Far Cry 4 Review Roundup

Just six months after Ubisoft announced it, open-world action game Far Cry 4 is nearly here. The game arrives this coming Tuesday on consoles and PC, but the game's review embargo lifted today.

Below are a sampling of review scores and opinions from an assortment of critics. You can read our review in progress here, while we should have a full score soon.

For more on Far Cry 4's critical reception, check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic's coverage.

• Game: Far Cry 4
• Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
• Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC
• Release Date: November 18
• Price: $60

Eurogamer -- 8/10

"Far Cry 4 does all the things that its predecessor did and more--more weapons, more vehicles, more modes, more ground to cover--so if all you're looking for is a big old wide open space to tear up with a friend, go forth and make merry with mortar. That said, more does not necessarily mean better, and the truth is that the wilds of Kyrat simply aren't as beguiling as the Rook Islands were. Far Cry 4 is well worth a visit, but it's more a backpacker's delight than a five-star island paradise." - Aoife Wilson [Full review]

Videogamer -- 8/10

"There can be no doubt. Far Cry 4 is a superb Skinner box, staving off monotony with constant upgrades, and it's so expertly crafted to appeal to baser instincts, so rewarding of you embracing them, that there's a strong chance you'll miss the broader point that all of what you're doing is utterly despotic. Like, say, a dictator might. A lot of games are about killing. Far Cry is about hunting. They're not the same thing, and it is as disquieting as it is enjoyable." - Steven Burns [Full review]

Joystiq -- 4.5/5

"There's a staggering number of adventures to extract from Far Cry 4, whether you chase the ones laid out by the game explicitly, or the ones that develop naturally as you take in the sights. It's another interesting and absorbing world to fall into, shoot through, burn, and then guide to new beginnings. Far Cry 4 may have installed a despot, but it's still the undisputed king of the open-world shooter." - Ludwig Kietzmann [Full review]

The Guardian -- 5/5

"Far Cry 4 truly shines in the almost bacchanalian sense of freedom it bestows on the player as they traverse through its environment. In Kyrat you have the ability to go anywhere and do pretty much anything--much as Pagan Min would advocate. Here, the only pact you need keep is that with your conscience. God help you." - Nick Cowen [Full review]

Destructoid -- 9/10

"If you enjoyed its predecessor and didn't grow tired of Ubisoft Montreal's open world formula, you'll have a blast living the experience again." - Chris Carter [Full review]

CVG -- 9/10

"Don't let a lackluster multiplayer deter you, though. The strength of the world and its systems alone makes this one of the year's best games and one whose enormous potential for experimentation means you'll playing it well into 2015. By taking things to the Himalayas, Ubisoft Montreal has managed to skilfully weave an attractive partnership of awe-inspiring landscape and exhilarating, surprising action." - John Robertson [Full review]

Metro -- 9/10

"Far Cry 4 might not be doing anything terribly new, but it does do almost everything it sets out to extremely well. And there's few games, no matter what they are, that can ever say that." - David Jenkins [Full review]

GamesRadar -- 4/5

"Far Cry 3 remains the series' peak, but Far Cry 4 is a lovely-looking, accomplished offering that suffers from lackluster writing and an odd lack of purpose." - Edwin Evans-Thirlwell [Full review]