Summary
- Far Cry 7 could expand underwater exploration and mechanics inspired by those from Assassin's Creed: Black Flag.
- Far Cry 7 has the potential to iterate on AC: Black Flag's elements in this area by featuring more underwater caves, shipwrecks, and related activities.
- The next entry might include scuba gear or underwater vehicles, submerged bases, and more encounters with aquatic wildlife to round out this aspect.
It's been nearly four years and counting since the latest release, and there is still little to go on about what's happening next for Far Cry. Developer Ubisoft has been conspicuously quiet regarding its plans for Far Cry, and official news has been all but nonexistent since 2021's Far Cry 6. The studio has also been struggling with some rocky times recently due to various controversies surrounding one of its other major properties, Assassin's Creed, along with muted receptions to a few other high-profile titles, making it seem like FC may be on the back burner for the foreseeable future.
Fans thus have been left waiting to wonder where Far Cry 7 will take the series next. And in the absence of official updates, most of what the next installment's direction and other potential changes might entail have come through extensive rumors and leaks, none of which have been commented on by Ubisoft itself. With all this in mind, there is one aspect that Far Cry has previously dipped its toes into that was fleshed out more in 2013's Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag, and that could be further iterated on: diving and underwater exploration.
Ubisoft Could Be Following in Assassin’s Creed’s Footsteps With Its Big Far Cry Plans
If history has shown anything, it's that Ubisoft is doing what it can to retain the fanbase it had during the lifespan of its most beloved titles.
Far Cry 7 Could Dive Deeper Into Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's Underwater Designs
Assassin's Creed: Black Flag's Underwater Sections Provide a Good Jumping-Off Point for Far Cry 7
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is often rated as one of the best AC games. Set during the Golden Age of Piracy in the early 1700s, it was one of the last entries before the franchise began embracing more RPG-heavy elements. Among its well-regarded inclusions, players can engage in exploration and combat on the high seas with protagonist Edward Kenway's vessel, The Jackdaw.
Once fans unlocked access to the diving bell, they could comb Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag's expansive Caribbean map for shipwrecks and sunken treasures, which contained valuable loot or useful upgrades for The Jackdaw. Many of these sections served as something like mini-puzzles, requiring players to manage Kenway's air level while navigating through sometimes confusingly laid-out underwater cave systems and tunnels to reap the rewards. Though they fit well with Black Flag's spirit, it could also be frustrating to properly maneuver Edward through each one. Far Cry 7, though, could use these as a blueprint to refine and include more of them.
There have been a number of leaks about a remake of AC4: Black Flag, though one has not been officially confirmed at this time.
Far Cry 7 Could Make a Splash By Taking Assassin's Creed: Black Flag's Underwater Activities and Running With Them
Far Cry has always had a focus on exploration in exotic locales, often taking players to remote tropical islands. Some rumors claim the seventh title will be set on another fictional one named Kimsan, near Korea in the Yellow Sea, reminiscent of Far Cry 3's Rook Island. This might provide a good basis for how it could feature more underwater areas and mechanics.
Prior entries have let players explore the watery depths, though usually in a more limited capacity. Water-based vehicles have already been featured as well, and the next entry could go further by perhaps letting fans acquire and craft scuba gear or even a sub. Side missions like weapon stashes and bunkers would be primed for expanding on as underwater levels too, depending on Far Cry 7's potential setting.
Focusing on underwater designs would also allow for more dynamic encounters with dangerous aquatic wildlife, similar to the sharks and crocodiles that lurked under the surface to ambush players in previous games. There might be more hideouts secreted beneath the waves, or potentially a whole submerged base, as was seen in Far Cry 3's Lost Expedition DLC, which even included a BioShock reference. As long as the setting allows for it, Far Cry 7 has some solid opportunities to give fans more ways and reasons to engage with underwater areas and activities.
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OpenCritic Reviews
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