Far Cry Games in Order (2026 Guide)

There are two useful ways to list the Far Cry games in order: by release date, which is how the mechanics evolved, and by internal chronology, which is how the loosely connected story fits together. Release order starts with Crytek’s 2004 original and runs through Far Cry 6; chronological order starts ten thousand years earlier with Far Cry Primal. Both lists are below, plus which entries you can safely skip.

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The series is only lightly connected — you can start almost anywhere — but a handful of characters and one recurring plot thread do carry across entries. Here is the mainline series at a glance before the full breakdown.

Far Cry Games in Order of Release

This is the list most players want, because it tracks how the formula changed. Mainline entries are marked; the rest are spin-offs, expansions or console-exclusive side stories.

1. Far Cry (2004) — mainline, PC, developed by Crytek
2. Far Cry Instincts (2005) — Xbox-exclusive reimagining by Ubisoft Montreal
3. Far Cry Instincts: Evolution (2006) — Xbox expansion
4. Far Cry Instincts: Predator (2006) — Xbox 360 compilation of the two above
5. Far Cry Vengeance (2006) — Wii port of Evolution, widely regarded as the series low point
6. Far Cry 2 (2008) — mainline
7. Far Cry 3 (2012) — mainline
8. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (2013) — standalone expansion
9. Far Cry 4 (2014) — mainline
10. Far Cry Primal (2016) — mainline spin-off
11. Far Cry 5 (2018) — mainline
12. Far Cry New Dawn (2019) — direct sequel to Far Cry 5
13. Far Cry 6 (2021) — mainline

Note that Ubisoft took over the series after the 2004 original; Crytek left to build Crysis. That handover is why Far Cry 2 onwards feels like a different franchise from the first game despite the shared name.

Far Cry Games in Order of Story Chronology

Chronologically the series runs: Far Cry Primal (roughly 10,000 BC), then the 2004 original, Far Cry 2, Far Cry 3, Far Cry 4, Far Cry 5, Far Cry New Dawn, and Far Cry 6. Blood Dragon sits outside all of this as an alternate-future parody set in 2007.

The connective tissue is thin but real. New Dawn takes place seventeen years after the events of Far Cry 5 and directly follows one of that game’s endings. Far Cry 6 includes a DLC episode starring Vaas Montenegro from Far Cry 3, and other DLC chapters revisit Pagan Min and Joseph Seed. Beyond those, the games stand alone.

Where to Start With the Far Cry Games in Order

Start with Far Cry 3. It established every convention the series still uses — outpost liberation, radio towers, crafting from animal hides, skill trees — and its antagonist remains the series high point. If Far Cry 3 clicks, move forward to 4 and 5; if the formula grinds on you, the later entries will not change your mind.

Far Cry 2 is the outlier worth playing on its own terms. Its guns jam, its malaria mechanic forces detours, and its enemies respawn at checkpoints you just cleared. Those choices frustrated players in 2008 and are precisely why it is the entry critics still write about. A large, high-contrast display flatters its dust and fire effects; our gaming monitor buying guide covers what to look for.

Which Entries You Can Skip

The Instincts trilogy and Far Cry Vengeance are historical curiosities, playable only on original Xbox, Xbox 360 and Wii hardware, and they tell a separate story from the mainline games. Nothing later references them. Skip all four unless you are a completionist.

Far Cry Primal divides opinion more than any other entry. Removing firearms entirely was a bold decision, and beast-taming genuinely changes combat, but the map layout and mission structure are recycled closely from Far Cry 4. Play it if the setting appeals; skip it if you are playing the series for its shooting.

Co-op and Multiplayer Across the Series

Far Cry 4, Far Cry 5, New Dawn and Far Cry 6 all support two-player co-op through the campaign, though with an important caveat: in most of them, only the host retains story progress. The guest keeps skill points, weapons and money, but must replay missions in their own save to advance their story.

Far Cry 5 and 6 also include map editors and community-made content of variable quality. If you are playing co-op regularly, clear voice comms matter more than anything else — our gaming headset buying guide covers the wireless options with usable microphones, and the gaming controller buying guide is worth a read if you play these on PC with a pad.

Performance and Platform Notes

The modern entries scale well. Far Cry 5, New Dawn and Far Cry 6 all run comfortably on mid-range hardware, with Far Cry 6 offering a high-resolution texture pack that meaningfully increases VRAM requirements — a consideration covered in our graphics card buying guide. On console, Far Cry 6 is the only entry with native current-generation versions.

The older games are more awkward. Far Cry 2 and the 2004 original both need modern-resolution fixes on PC, and Far Cry 3 exists in an updated Classic Edition for Xbox One and PS4. If you play these on a TV, our gaming TV buying guide explains which picture modes avoid adding input lag to older console ports, and our gaming laptop buying guide is worth consulting if you intend to run Far Cry 6 portably, since it is by far the most demanding entry.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Far Cry Games in Order

Do I need to play the Far Cry games in order to understand the story?

No. Each mainline entry tells a self-contained story in a new location with new characters, so you can begin with any of them. The only genuine dependency is Far Cry New Dawn, which is a direct sequel to Far Cry 5 and spoils that game’s ending within its opening minutes.

Which Far Cry game is considered the best?

Far Cry 3 is the consensus pick, largely for Vaas Montenegro and for establishing the open-world template the series still uses. Far Cry 2 has a strong critical following for its systemic design and unforgiving tone, while Blood Dragon is frequently named the most purely enjoyable entry.

Is Far Cry Primal part of the main series?

Yes, it is an official mainline release from 2016, set around 10,000 BC in the Mesolithic period. It removes firearms and vehicles entirely in favour of bows, spears and tameable predators, and it reuses a great deal of Far Cry 4’s underlying structure and map design.

How many Far Cry games are there in total?

There are thirteen releases if you count spin-offs, expansions and console-exclusive titles, but only seven are mainline numbered or headline entries: the 2004 original, Far Cry 2 through 6, and Far Cry Primal. Blood Dragon and New Dawn are standalone releases built on existing engines.