It’s always refreshing to see a first-person shooter transport us to a war not as nauseatingly ubiquitous as, say, World War II. Ubisoft must know the pop culture zeitgeist is growing tired of the clichéd World War II setting, as the open-world giant has set its newest mayhem simulator, Far Cry 5, during the Vietnam War for the game’s first post-launch story expansion. Titled “Hours of Darkness,” this new DLC plucks us from our rural Montana backdrop and thrusts us into a dangerous jungle during the throes of chaotic warfare.
You play as Hope County’s Wendell “Red” Redler, who must find and rescue his squad from hostile forces during the Vietnam War. As you locate your imprisoned team, wreak havoc on the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army, and fight to get back home, the expansion can be played in solo or online co-op. And of course, the DLC will feature new gear and abilities, and two playable modes that will unlock upon completion: Survivor mode, which gives you a limited loadout to make the second run more challenging; and Action Movie Mode, where a loadout delivers over-the-top action, whatever that means. (Sounds like 1985’s Commando or 1987’s Over the Top.)
In our review of Far Cry 5, we gave the game a 7.5/10, saying “Far Cry 5 takes steps forward by upping the stakes with a sinister villain and bold new setting, while also stumbling backwards with its non-linear approach and separation of character progression from the world.”
Far Cry 5‘s Hours of Darkness is available now for free to owners of the Season Pass or Gold Edition of the game and can be purchased as a standalone DLC for $11.99 USD.
