like is that it isn't a skill "tree" - all but one skill in each category can be bought from the start if you have enough points, so you can really pick and choose and upgrade as you see fit. Once I realized this I made unlocking an extra gun slot my priority.
Also gone are the climbing the towers - they actually crack a joke about that early on. Instead you just find maps that add to your existing map. Then in the additions column, there are NPCs that you can hire to fight with you. This works pretty well, it's very cool to order your guy to take someone out as you simultaneously take out someone else across the camp. Of course, the dog Boomer is the most fun "companion" so far in that he is extremely realistic. When I first rescued him he stopped to mourn his previous owner, which as a dog owner was pretty touching. He actually looks like a slightly larger, scruffier version of my dog Yuna.
The other big highlight for me is the setting. They have REALLY nailed the rural Southern feel in this game. Everything from the landscape to the broken-down pickup trucks, mailboxes stuck on 2x4's (that you can take out with a baseball bat, so there's another authentic Southern touch
) and crappy trailer parks. Not that it feels like they're making fun of the South or anything, these are just some things that stuck out to me. And the game is absolutely gorgeous - the 4K and HDR really push it over the top. I don't know what kind of voodoo they're doing at UbiSoft, but between this & AC Origins they're cranking out some of the absolute best looking games on the market. One other new aspect of the game that I'm still undecided on is that it's completely non-linear now. Nothing seems to be locked away from you from the beginning (well, from the beginning after you leave the tutorial island...). You are shown the general areas that the 3 main "sub baddies" occupy and given a run-down of each, and then told where they *suggest* you start - but then they quickly tell you you can start wherever you want. I know it sounds silly to say I'm undecided on more freedom, and it certainly has the potential to be a nice improvement but it COULD also lead to a feeling of aimlesness. I'm just gonna have to play further before I know which way it goes.
So yeah, really enjoying it so far, will give more definitive opinions when I get further in.
My wife is doing just fine. She's 4 months in now, and doing okay. You wouldn't know she was pregnant if not for the big baby bump. No morning sickness, no mood swings, and no strange cravings. We're just hoping and praying everything keeps going well. We go in for the big ultrasound on Wednesday, so we're excited to see what's going on.
Welcome back sonuckles, and congratulations.