Far Cry 5: The Zoo, Taking the hunt to new extremes

Ubisoft has revealed the next installment of Far Cry, and the setting for the new adventure is already causing controversy. It takes place entirely inside California’s San Diego Zoo. “It took us a few tries, but we’ve finally homed in on what players enjoy,” says creative director Alex Hutchinson. “Hunting down and killing exotic animals is now front and center, and more enjoyable than ever.”

When asked if the zoo has been taken over by terrorists or a crazy dictator, Hutchinson just looked confused. “Nope, it’s just the zoo. The game starts with you buying a ticket, and then it’s off to the races.” While the new location means Far Cry 5 will have a smaller open world, it will be packed with depth. “San Diego Zoo contains over 650 species of animals,” Hutchinson says. “We’re determined to let you kill all of them.”

Other popular elements from the series will also carry over. “Some animals are located on top of a really big radio tower,” Hutchinson explains, “so before you kill ‘em, you have to solve one of our first-person climbing puzzles that fans tolerate so much.” Like in previous installments, the point of killing these animals and what seems to be the sole objective of Far Cry 5 is to craft new items. “You’re going to craft so many wallets!” Hutchinson says. “Eventually you’ll craft a huge wallet to hold all your smaller wallets. It’s totally meta.”

Far Cry 5 will be available for $59.99, or as a free compensation gift for players who buy this year’s inevitably buggy installment of Assassin’s Creed.