Ubisoft has just announced the game that they've been teasing since yesterday, and as we had already worked out, it's Far Cry Primal. Here's the details:
The pre-historic entry in the series is launching on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in February 23 of next year, and will follow on PC in March. Development is being handled by Ubisoft Montréal (with help from Ubisoft Toronto, Ubisoft Shanghai Studio, and Ubisoft Kiev Studio).
Players will assume the role of Takkar, the last surviving member of his hunting party, and they'll be exploring the "majestic and savage" land of Oros. According to Ubisoft the player's solitary goal is survival, and we'll be fighting back against nature and with other tribes as we try to tame the world around us.
It sounds like there'll be added emphasis on survival compared to previous Far Cry games, with crafting weapons and tools, hunting for food, mastering fire (we predict a mini-game involves twisting sticks), and of course, we'll be fighting off sabretooth tigers and other cavemen.
"The Stone Age is the perfect setting for a Far Cry game," creative director Jean-Christophe Guyot said. "Far Cry usually puts you at the edge of the known world, in a beautiful, lawless and savage frontier. The Stone Age is, in a way, the very first frontier for humankind; it's the time when humans put a stick in the ground and claimed land for their own, the time when we started climbing the food chain. That came with conflict against other humans, of course, but also against nature itself."
The reveal trailer and first round of screenshots are included below, along with a behind the scenes trailer detailing the studio's vision for the game. Scroll down even further for a Q&A provided by Ubisoft.
What is Far Cry Primal?
Far Cry Primal is set in the Stone Age period, a time of extreme danger and limitless adventure, when giant mammoths and sabretooth tigers ruled the Earth, and humanity is not at the top of the food chain and fighting to climb it. As the last survivor of your hunting group, you will learn to craft a deadly arsenal, fend off fierce predators, and outsmart enemy tribes to conquer the land of Oros and become the Apex Predator.
The award-winning Far Cry franchise that has stormed the tropics and the Himalayas now enters the original fight for humanity's survival with its innovative open-world sandbox gameplay, bringing together massive beasts, breathtaking environments, and unpredictable savage encounters.
What type of game is Far Cry Primal? Shooter, Adventure, Hunting, other?
It's a Far Cry game! We have always crossed the boundaries of different genres, and this time is no different, Far Cry Primal has all the Far Cry you love: it is still the sandbox 1st person you've loved, with an all-new flavor and one of the most fresh and exciting settings we have visited.
What were the inspirations for Far Cry Primal?
As in any other Far Cry the real world was the main inspiration; we take reality, take it for a spin and build a world that is fictitious but plausible, only this time we went back in time and added Stone Age in the mix. We looked at serious research regarding that period of time and used that as a base to build our game.
What's the balance between historical accuracy vs creative freedom?
Every game needs to take liberties, to find the perfect balance between fun and believability. In our case, the work was easy: we have the strong basis of the Far Cry gameplay and the instantly inspiring fantasy of the Stone Age. The choices we made in that regard were actually pretty easy to make.
How does Far Cry Primal fit in the Brand?
The rich setting of the Stone Age only multiplies the amount of incredible stories and unique situations that Far Cry's open-world sandbox gameplay is known for.
There is a natural fit between this time period and the Far Cry franchise. The daily life of a Stone Age man could be boiled down to: gather resources, craft weapons, , hunt, defend himself from the wild and other threats, and explore uncharted territories. All of these activities already form the core gameplay loop of a Far Cry game.
Furthermore, we always try to set Far Cry games in what we call 'frontiers', places where rules don't apply and only the strongest survive. The Stone Age is, in essence, the very first frontier.
Who are you and what is the main story line in Far Cry Primal?
You will play as Takkar, a seasoned hunter and the last surviving member of your hunting group. You arrive to the majestic and savage land of Oros with a single goal: survive in a world where you are the prey. To do so, you will -meet a cast of memorable characters who can help you push back the dangers of the wild. Your presence will soon attract the attention new threats, who will do everything they can to eradicate you, or worse.
Ultimately, this will be your journey as the first man who was able to conquer the wilderness, unite his people and rise above extinction.
Will you have a cast of memorable characters as in previous Far Cry titles?
Yes. We have always aimed at putting players in front of a specific cast of unique and memorable personalities and allow them to explore what they have to say.
How does the story unfold in Far Cry Primal?
We won't go much more into detail to avoid spoilers, but we can assure you that we have worked hard to make sure players have the freedom to explore the story Far Cry Primal has to tell at their own pace and in the way they want.
How did you approach Stone Age with Gameplay?
We basically looked at what the life of a Stone Age man would have been, what systems where at play during their day to day and transposed that into the type of anecdotes and unique stories we can tell with a Far Cry game set in that time.
What did you change in the animal hunting gameplay?
We aimed at making a fun fantasy of the hunter come to life. Back then, hunting was much harder than it is today. And yet, since it was such an important part of their way of life, the first humans excelled at hunting. From acquiring tracking skills, crafting your own specific hunting tools, to more dynamic prey and predator behaviors, we are giving our players a wide range of possibilities to hunt all different sizes of animals and survive in the open world.
How long has Far Cry Primal been in development?
The Far Cry team has been wanting to make a Far Cry set in the Stone Age for a very long time. We've had countless prototypes floating around, and when the opportunity finally arose to turn this crazy idea into the next full-fledged Far Cry opus, everyone jumped on board in a matter of hours. The game's full production started before Far Cry 4 shipped as the team was starting to ramp down.
Who is the team behind the title?
The Far Cry franchise thrives on creativity, and is composed of a deep bench of seasoned developers who have been willing to take up one crazy challenge after the next. These same men and women compose the bulk of the workforce behind Far Cry Primal, and are led by a new production and creative leadership that will mix things up and push the boundaries even further.
What Studios are involved in development?
Ubisoft Montreal is leading the development on Far Cry Primal, but a project of this scope requires the contribution and support of other major Ubisoft Studios in Toronto, Shanghai and Kiev.
Why Far Cry Primal is only a single player-oriented experience?
Bringing the Stone Age to life and providing the player with a strong gameplay experience based off of the Far Cry legacy meant that we had to reinvent our core gameplay loop, not a small undertaking.
Our focus was on delivering that fantasy which required clear priorities for the team. Therefore, in the early stages of the project, we made the difficult choice of focusing our efforts on the single player experience. Development teams are devoted to offer the best possible Far Cry experience to our fans.
