It’s a question of whether the ends justify the means: the cult use extreme, cruel methods to ensure their numbers, supplies and physical capability, and that’s what the Deputy (whose name appears to be Rook, as it turns out) is trying to stop, but with the revelation that those methods were to prepare for an actual apocalypse and that Rook’s actions have ensured that the number of survivors will be small at best, things take a turn. The world is on fire and it’s your fault, and for what? To be the hero, Spec Ops The Line style? Out of a genuine sense of justice and the desire to help people? As John Seed puts it you’re trying to save people, but they’re already safe. That alternative main menu? That’s legit. I’m glad it’s canon too I’d seen theories floating around that it’s a hallucination and that the Deputy manages to escape and find out that the world hasn’t been destroyed, but nope: Hope County lies in ruins. You may well have seen it coming, but to take that formula of “Charismatic cult leader foretells the apocalypse” and after tearing down their entire support structure have them be right, that’s a gutsy move, and it ties up the events of the game superbly. It’s a bold claim, but I just love how it flips everything on its head in a way that’s so simple, but so effective. Quick side note: can you see why a Mad Max-style sequel undermines this? I stand by my statement that this is the best video game ending ever. Just you and Joseph Seed at the end of the world, Father and Child, prophet and disciple, whether you like it or not. So now the only people confirmed to survive the apocalypse are you and the man you were sent here to stop. The great collapse is upon us, but that’s okay, because the Seed family can enact their plan to heard the populace of Hope County into their missile silos and- oh, right, you killed the Seed family and blew up their missile silos.
So The Father was right, the cult was right the world has come undone in nuclear fire. Part I: Apocalypse Now or: “The world is on fire and it’s your fault”
I’ll be ripping the thing open and rummaging around quite thoroughly. I think it should be obvious at this point but if not: spoilers abound from this point on. I love Far Cry 5, it’s had a deeply ingrained, lasting effect on me since I finished it and I want to talk about just why I love it so much and why it’s so good. I will be reviewing it though, and I will try to have an open mind about it, but I really think a sequel is completely unnecessary. Rather than write anything about the announcement of Far Cry New Dawn I’ll just say that I’m opposed to it, I think the ending of FC5 stands alone beautifully and any kind of follow up cheapens it. Back when I was planning out this article I thought my choice of picture was a bit risky, but since then Ubisoft have blown the whole thing wide open by announcing a canon sequel set in a post apocalypse where Joseph Seed is still alive.