Fractious politics leads Far Cry video game to US

SAN FRANCISCO: The latest edition of the blockbuster shooter video game “Far Cry” plays out on US soil, inspired by angry political divides and intense isolationist passions in rural America. French video game powerhouse Ubisoft on Friday officially unveiled “Far Cry 5,” which pits players against a dangerous, violent cult calling the shots in a fictional setting of Hope County, Montana.

Previous “Far Cry” games have been set in exotic spots in places including jungles of Africa, Himalayan mountains, and an archipelago in the South Pacific. The idea of bringing the action game to the US had been considered early in the franchise, but the idea was shelved after the fall of the Berlin Wall and the proclaimed end of the Cold War ushered in a calmer political atmosphere, according to executive producer Dan Hay.

Political tumult that gained momentum during the past couple of years while the latest installment of the game was being developed brought a feeling that American society wasn’t as safe and secure as one might hope, according to Hay. He said the 2008-2009 economic crisis, Brexit, anti-immigrant agendas, and the divisive but victorious election campaign of US President Donald Trump has changed the climate.

Freedom, faith and firearms

Hay and his team spent two weeks in Montana, seeking out people and groups distrustful of outside authority and inclined toward their own communities. “When we were in Montana we met very real people,” said Hay. “When they talk, they give you pearls of wisdom.” The pillars of “Far Cry 5” became freedom, faith, and firearms, according to its creators. —AFP