Here we go again – same old same old, but this time the Far Cry universe has spawned in America’s war in Vietnam. And there is nothing wrong with that, apart from all the possible political fallout as the game developers dredge up yet again a conflict that still resonates with much of the US population.
But here we are – Steam has released their first add-on pack to piggyback Far Cry 5 – Hours of Darkness. Fire up your FC5 game, and you will find a new add-on option. Hit that, make some basic selections and you are dropped into the action. Well, dropped into the action after an animated intro that seems all too familiar. Your Huey is downed, and you are captured. After an escape on foot, you set about tracking down your missing bros, Joker, Moses, and Yokel, and recover from lighters, as you do.
OK, you also have to knock out some anti-aircraft guns, take over up some outposts, free some prisoners, destroy some propaganda radios, kill some commanders, and also kill everything in sight. You get to use two hired guns instead of FC5’s four, and they can be a little erratic but good enough.
The game is exactly how you would expect it to be. This is Far Cry 5 with a fresh skin, after all. Co-op is still intact, also. The map seems a pretty decent size too. I am a big fan of the Far Cry series and this slots in nicely and worth the tenner they are asking for on Steam, still the finest delivery system of gaming today.
Finish the add-on and you are promised new modes of playing. You also get some fresh weapons, like a bamboo pole, because of course you do. Little things like the binoculars have pretty scrappy lenses because you are in a war zone. Moving around can be awkward – I became stuck in a gap between some external stairs and the building they are attached to, which was annoying and by far the worst thing to happen. Oh, and the scenery can shake a little sometimes but only a flicker.
I hate playing snow missions, and there is little winter in Vietnam. And I am not keen on playing at night – in spite of the Hours of Darkness name, it does get light too, so that’s nice. Try it, you won’t regret it.