Far Cry 5 - Hours of Darkness Reviews
Hours of Darkness is a clever and fun but brief twist on the Far Cry formula. Its new approach to Guns for Hire AI companions gives you something other than yourself to worry about during battles, and its use of perks as a reward for stealth kills encourages my favorite style of play in an interesting way, but can bring your momentum to a screeching halt when you slip up. Just like the Far Cry series' previous jaunts to new locations, this trip to Vietnam is a good time.
All in all though, Hours of Darkness is a snack, not a meal.
Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness Is Not The Bombastic DLC We Were Hoping For
An interesting setting that Ubisoft wastes with a DLC that falls too short and shallow to be really interesting.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A visually attractive, if uninspiring take on the Vietnam War, Hours of Darkness feels little more than a re-skinned Far Cry 5 rather than something more ambitious.
Despite bringing a few new mechanics to the table, Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness is a lesser experience when compared to the base game in every possible way. Its story is almost non-existent, the open world is completely generic, and with a fair few features from the original experience missing, it all feels like a step back. The core of what makes this a Far Cry game is still present, but you were probably already tired of that long ago.
This first DLC for Far Cry 5 never really delivers. It is a short and very generic experience that forgets that Far Cry is able to please us and make us forget some flaws by counting not only on its setting but also on its story and characters. And nothing that could help us feel involved is here. It's just a short and uninspired DLC with some forgettable mechanics.
Review in French | Read full review
Far Cry 5's first big slice of DLC lasts almost an hour, trading the chaotic mountain ranges of Hope County for a more subdued and streamlined stealth-heavy tour of duty in the Vietnam War that fails at feeling meaningful or having anything to say.
Flashbacks from 'Nam mean in this case similar content as in the core game. That's said, the DLC has a great atmosphere of Vietnam War. It's classic Ubisoft sandbox on a much smaller scale.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness lacks a story, unique missions, or really much point. After completing the same generic side quests for two and a half hours, it's over.
If you already own the Season Pass for Far Cry 5 give it a go, but we doubt you'd want to buy Hours of Darkness separately. Save your money for the far more fun sounding zombie and alien expansions.
Hours of Darkness explores the backstory to a minor character in the Far Cry 5 setting. While maintaining Far Cry's exceptional gun handling, Hours of Darkness gives players a truly different way to play, much more akin to classic titles in the series. It is story light and the allied AI still troublesome, it richly delivers a lush environment to survive within. If you are looking for a Far Cry experience to play in between major titles, Hours of Darkness is worth picking up.
If you loved Far Cry 5, you will absolutely fall in love with this DLC. It's just breathtakingly well done. It's out now for 12€/12$/9.99£. I highly recommend if you're interested in this DLC or the two other upcoming DLCs - Lost on Mars and Dead Living Zombies - the season pass costs about the same as buying two of the DLCs individually and getting the third for free. Have fun, and don't forget to thank a veteran, no matter what country you're from.
Hours of Darkness is a solid DLC entry for an already great title. It certainly presents a diverse style of stealth oriented gameplay, alongside a different setting to the main story. Seeing the background context of a previously acknowledged Far Cry 5 NPC is also a neat bonus. However, there are issues with the lack of content and having just one main objective in a relatively straight and linear path means that the realistic timeframe of a play-through is going to be somewhere in the region of one to three hours depending on how incentivised the player is to complete side objectives and collect items.
Although the DLC offers freedom and simplicity, it wasn't well crafted by its weak story, level design, could be finished in less than 2 hours and it's overpriced. Can't recommend it now but you can try it later when future DLCs are out, I highly recommend playing in Co-op mode.
Review in Arabic | Read full review
A real eye-opening experience, for someone not well versed in the Vietnam War outside of Forrest Gump, it's a welcome change to the main game, and that's coming from someone who really enjoyed the main game! If you're looking to creep around a jungle blowing things up and snapping necks, then come to Vietnam. If you weren't a fan of the main game, this probably won't change your mind.
The expansion is not worth buying without the season pass. There is a feeling that the map and its contents could even be done within the Arcade mode and even the excellent Vietnam environment is not worth the amount charged.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Far Cry 5: Hours of Darkness is like a big map that players made it in the Far Cry Arcade. It doesn't use the huge potential of the Vietnam War and basically doesn't want to say anything. Without an acceptable storyline and a progression system, Hours of Darkness doesn't provide any motivation for exploring and engaging.
Review in Persian | Read full review