Background

As a part of an exclusive Ubisoft early access program for students in early 2018, I began working in the Far Cry 5 Arcade Editor. Above are a series screenshots of the map I created. This particular map was designed and created over the course of two months in early 2018.

Map Theme

The designed game mode “Bounty” presents the Player with the goal to kill a marked target on the map. The layout structure presents a number of paths meant for loud or stealthy playstyles. There are a number of branching paths to offer transitions between these playstyles. Keeping with the themes of Far Cry, environmental storytelling and mood offer action-movie scenarios, horror, and humor.

Map Start

Immediately at the Start the map, the Player finds themselves in an open grave as if they had been presumed dead. As they climb out, there is another grave beside them, implying a companion who has already met their demise. An unassuming enemy in the immediate vicinity and line of sight frames the end-goal compound with a simple, unarmed encounter that rewards the Player with a weapon and an overwatch point.

The Player can traverse down the open path of the hill towards the Campfire area where a two-man encounter awaits. If they take a side path toward the Campfire, there are weapons in an abandoned shed to better prepare them. A hidden path behind the grave leads to the Secret Bunker that challenges the Player with a close quarters encounter with a lot of firepower pointed in their direction. The path to the right leads to small trail heading toward the Forest Path.

Junkyard

From the Campfire, Junkyard is the “loud” and direct path to the Target. Junkyard is littered with enemies amongst cover, but also weapons the Player can pickup in improvisational shootout. The Player is rewarded with a pickup truck equipped with a mounted machine gun to turn things up to 11 when driving straight to the Target.

Peak

The Player could skirt Junkyard for the Cabin leading to the Peak, where there are fewer, more scattered enemies to offer a preference of playstyle. Another way to reach the Cabin/Peak is from the Secret Bunker, which spits the Player out on a hidden path above Cabin.

The Peak presents a couple of branching paths itself. Switchbacks leading to the antenna tower present isolated but increasingly more difficult enemies to overcome. A high-powered machine gun can be used to spray down onto the plethora of enemies at the Helipad. A zipline offering a high-elevation thrill leads to a concealed wooded area next to the Guard Tower.

Helipad

The Helipad can also be approached on foot from Cabin, and is not as chaotic as Junkyard but still poses a challenge with plenty of enemies and a sniper tower. The Player can choose to take the helicopter over to the Guard Tower where there is enough space to land. A more practical, but less obvious, approach is to continue on the cliffside path where they can find a quad which they can ride up toward the zipline’s finish area next to Guard Tower.

Forest Path

The last path that takes us to Guard Tower is the Forest Path on the opposite side of Junkyard from the Peak. This path presents a different experience with no human enemies, and focuses more on the dark, quiet, and foggy setting. There are silhouetted totems and “devil’s nests,” along with a bear corpse that are meant to strike fear and paranoia into the Player. Wolves patrol the area amongst the shadows foliage strategically positioned away from the totems and devils nests. The Player can bail toward Junkyard down a steep bank if they run out of the woods, but continuing on this path rewards them with a traversable rock wall that arrives on the other side of Guard Tower from the zipline finish. If they are careful, they can circumvent the Guard Tower entirely and approach the Target’s house, but any prolonged encounter with enemies at the Target’s location is going to attract attention from Guard Tower.

Guard Tower

Guard Tower itself presents a challenge with little cover available initially, forcing the Player to make an aggressive move for close cover. It’s the most challenging encounter based on enemy difficulty and the modest cover that keeps the pace up. Once they have completed it, they can find weapons and health kits to prepare them to infiltrate the Target’s location.

The Target

The Target’s location has a few enemies around its perimeter and lower floor. However, the Target is upstairs and the staircase is blocked, forcing the Player to get creative on how to climb up on the outside and crawl through a window. The Player will realize the Target is a chicken. Which isn’t the most immersive choice, but a whacky, humorous one that was fun for a small experience. Not something I’d put in most games!

Reflection

I loved building this map with the different play personas in mind. I went a little too far at times, not having the bandwidth to make the Secret Bunker all that compelling and jamming too many vehicles into the map without adequate space for practical use. The helicopter in particular was not a feasible option, and I wish I had omitted it or triggered it to explode with some well placed explosive barrels for an extra punch. The mood varies too much from the compelling start in the grave, and I should have stuck to a singular theme. Overall, it was a fun project and privilege to explore the pre-release of the editor.