Far Cry 4
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EA / Ubisoft E3 2014 conference round-up: Prototypes and push-ups
The big three console manufacturers aren't the only ones having all the fun at E3; Ubisoft and Electronic Arts are known to get in on the party as well. These two publishers can do many things, but one thing they can't do is take you back in time in the event that you missed their press conferences. Fortunately for you, Joystiq does what reality don't. Ready to travel with us and wrangle up all the news from the Ubisoft and EA pressers? Let's go!
Far Cry 4 cries for co-op help
Far Cry 4 will include cooperative multiplayer, as demonstrated during Sony's E3 2014 press conference. Two players liberated a fortress together in online co-op during the demo. PlayStation VP of Publisher and Developer Relations Adam Boyes said that Far Cry 4 players on PS4 or PS3 can invite friends to partake in its co-op action without said friend having to own a copy of the game. It will launch November 18 on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC.
Watch the first five incendiary minutes of Far Cry 4
In answer to that question posed by The Clash, if you ever find yourself being accosted by a stab-happy sociopath in the foothills of the Himalayas, you should clearly go. [Image: Ubisoft]
Watch Ubisoft's E3 2014 press conference stream here [Update: It's over!]
Bonjour, everyone! Ubisoft's E3 2014 press conference is happening at 3:00 p.m. PT (6:00 p.m. ET) today, and we expect plenty of tasty tidbits and news from the French developer/publisher. In fact, we'll be voicing said expectations, as well as analysis and commentary via our liveblog, so feel free to garnish this stream with a dash of Joystiq personality and pop open a tab next to this one. The Los Angeles Staples Convention Center is plastered with a giant Assassin's Creed: Unity poster, but we also expect to hear more about the recently-announced Far Cry 4 too. Ubisoft has featured surprise announcements the past two years as well - Watch Dogs in 2012 and The Division in 2013. Could we have another big surprise this year? If you close your eyes and wish hard enough, Beyond Good & Evil 2 could still happen! Update: Ubisoft's conference may be over, but you can re-live its many announcements in old-fashioned text form. [Image: Ubisoft]
Far Cry 4 plot synopsis leaked on Uplay
Far Cry 4's story will be a more maternal affair than Far Cry 3's, judging by a description posted to Ubisoft's Uplay store. Warning: Here there be (minor) spoilers: According to the description - which has since been edited out, but can be viewed via Google cache - players will take control of Ajay Ghale, a man who travels to Kyrat to fulfill his mother's dying wish. Once there, Ghale becomes caught in the region's war for freedom from its oppressive dictator, Pagan Min. Alex Hutchinson, director on Far Cry 4, revealed a few more details about the game via Twitter. Referring to the fab-looking, pink-suit-wearing man on the box art, Hutchinson said, "He's not white and that's not the player." Oh well, he didn't seem the motherly type anyway - putting his feet up on a statue, slouching posture and all that. And comb that hair, young man! [Image: Ubisoft]
Far Cry 4 confirmed by Ubisoft, coming November 18
Far Cry 4 has been confirmed by a Ubisoft financial report for the fiscal year, and is expected to hit PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC on November 18, 2014. The game will take place in Kyrat, a fictional region of the Himalayas, which suffers under the reign of a self-appointed king. "The year's performance will be led by five games," Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said. "Assassin's Creed Unity, Far Cry 4, Just Dance, The Crew and Watch Dogs." Being this is an official report from the company, we can take this to be an official confirmation of the game, officially. Still, it's not that big of a shock - back in February there was a mounting pile of evidence for the game's existence, and considering the 6 million units Far Cry 3 shipped and the 1 million sales of its spin-off, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, it's no wonder that Ubisoft would return to the brand. Pre-orders for the game are now live, and those who throw their cash down early will receive an upgrade to the Limited Edition, which comes with three single-player missions centered around Hurk, a character from Far Cry 3. Players who pre-order will also receive Hurk's signature weapon, a harpoon gun called "The Impaler." [Image: Ubisoft]
Rumor: Far Cry 4 to stalk the Himalayas in 2015
The next entry in Ubisoft's expansive, open-world Far Cry franchise will arrive in the first half of next year, according to a Eurogamer report. Citing unnamed "people familiar with the project," Eurogamer claims that the game will forgo another romp through the jungles in favor of a visit to the Himalaya mountain range. Gameplay details are scant, but Eurogamer believes that the new setting will offer players wholly novel activities such as riding on elephants, while the fan-favorite hunting sections will make a return with local fauna as prey. Far Cry 4 is reportedly heading to Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC and we can expect to hear more details on the game at E3 2014 in June. When reached for comment, Ubisoft was unwilling to discuss Far Cry 4, though representatives say they'll have more information for us if and when such a title enters development. [Image: Ubisoft]
More Far Cry 4 evidence emerges, this time from an Ubisoft resume
Ubisoft may not want to publicly acknowledge the existence of a new entry in the Far Cry series just yet, but that won't stop its employees from citing the game in their resumes. Xavier Plagnal currently serves as Studio Design Manager at Ubisoft Shanghai. A visit to his LinkedIn profile reveals that from September 2013 to the present Plagnal worked as Content Director on "the next Far Cry." It doesn't say what exactly he directed for the game, nor does it offer any word on the game's plot, setting or the platforms it may appear on. Though we can't say for certain that a new Far Cry game is in the works until Ubisoft officially confirms it, the claims made by Plagnal's resume line up with earlier indicators of its existence. In October, Cliff Martinez, a composer best known for his work on the film Drive, let slip in an interview that he was "working on a video game called Far Cry 4." Only a few months prior, Ubisoft Senior VP of Marketing and Sales Tony Key stated that "[Far Cry is] a great brand, and now it's got the recognition it deserves, so we're clearly going to make another one."
'Drive' composer Cliff Martinez mentions work on Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4 has apparently been outed by Cliff Martinez, composer for the film Drive and former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer. Martinez said he is "working on a video game called Far Cry 4" in an interview with Lost in the Multiplex. The quote has since been deleted, but can still be viewed through a cached version of the page, which we've included in a screenshot above. While Ubisoft hasn't announced Far Cry 4 yet, it said in July that the game is "clearly going to happen." It must have been waiting for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee to make the announcement. We've reached out to Ubisoft and will update as we learn more.
Far Cry 4 'clearly' going to happen, Ubisoft says
Ubisoft will pursue a sequel to Far Cry 3, Senior VP of Marketing and Sales Tony Key has announced plainly. "It's a great brand, and now it's got the recognition it deserves, so we're clearly going to make another one: more on that soon," Key told GameSpot. That recognition comes from combined retail and digital sales to the tune of 6 million as of May, making the game one of Ubisoft's top recent performers alongside Assassin's Creed 3 and Just Dance 4. A standalone spinoff to Far Cry 3, titled Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, was released back in April. It stars sergeant Rex "Power" Colt, a cyber-commando up against the Omega Force cyborg army in an alternate 2007, ravaged by nuclear war and '80s action movie references. Our review says it "broadens the appeal of its source, thanks to a hilarious, accessible dollop of nostalgia, coated in the mechanics that made Far Cry 3 great."
