What is the Shortest Far Cry Game? Far Cry New Dawn
As an avid fan who has played every installment in Ubisoft‘s Far Cry series, I get asked a lot – what is the shortest Far Cry game? After comparing the average playtimes, the shortest mainline title is hands down Far Cry New Dawn at around just 11 hours to complete the story and side content.
Far Cry Game Lengths Comparison
Here is a breakdown of the average playtimes per HowLongToBeat.com to complete the main stories across the entire franchise:
| Game | Main Story Length | Completionist Length |
|---|---|---|
| Far Cry New Dawn | 11 hours | 16.5 hours |
| Far Cry Primal | 13 hours | 20.5 hours |
| Far Cry 5 | 18 hours | 42.5 hours |
| Far Cry 4 | 17.5 hours | 32 hours |
| Far Cry 3 | 15.5 hours | 38 hours |
| Far Cry 2 | 16.5 hours | 44 hours |
| Far Cry | 13.5 hours | 23 hours |
As shown in the table, Far Cry New Dawn clocks in with the lowest playtime both for the story and when completing all side quests and extras.
Meanwhile, earlier games like Far Cry 2 or 5 can almost quadruple New Dawn‘s 11 hours if you aim for 100% completion across their vast open worlds.
So why is New Dawn so short in a series known for 30+ hour expansive playgrounds?
Examining Far Cry New Dawn‘s Reduced Scope
As a direct sequel to my personal favorite Far Cry 5, New Dawn smartly reuses the same fictional Hope County map in a post-apocalyptic setting 17 years later rather than building an entirely new open world from scratch.
However, as this was never touted as a full-priced release, it‘s clear Ubisoft positioned New Dawn more akin to a standalone expansion focusing on recycling existing assets. With a narrowed scope and reduced new content, an 11 hour brisk playtime makes sense.
In my opinion, New Dawn offers up a fun new take on Hope County to satisfy fans of 5, while delivering an easily digestible and focused experience rather than attempting to rival the longer main series entries. Think of it more as a quality piece of DLC than a main event.
My Far Cry Personal Game Rankings
Even if it‘s the shortest, here is how I‘d rank the Far Cry games from best to worst based on enjoyment, quality, and bang for buck:
- Far Cry 3
- Far Cry 5
- Far Cry 4
- Far Cry Primal
- Far Cry New Dawn
- Far Cry 2
- Far Cry
While 2 tries some bold ideas, its mission design has aged poorly in my view. And the original, while strong for its time back in 2004, definitely shows its age in certain aspects.
If forced to crown the "worst" title, I may get some heat but would controversially give that dubious honor to the infamously buggy disaster titles like Far Cry: Vengeance on Wii or the shoddy mobile/portable spin-offs better left forgotten…but that‘s a topic for another article!
Which Far Cry Game is Right For You?
At the end of the day, with average playtimes ranging from 11 hours to over 40 hours for completionists, which Far Cry to jump into depends largely on your budget and how much open world chaos you can handle!
For those seeking the meatiest well-rounded experience, look no further than the 25-30 hour masterpiece Far Cry 5. But if you want to dip your toes into Hope County for the lowest price and time commitment, check out Far Cry New Dawn and its brisk 11 hour thrill ride.
Hope this overview helps break down the shortest and longest games of the series. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions as you prepare for your next Far Cry adventure!
